ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. In February 2005 the Asheville-Buncombe County 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, Looking Homeward, became the first jurisdictionally based 10-year plan in North Carolina when it was adopted by the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners after six months of work by a 33-member task force of business, non profit and government leaders. Last week United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano was invited to join Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy, Buncombe County Commission Chair Nathan Ramsey, Asheville-Buncombe Affordable Housing Coalition Executive Director Philippe Rosse, Pisgah Legal Services Staff Attorney Robin Merrell, and Homeless Initiative Coordinator Amy Sawyer at a press conference presenting the First Annual Progress Report to the community on the Plan's implementation. Significantly, the event was held at the Woodfin Apartments, a new 18 unit permanent supportive housing project for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Also in attendance was North Carolina Homeless Policy Coordinator Martha Are. Pictured here in front of Woodfin Apartments, l-r, are Scott Dedman and Rich Olejniczak of Mountain Housing Opportunities, Architect John Ledgerton, Director Mangano, Robin Merrell of Pisgah Legal Services, Council Regional Coordinator Michael German, County Commission Chair Nathan Ramsey, and Martha Are.

In his remarks, Director Mangano affirmed the Asheville-Buncombe 10-year planning effort as a role model for other cities of its size, noting in particular the city-county partnership, the cost benefit study which helped drive political and civic will and provided a basis for the plan's recommendations, the adoption of a Housing First permanent supportive housing approach to end chronic homelessness in the community, and the resulting 26% reduction in the number of homeless persons living on the streets because of the increased prevention and housing efforts. For its cost benefit study, 10 year planners tracked jail/court, ambulance, and hospitalization costs associated with 37 chronically homeless individuals over a three year period and discovered the city and county costs to be over $570,000 a year. When emergency shelter costs were included, the city and county costs were over $800,000 a year.

With the opening of the Woodfin Apartments and the soon to be completed Griffin project, the community will have created 33 units of permanent supportive housing in the past year, bringing to 45 the number of units created in the past two years that includes 12 units for persons with mental illness. The Woodfin and Griffin units were created with a combination of federal, state and local funds through a collaboration involving Mountain Housing Opportunities, the Asheville Housing Authority, Clay and Harris property management companies, and Hospitality House.

Other outcomes included in the first year progress report include the hiring of a joint city-county funded plan coordinator, financial support from the city to Pisgah Legal Services for the hiring of an additional staff attorney to expand homeless prevention and disability determination efforts, and startup of the community's Homeless Information Management System. A website, www.abchomeless.org, has been created to keep the community apprised of results and also of ways to become involved in the effort to end homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County. Particularly useful is a page suggesting actions that can be taken by various sectors of the community including financial institutions, civic and professional groups, faith based institutions and individuals.

After the press conference and a tour of the Woodfin Apartments, Director Mangano participated in a luncheon meeting with cost benefit study leaders including Asheville Community Development Director Charlotte Caplan, North Carolina Division of Community Assistance planner Kristy Carter, Pisgah Legal Services Staff Attorney Robin Merrell, and North Carolina Homelessness Policy Coordinator Martha Are.

Traveling from Asheville to Greensboro, Director Mangano, who was accompanied by Council Regional Coordinators Michael German and Eddie Woodhouse during his North Carolina meetings, met with stakeholders involved in the development of the Guilford County/High Point/Greensboro 10-year plan to end homelessness expected to be completed in January. Earlier this year, Greensboro Mayor Keith Holliday, High Point Mayor Becky Smothers, and Guilford County Commission Chair Carolyn Coleman committed to developing a joint 10 year plan, becoming the 15th 10-year planning effort in North Carolina and the 210th in the nation. In a meeting last week at First Baptist Church of Jamestown in Greensboro (pictured here, middle) with local providers that was chaired by United Way of Greensboro President Neil Belenky and followed by a luncheon with community faith leaders, Director Mangano discussed the local planning effort, best practices in 10 year planning, the upcoming December 4-8 National Project Homeless Connect Week innovation, and progress results including reductions in homelessness and cost benefit analysis from the National Partnership that now includes more than 225 city and county jurisdictions. Director Mangano challenged the providers to be more consumer centric in accessing entitlement benefits including social security and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Last week's meeting followed remarks by Director Mangano to more than 150 community members in February of this year when the planning effort was first announced. The Task Force is chaired by former United Way of Greater Greensboro Board Chair and attorney Carole Bruce.

