TUCSON, ARIZONA. Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup unveiled the Pima County Plan to End Homelessness, developed by the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless with the support and endorsement of the City of Tucson and Pima County, at a press conference on Wednesday. Tucson, is the state's oldest city and the 32nd largest city in the nation. Mayor Walkup was joined at the 10-year plan unveiling by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. Pictured here is Director Mangano (right) shaking hands with Mayor Walkup after receiving a copy of the plan. Also present at the press conference were Tucson City Council members Karen Uhlich and Carol West, Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless Chair Bill Magnotto, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation Director and Chair, Continuum of Services Subcommittee Beth Carey, Tucson Community Services Director Emily Nottingham, Mary Pat Sullivan of Comin' Home, an organization serving homeless veterans, and Interagency Council Regional Coordinator Ed Cabrera.

The Tucson/Pima County Plan endorses a strategy of rapid rehousing that strives to quickly place homeless individuals and families in permanent housing with wraparound services determined by "the needs and desires of the homeless household." The Plan includes a special focus on housing for the elderly, recommending the creation of 50 new affordable housing units a year for seniors. Other recommendations include creating additional respite care beds, increasing detoxification capacity, improving access to transit services to include identifying a dedicated source of funding for bus passes, and creating incentives for mergers and other levels of coordination among service agencies that reduce administrative costs and increase money for direct services. The Pima/Tucson Plan was coordinated with the State of Arizona 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness.

"I am very proud about what our community has done for the victims of Katrina, and we're going to do the same for homeless people," said Mayor Walkup, referring to the city's effective rapid-rehousing of displaced evacuees from the Gulf Coast region.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano congratulated Mayor Walkup, the City Council members, and County officials for joining the more than 220 mayors and county executives around the country who have committed to the 10-year planning process to end, not manage, the homelessness of those who are most vulnerable, most disabled. Referring to Mayor Walkup 's State of the City address in January in which the mayor had said "It costs less to fix the problems than to avoid them any longer.", Director Mangano cited studies that have revealed the true costs of chronic homelessness. "Once we understand the economic consequences of homelessness, we can't avoid it any longer. Ignoring homelessness is humanly inexcusable and economically irresponsible."

Director Mangano reported that cities with 10-year plans that are seeing reductions in the number of homeless, are also seeing cost savings in emergency rooms, substance abuse and mental health programs, incarceration, and court costs. "Nothing will gives more impetus to sustained political will and those cost savings are the basis of public investments in those plans." Noting Mayor Walkup's background as an engineer, Director Mangano likened the community's next step-implementating the plan's recommendations-to determining how the bridge will be built and financed, urging officials to involve the business mindset in this next step.

KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON. A multijurisdictional 10-year plan for Benton and Franklin Counties in Washington State including the cities of Richland, Pasco, Kennewick and many smaller jurisdictions, was rolled out last week by the Benton and Franklin County Commissioners at a public meeting at the Keewayden Library. Pictured here is Franklin County Commissioner Frank Brock, left, with Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver. The 10-Year Plan, HOME BASE, calls for the creation of a single point of entry, "rapid rehousing" system, integrating the outreach and services of the many agencies serving homeless individuals, families and youth in this fast growing area of south central Washington State with an estimated population of nearly a quarter million people. A highlight of the rollout was the unveiling of information kiosks, a tangible example of the new integrated system. The kiosks will be available in the library branches, other public buildings, and bus stations.

Elected officials attending the public rollout of the plan were Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver, Franklin County Commissioners Frank Brock and Bob Koch, Kennewick Mayor Jim Beaver and City Councilmember Tom Moak, Connell Mayor Gary Walton, Prosser Mayor Linda Lusk, West Richland City Councilmember Gail Brown, and state representative Shirley Hankins. Also in attendance were 10-Year Plan Chair John Olivas, Benton Franklin Community Action Committee Board Chair Eileen Crawford and Executive Director Judith Gidley, and Mid Columbia Library Vice Chair Dorothy Evans and Executive Director Danielle Krol. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson was invited to speak at the event.

Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver explained that the County Commissioners and city mayors had partnered with the Benton Franklin Community Action Committee in developing this initial plan, which he described as "a roadmap and the opportunity to make this, not the county's plan or CAC's plan, but the community's plan for eliminating homelessness in Benton and Franklin County." He added, " Regardless of what you think of choices people have made, they all deserve a safe place to sleep at night and the community deserves the stability that comes from people not feeling thrown away on the streets." Franklin County Commissioner Frank Brock described some of the changes already put in place over the last few months as a result of the 10 year planning effort which include a 36 member Task Force to oversee policy and implementation; a Triage Unit to streamline intake, assessment and housing of homeless persons and families; an online information sharing and case management system linking agencies as satellite partners; and community education efforts including training for school district personnel on serving homeless students and promoting greater awareness of the 4people.org website.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson, representing the Council at the event, commended the community for committing to the national effort to end homelessness. " You are committing yourself to house and humanize people who have been dehumanized and cast aside. You have committed yourself to change the system as you have known it in the past. You are committing yourself to a process, to a living document that will grow with experience. One year from now you will review your plan and you will not doubt celebrate achievement and make corrections and your elected officials will make sure the plan is accountable for results."

The Benton/Franklin 10-Year Plan is one of 30 county plans to have been developed in Washington State. The 2005 Homeless Housing and Assistance Act, sponsored by state representative Mark Miloscia, is providing new resources for 10-year planning efforts, housing and services in Washington State.

United States Interagency on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano traveled to Denmark last week at the invitation of the Danish Minister of Social Affairs Eva Kjer Hansen, to provide an international perspective at the Annual Conference on Social Politics. Director Mangano's visit to Denmark continues the international dialogue on innovative solutions to homelessness initiated by the Council in 2003. Over the last three years, the Council has participated in a number of multilateral discussions with senior government officials from England, Scotland, Canada, and South Africa. Pictured here (top, l-r) are Thomas Boerner, Ministry Permanent Secretary; Peter Juul, Head of Division; Minister Hansen; Director Mangano; and Lola Foster, Head of Section. Pictured below is Director Mangano speaking with Minister Hansen.

While in Denmark, Council Director Mangano, joined by Council Regional Coordinator Michael German, also met with the U.S. Embassy Political and Economic Affairs Counselor, and visited several innovative Danish programs including a low threshold permanent supportive housing "skaeve huse til skaeve existenser" project designated by the European Commission as a "good practice" (see related story); a working farm in Moltrup which is providing permanent housing and self sufficiency opportunities for homeless men; and a YMCA Social Work in Denmark sponsored Day Center in Kolding which offers outreach, a daily meal, and services and supports itself with a very entrepreneurial thrift shop operation. This Day Center is one of the many ways in which the YMCA in Denmark is creating resources for the socially marginalized. Approximately 50% of all social services for homeless persons and other socially marginalized populations in Denmark are provided by NGOs.

Annual Conference on Social Politics

The Annual Conference on Social Politics brings together government officials at all levels and private sector service providers. This year's meeting was highlighted by Minister Hansen's presentation of the Danish Government's new 12 point action program for socially marginalized people, entitled Our Collective Responsibility II. The twelve initiatives focus on three main areas- outreach and supportive activities; improving access to the labor market; and improving local authority ability to provide services effectively. The latter offers many parallels to the new directions in US policy on homelessness promoted by the US. Interagency Council on Homelessness including greater emphasis on local authority planning, enhanced collaboration among public and private agencies, and a focus on results.

Our Collective Responsibility II builds on the 2002 Our Collective Responsibility program which laid the foundation for significantly improving services to socially marginalized people, including a treatment guarantee for alcohol and substance misusers, increasing the availability low threshold and other types of housing and shelters, and creation of the Council for Socially Marginalized People. The Danish Council for Socially Marginalized People is a more formal mechanism for accomplishing the consumer centric approach promoted by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

In his address at the Conference, Council Director Mangano noted that the "emphasis on housing and employment in Our Collective Responsibility correspond to our priorities in the United States. Why would this be so? Because homeless people themselves have identified that these are the resources they most want. Consumer choice. Housing first. Opportunity offered. That's what is influencing our work in Washington."

As children start school across the country, this issue of the e-news draws attention to the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act that ensure access to education for homeless children and youth and also identifies resources that can assist parents, children, and others in supporting those rights.

The Education for Homeless Children and Youth program of the McKinney-Vento Act addresses the problems that homeless children and youth face in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. The U.S. Department of Education has recently issued a Report to the President and Congress on the Implementation of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

As described by the Department in its report, State Educational Agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. Homeless children and youth must have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every school district must designate a local liaison for homeless children and youth. The duties of local liaisons in each of the nation's school districts include ensuring that homeless children and youth are identified, enroll in, and have a full opportunity to succeed in schools, and receive educational services for which they are eligible. Local liaisons must ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth is posted throughout the Local Education Agency (LEA) and the community, and that parents and guardians are informed of their children's educational rights. Local Liaisons are also required to coordinate and collaborate with community and school personnel for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youth.

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2001, the term "homeless children and youth" is defined by the statute to include individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement; children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and migratory children who qualify as homeless under the law.

Access to Education. Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there; they must be given access to the same public education, including preschool education, provided to other children. The law provides for children to continue in the school they last attended before they became homeless or the school they last attended, if that is the parent's or youth's choice and is feasible. If a staff member of a school sends the child or youth to a school other than the one requested, the staff member must provide a written explanation and offer the right to appeal the decision. The law also provides for children to receive transportation to the school they attended before the family or youth became homeless or the school they last attended, if the parent or youth requests such transportation. By law, children can enroll in school without giving a permanent address; schools cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrollment. Children can enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records or any other documents required for enrollment. Children can also enroll and attend classes in the school of choice even while the school and parent or youth seek to resolve a dispute over the selected school. (The school district local liaison for homeless education will assist youths with the dispute process.) The law provides for children to receive the same special programs and services, if needed, as provided to all other children or youth served in these programs.

Ensuring Education Rights in Jurisdictional Planning. Several helpful resources are available that can support intergovernmental partners at the federal, state, city, and county levels, as well as intercommunity partners engaged in State Interagency Councils on Homelessness and jurisdictional 10-year plans to end homelessness, in ensuring the education rights of homeless children and youth.

State Interagency Councils on Homelessness and jurisdictional 10-year planning entities should ensure that appropriate State Educational Agency personnel and local liaisons, as well as other state and local government officials familiar with homeless education issues and resources, and consumers themselves, are active partners in state and local jurisdictional planning. State Interagency Councils and jurisdictional 10-year planners can play a vital role in ensuring the regular distribution of the consumer and provider oriented materials described below that explain these rights.

Helpful Resources:

Education Rights Poster for Parents. This poster explains who qualifies as homeless under the educational provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and lists the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This poster is available for download in English or Spanish and can be posted in schools, in homeless and other programs, and throughout the community.

Education Rights Poster for School-Age Children and Youth. This poster is targeted to school-age children and youth and explains who qualifies as homeless under the education provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The poster lists the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This poster is available for download in English and Spanish and can be posted in schools, in children's programs, in homeless and other programs, and throughout the community.

National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE is the Department of Education's national technical assistance provider. NCHE, at the SERVE center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, develops and disseminates information to parents, service providers, local schools, advocacy group, and State and Local education providers; operates a helpline; hosts a listserv; maintains a website to disseminate information about federal, state, and local resources; and provides onsite technical assistance and training, as well as web- based training on serving the needs of homeless students. NCHE's publications include a Best Practices in Homeless Education series which includes a publication specifically for service providers on the details of education rights.

WASHINGTON, DC. As reported in the August 17 e- news, September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. A Presidential Proclamation urges all Americans to join in the effort "to help prevent alcohol and drug abuse and to promote treatment and recovery options." This year's Recovery Month theme is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Build a Stronger, Healthier Community." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has partnered with national organizations to create a comprehensive toolkit to help communities raise awareness about the effectiveness of treatment and recovery. The toolkit may be downloaded from SAMHSA's Recovery Month webpage.

Other SAMHSA events and resources to note:

September 6: Premier of the webcast At the Crossroads: Examining the Intersection of Care for Persons with Mental and Substance Use Conditions. This program examine a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report on improving the quality of care for persons with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions; and identies policies and action steps needed from State, local, and Federal governments; health care organizations; and others to help ensure Americans receive appropriate treatments.

September 7: Release of the National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health at the annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC. This survey, formerly known as the "Household Survey," examines the extent of the abuse of illegal drugs, pharmaceuticals, alcohol and tobacco.

A number of previously recorded webcasts, including such topics as Recovery and the Military: Treating Veterans and Their Families; Addiction and the Justice System: Deciphering the Maze; and Faith and Healing: The Healing Role of Faith Based Organizations may also be accessed from the SAMHSA website.

On his recent trip to Denmark at the invitation of the Danish Minister of Social Affairs (see related story), United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano met with residents living in one of Denmark's "skaeve huse til skaeve existenser" housing communities, who'd been homeless for more than 10 years and now have been stably housed for 5 years. This Danish housing program has been identified by the European Commission as a "good practice" in providing permanent housing solutions for long term "roofless" persons. Director Mangano is pictured here speaking with a resident in front of his home.