During his North Carolina trip, Director Mangano also met with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (pictured here) at her office in Winston Salem to discuss efforts to end homelessness in her district and throughout the nation.

DULUTH, MINNESOTA. The 400 community members who participated in this city's A Night Without a Home Sleepout (see last week's enews) to generate volunteers, toiletry and clothing necessities, and awareness for Duluth's first Project Homeless Connect were just the beginning of the good news for this community's efforts to adopt Project Homeless Connect as one tool in their planning efforts to end chronic homelessness.

On Wednesday of last week, nearly 250 homeless and at risk of homelessness men and women came to Duluth's first ever Project Homeless Connect held at the Duluth Convention Center where they were greeted by 200 volunteers and another 100 employees from 40 service agencies. Once inside, screening and referrals were available for mental health, chemical dependency, and medical services as well as information and referrals on housing, employment, veterans services, social security, heating assistance, legal aid, domestic abuse and sexual assault counseling and Alcoholics Anonymous. Bus transportation was arranged for people who needed to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to apply for state identification cards, critical to being able to apply for numerous benefit assistance programs.

Duluth's Project Homeless Connect was an event of the Mayor's Task Force to End Homelessness which is working with St. Louis County to develop a 10- year plan. Paula Reed, President of the United Way of Greater Duluth chaired the Project Homeless Connect Committee. At a press conference and volunteer rally prior to the event, Mayor Herb Bergson and St. Louis Commissioner Steve O'Neil thanked United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano and Regional Coordinator Daryl Hernandez for being there to participate in the event and also commended Director Mangano and the Interagency Council for bringing this innovation, launched in San Francisco, to the attention of cities and counties across the nation. In his remarks, Director Mangano noted that Duluth was the 32nd city in the country to host a Connect event and said, " In my 25 years of work on homelessness, no strategy has had a more immediate impact or carries such promise, bringing together political leaders and citizens to encounter and end homelessness." Director Mangano praised Mayor Bergson and Commissioner O'Neil for their leadership "not only for today's Connect but for committing to a results oriented 10 year plan." He added, "You have positioned this community in the National Movement of Unprecedented Partnerships, Resources, and Innovations to end the disgrace of chronic homelessness in this country." Pictured here, middle l-r, Mayor Bergson, Director Mangano, and Commissioner O'Neil.

Intake surveys at the event reveal that nearly 25% of the participants reported long term homelessness of at least one year or four or more episodes of homelessness in three years. Another 11% reported multiple episodes of homelessness though not of as long a duration. 47% of participants surveyed at intake reported a disability of long duration, 19% reported serving in the military, 10% reported full or part time employment, 76% came by themselves, 16% were families, and 6% were unaccompanied youth. Nearly 42% reported spending the previous night in an emergency/temporary shelter, transitional housing or a place not meant for habitation. An Exit satisfaction survey revealed that 29% said housing information/ referral was the most important service they received, 12% reported medical care as being the most valuable to them, while 11% reported employment and job search as being the most important help they received.

Event organizers expressed the intention to have more onsite services available at future PHC events to provide direct immediate assistance. Throughout the day, Salvation Army shuttles provided transportation to and from the event site. In the weeks prior to the event, local charities had distributed free Duluth Transit Authority bus passes to the event. Bus passes were also distributed during the event to participants who made follow up service appointments. Hundreds of blankets, sleeping bags, hats, mittens and toiletries donated during the Sleepout were distributed to those in need by the volunteers who included many College of St. Scholastics and University of Minnesota at Duluth students.

Earlier in the day, Director Mangano met with Superior Wisconsin Mayor Dave Ross and St. Louis County Commissioner O'Neil to encourage 10-year plan development in that city including a possible partnership with the Duluth/St. Louis County planning effort already underway.

Samuel Miller, the new United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator for the New York-New Jersey region, shown here, continued his 10-year planning technical assistance outreach efforts at last week's Nassau/Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless 18th annual Keys for the Homeless Conference. In remarks to the nearly 300 elected and appointed officials, service providers and community leaders attending the conference, Coordinator Miller brought greetings from Interagency Council Director Philip Mangano and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Sean Moss. Mr. Miller described the National Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness being constellated by the Interagency Council that now encompasses 225 jurisdictional 10-year planning efforts and he encouraged adoption of the Project Homeless Connect innovation. A follow up meeting was scheduled with Suffolk County officials who expressed interest in participating in the Council facilitated 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week December 4-8. One highlight of the conference was the presentation of college scholarships to three homeless and formerly homeless young women through the Helen Martin Award, named for the Bellport-area housing advocate who founded the "Keys" conference in 1988.

Mr. Miller also represented the Council last week at the Camden City and County roll out of their draft 10-Year Plan. The "Summit to End Homelessness" brought together city, county, state and federal agency officials, and community leaders to review and refine the community's 10-year planning effort and included presentations by homeless and formerly homeless families and individuals. Among the speakers at the event was New Jersey's newly named Commissioner of Human Resources Clarke Bruno. Prior to his appointment by Governor Corzine, Mr. Bruno had been general counsel at the NY Department of Homeless Services. Keynoting the conference was Dr. Dennis Culhane of the University of Pennsylvania who described his research into the profile and characteristics of homeless individuals and families and the differences in their housing and service needs. The importance of planning for the housing and supportive service needs of the estimated 8000 homeless veterans in New Jersey was emphasized by the choice of the Army National Guard Armory in Cherry Hill as the conference venue.

Mr. Miller is also working with the New Jersey State Alliance to End Homelessness on plans for a January 25, 2007 statewide Project Homeless Connect and a Point in Time Count that would involve 21 counties.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $49 million in grants for treatment services for people who are homeless and suffering from mental disorders, substance use or both. In announcing the awards, Assistant Surgeon General and SAMHSA Acting Deputy Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H noted that many of the estimated 600,000 persons who are homeless on any given night have serious mental health and substance abuse problems that can be treated. "These grants will help provide the treatment and recovery support services needed to help these people overcome their illnesses and obtain a safe, decent place to live," he said.

The $49 million includes $45 million in new grants over 5 years awarded to 23 agencies to expand and strengthen treatment services. Nine of those grants are specifically focused on the treatment needs of persons experiencing chronic homelessness, defined as individuals having a disabling condition who have either been continuously homeless for a year or more or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. Additionally, $4 million in one year supplemental grants was awarded to existing grantees to ensure that individuals experiencing chronic homelessness obtain mental health and substance abuse treatment, linkage to housing and housing support services, case management, and other recovery-oriented services.

To view a list and project description of the Treatment for Homeless Program grants, please visit the Council's website or click on the Read more button below.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. Preparations continue for 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week December 4-8. In a visit facilitated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness with Council Regional Coordinator Ed Cabrera and PHC liaison Leslie Sarofeen on site, representatives of Anchorage, AK, Detroit, MI, Contra Costa and Marin Counties, CA and Santa Barbara, CA Mayor Marty Blum and Councilmember Helene Schneider were among those attending San Francisco's 13th Project Homeless Connect last week. They received an "insider's look" that included the opportunity to attend a volunteer training session, the pre-event volunteer rally that included remarks by San Francisco 10-Year Plan Chair Angela Alioto, an overview briefing and guided site tour by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, access to the event as either a volunteer or observer, and post event debriefing.