Since 2001 the Danish government has focused social policy efforts on marginalized people including the homeless, drug and alcohol abuse victims, and the mentally disabled with the intention of " improving the quality of life of these target groups on their own terms". The Danish homeless policy approach is "that no one without a roof over their heads need be turned away". Thus, for the past several years, the Danish government has supported efforts to provide housing to the most resistant to serve homeless, through the creation of small scale communities of 20 units or less based on a 'housing first' approach in which a tenancy was provided first, followed by offers of other services. No permanent staff live in these communities. Social workers pay regular visits to monitor progress of the tenants and provide health, employment and other services where possible. The program targets a narrow population of the homeless who have been living on the streets for a long time, who are unable or do not want to live in regular housing, institutions or shelters, and have refused all efforts toward "reintegrating" into the larger community. The objective of this type of intervention is not reintegration but improving their individual quality of life through providing them with a permanent space of their own to end "the vicious cycle of temporary accommodation and rough sleeping." While there are no demands on the tenants to accept social services, the program does require that the tenants have tenancy agreements and they are held responsible for the maintenance of their 'homes'.

Under the Danish government program, municipalities or voluntary organizations initiate the projects. Capital costs and the first two years of operating costs are covered by the central government. Units have a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and access to common rooms. Residents pay a monthly rent "which is deducted at source". Most of the projects built to date are for men and the tenants "constitute a more or less permanent community." After reviewing an official government evaluation undertaken in 2004 of the first 25 projects developed under this initiative, Danish Minister of Social Affairs Eva Kjer Hansen approved additional funding to develop and maintain more projects, noting " there is a real need to provide these marginalized people with a fixed point of existence."

Results from a 2005 European Union seven country peer review and findings from a FEANTSA sponsored "shadow" peer review at the service provider level emphasize that this approach is effective for "a specific and narrow part of the homeless population and cannot be seen as a solution for houseless persons and certainly not for the inadequately housed." Some concern was expressed about the transferability of the program to other countries which may require a higher quality standard for the housing than is the case with some of the Danish projects which include barracks housing.

For three of her five terms as a member of the Maui City Council and later as Mayor of Maui County, Governor Lingle represented the Island of Molokai and the leper colony which has been there since the 1800's. Now populated by only a few elderly patients who choose to be there, the colony which once served thousands with Hansen's Disease, is now reduced in number through the innovation and technological development of sulphonic medications.

No doubt the lesson that curing is better than servicing has been instructive to a Governor who refuses to accede to the supposed intractability of homelessness. To the contrary, Governor Lingle has challenged the business community, tourism authorities, localities, and other stakeholders to join her in a partnership to end yet another scourge. "No amount of handwringing will solve the problem of homelessness" she has said. "It wont go away because it's not an it. These are people. These are individuals. They are not going to go away. They are part of our community."

Believing that everyone has the right to live in dignity, believing that results matter and that funding for programs must be based on whether they are working, and believing that every one can be and must be part of the solution, Governor Lingle has fashioned a State Ten Year Plan to end the disgrace of homelessness. She has refocused state housing strategies to accomplish increases in supply, emphasized solutions for ex-prisoners to reduce recidivism and increase integration, and aggressively sought to preserve the affordable housing stock.

For her work to ensure that her state is tolerant of homeless people, but intolerant of homelessness and her consequent commitment of political will, resources, and vision, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness was pleased to present an inaugural "A Home for Every American Award" to Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.

As noted elsewhere in this issue of the e-news, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Philip Mangano traveled to Denmark last week at the invitation of Danish Minister of Social Affairs Eva Kjer Hansen (shown here) to address the Annual Conference on Social Politics. At the Conference, Minister Hansen announced a 12 point program, Our Collective Responsibility II, to more effectively meet the needs of homeless and other socially marginalized populations. Below are excerpts from her remarks.

. . . All people should have the possibility of creating a meaningful life for themselves, a life that reflects their wishes and needs. The same holds true for the socially marginalized groups of society-the most severely affected mentally ill and homeless people, prostitutes, and substance misusers.

. . . The Government believes that even the most socially marginalized people have resources and competencies that - given the opportunity to develop- will benefit the individual personally as well as society.

. . . Even tiny improvements in socially marginalized people's daily life represent a big leap for the individual. Because even tiny movements serve to remove some barriers, thus increasing an individual's chances of breaking down another barrier that will bring him or her yet closer to a more satisfying life.

. . . It is a challenge for society to break down the barriers that prevent the individual from improving and using his or her potential. Removing these obstacles is a must if we are to maintain a society without major social divides and where everybody has a fair chance.

. . .The objective of Our Collective Responsibility II initiatives is to move the individual one or more steps in the right direction - irrespective of where on the road and how far from the goal he or she is.

. . .With Our Collective Responsibility II action programme, the Government lays the tracks for tiered and targeted efforts meant to ease the way for and enable the most marginalized groups in society to take the necessary steps toward a better and more active life, a life where the individual is part of a larger whole and where a place in the labour market is an objective for as many as possible.