Commenting on her experience at the SF Project Homeless Connect, Santa Barbara Councilwoman Schneider said, "Watching Project Homeless Connect in action was an eye opener for me. To witness the level of care provided from the community, the direct assistance given to those most in need and the high level of coordination between various governmental agencies, the non-profit service providers and many corporate sponsors was awe-inspiring. Experiencing Project Homeless Connect first-hand gave me the insight I needed to figure out how the City of Santa Barbara and its partners can incorporate such an important event here at home." Mayor Marty Blum echoed those sentiments saying, "Spending a day at Project Homeless Connect was an amazing experience, a real paradigm shift. Such a calm atmosphere with so many people helping and being helped. I am inspired for our own County to do the same. I got a lot out of the pre-meeting, then touring the stations, and finally just wandering around noticing the little things that make this work." Santa Barbara is planning on holding its first PHC in early 2007. Santa Monica Councilman Bobby Shriver also attended last week's San Francisco PHC in preparation for his community's December 6 PHC during National Project Homeless Connect Week. December 6 is also the date for Contra Costa County's first PHC. Marin County is planning an event for spring 2007.

During last week's 13th SF Project Homeless Connect, 1400 volunteers helped 1900 clients and in yet another innovation, San Francisco will pilot a "buddy system" by which volunteers will offer to go with clients to follow up appointments. Already, San Francisco PHC organizers have noticed that the events have created a greater receptivity for services by homeless people with an ever increasing "show up" rate for follow up medical appointments. San Francisco's next bimonthly Project Homeless Connect is scheduled for December 7 during National Project Homeless Connect Week.

For more information on National Project Homeless Connect Week, please visit the Council's website. Communities interested in participating in National Week can contact the Council at usichevents@usich.gov.

DENVER, COLORADO. With the first snow of the season predicted for Monday evening, Denver's third Project Homeless Connect held Saturday at the Denver Human Services Building couldn't come soon enough for the 600 homeless men and women who came seeking housing and a variety of health, benefits assistance, and employment services. They were greeted by representatives of 35 health and human service providers, businesses, schools and medical organizations and more than 700 volunteers, a majority of whom were Comcast employees participating in the company 6th annual national COMCAST CARES volunteer day held on the first Saturday in October. Denver's Project Homeless Connect was one of 17 community projects in Colorado and 300 nationally in 34 states and the District of Columbia supported by this year's COMCAST CARES DAY which involved 30,000 Comcast employees and their families and over a million dollars in grants to the local community partner organizations. Comcast donated $50,000 to Denver's Road Home 10-year plan effort.

This third Denver PHC differed in a number of ways from the first two events. Not only was this one sponsored almost entirely by Comcast as a way of giving back to the community, but it was also the first one held on a Saturday and at the Department of Human Services Building, giving PHC organizers an opportunity to compare approaches for reaching the homeless in the community including whether familiarity with the Department of Human Services Building might increase the "show up" rate for follow up appointments for city services provided at that location.

PHC organizers report that:

• 26 homeless individuals left with jobs starting Monday through Temporaries on Stand By - a day labor outfit that hires people for construction and other jobs. Nearly 100 others were assisted by six other onsite employers.
• 65 Veterans were helped with benefits, military records and hygiene kits.
• 200 were assisted with personal documentation eligibility which is necessary to access benefits like housing, employment and other services.
• 115 received direct medical care including screenings for dental, vision, and urgent medical care.
• 110 received legal consultations and assistance.

Businesses providing in-kind donations included Chipotle, Deep Rock Water, Old Chicago Foundation, Regis University, Robinson Dairy and Udi's.

CARSON CITY, NEVADA. On September 23rd, this state capital city held its first Project Homeless Connect at the Pony Express Pavilion at Mills Park with transportation provided to and from the Friends in Service Helping (FISH) building for health and dental services, immunizations and TB testing. The event was organized by the Carson City Health and Human Services Department and involved 32 partner agencies and approximately 100 community volunteers and agency representatives. Services at the Pony Express location included court adjudication, haircuts, employment services, distribution of hygiene kits donated by the VA, blankets and bedding donated by a local casino, non perishable food, school supplies and backpacks.

In March 2006, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano traveled to Carson City at the invitation of Governor Kenny Guinn to confer with the Governor and his newly appointed members to the Nevada State Interagency Council on Homelessness he'd created by Executive Order on developing a statewide 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness. Director Mangano had also addressed the Carson City Board of Supervisors who committed by resolution to developing a 10-year plan for the capital city.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. Homeless and at risk of homeless families in Seattle and King County, Washington will benefit from an extraordinary act of "service above self" by the Rotary Club of Seattle #4. For the good of the community and to commemorate its centennial in 2009, the Seattle Rotary has committed to raising up to $4 million from Rotarians over the next year to support a $9 million capital campaign by Family Services to establish a one-stop hub "Rotary Support Center for Families." Family Services is a private, nonprofit social service agency established in 1892 that provides a variety of family stabilization, community violence prevention and mental health counseling programs to over 20,000 children, adults and families in the King County region each year designed to "build emotionally healthy, self sufficient families." One of Family Services' programs is Project Permanency, a partnership of Family Services with the King County and Seattle Housing Authorities, the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association, and private developer HSC real estate that allows families to transition "in place" to permanent housing.

The new "Rotary Support Center for Families" will bring together Family Services programs that were scattered throughout the community into a one stop service center that will include eviction prevention, counseling and case management, child care and parenting classes, and transitioning into permanent housing. "Clients will be able to access support services without traveling around the city, allowing them to address the barriers to self sufficiency more quickly and successfully by improving triage and service delivery," explained Family Services CEO and President Ruthann Howell.

In making the initial announcement in June, Seattle Rotary Centennial Chairman Don Kraft said, " Seattle Rotarians were asked to identify critical projects they could enthusiastically support. Our members brought in 41 worthy proposals for us to consider. Family Services and the creation of the "Rotary Support Center for Families" is an emphatic statement that Rotarians would like to play a significant role in ending homelessness in our community."

The Rotary Club of Seattle #4 was founded in 1909 and is the fourth oldest Rotary Club internationally. The decision by the Seattle Rotary to lead the capital campaign to create a one stop hub for services to prevent and end family homelessness in the community underscores the importance of involving business leaders and civic institutions as partners in planning efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

In this week's issue of the enews, we highlight excerpts of remarks by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano at the Duluth, MN Project Homeless Connect, and a recent Greensboro (NC) News-Record Editorial entitled Chronic Homelessness Costs Society Too Much.

. . . Today Duluth becomes the 32nd city to host a Project Homeless Connect Day. Your Project Homeless Connect will help support the development of your 10-Year Plan. In my 25 years of work on homelessness, no strategy has had a more immediate impact or carries such promise, bringing together political leaders and citizens to encounter and end homelessness.

. . . In cities across the country who have held Project Homeless Connect Days, literally thousands of homeless people from the streets or living long term in shelters have been engaged and nudged closer to the end of their homelessness. Thousands are now queued up in that same trajectory thanks to this innovative one stop resource. From medical services to Medicaid assistance. From haircuts to housing. From animal care to acupuncture. Connect offers resources to engage and end homelessness.

. . . One stop. One day. One goal. Not to replace what's already being done, but to supplement current efforts with a public infusion of compassion and results fusing political and civic will focused on our poorest neighbors.

From the October 10, 2006 Greensboro News-Record:

. . .Guilford County can pay whatever it takes to provide decent housing and human services for the chronically homeless. Or it can spend more to let them live and die on the streets.

. . . Philip Mangano understands those choices don't seem to make much sense. But the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, visiting Guilford last week, said research conducted in several cities confirms the not- so-obvious: People who live on the streets "randomly ricochet through mainstream systems," including hospital emergency rooms, jails and mental health treatment centers. Some consume more than $100,000 in services annually. Ultimately, none of that improves their condition, Mangano said.

. . . Mangano works for the Bush Administration, which set a goal of ending chronic homelessness in 10 years. It's forged a model to achieve that far reaching goal and linked federal funding to state and local buy-in. The Guilford County Task Force to End Homelessness has climbed on board.

. . . The local task force is working on a cost benefit analysis and plan, due by late January, to combine "lower costs, better outcomes," Chairwoman Carole Bruce said. The primary component would be housing . . . It would add services-medical, mental health, substance abuse-to keep them off the streets. It sounds expensive, but the new approach can win community support if the task force demonstrates it will save money and get better results than what currently is failing to solve problems.

. . . The goal of ending chronic homelessness is ambitious, but paying for it to persist is irresponsible.