MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. Manchester, New Hampshire has a significant addition to its stock of permanent housing for families who have experienced homelessness, with this week's ribbon cutting at The Family Mill, which includes 17 new units of permanent housing for formerly homeless individuals with children. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Pamela Patenaude joined Senator John E. Sununu and Manchester Mayor Robert A. Baines for the event at the Families in Transition (FIT) site with partners from the public and private sector.

Assistant Secretary Patenaude emphasized HUD's commitment in making the President's initiative to end chronic homelessness a priority, noting that HUD had awarded record funding to Manchester, with more than $400,000 targeted to The Family Mill. "President Bush is committed to ending chronic homelessness in this country, and his Administration has awarded record funding for homeless assistance programs during the past four years," she stated, adding that the revitalization of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, currently chaired by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, is key to the work of bringing together the activities of all federal agencies. Also representing the federal partnership were HUD Region I Director Taylor Caswell and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien.

Senator Sununu gave high praise to FIT and Executive Director Maureen Beauregard and her Board, noting the complexity of developing The Family Mill with its thirteen Project Funders, as well as the important collaborations among city, state, and federal governments. Other funders for the $6.5 million renovation of the historic mill in Manchester's west side, which also encompasses a computer training lab and the relocated Family Outfitters Thrift Store, included: NH Housing Finance Authority; Boston Capital; TD Banknorth, N.A.; City of Manchester; Community Development Finance Authority; NH Community Loan Fund; Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation; The Byrne Foundation; The Cogswell Benevolent Trust; Greater Manchester Charitable Trust; and Samuel P. Hunt Foundation. GreatBridge Properties was a co- developer of the project.

Families in Transition (FIT) began as a program of the New Hampshire Loan Fund in 1991. The agency now has five residential buildings in Manchester and two in Concord comprising 97 units of housing for formerly homeless individuals and families, as well as a health care clinic, child and youth rooms, and computer training classrooms. In November 2002, FIT officially expanded into the area of social entrepreneurship with the opening of Family Outfitters Thrift Store. The business was developed as an alternative revenue stream for FIT. In addition, Family Outfitters Thrift Store serves as an employment training program for FIT alumni who have the opportunity to gain retail expertise at all levels.

Pictured here are (left to right): Senator Sununu, Director Beauregard, Assistant Secretary Patenaude, and Mayor Baines.

WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS. Pointing to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' recent success in increasing the participation of persons experiencing homelessness in mainstream entitlement and benefit programs, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey (pictured here) last week announced a rapid response housing initiative aimed at financing 500 single room occupancy units in the state this year to move persons in shelter out of homelessness as quickly as possible. According to the Lt. Governor, who chairs the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, the state's Department of Housing and Community Development will move to a monthly review of new housing development applications seeking state funds in order to produce results more rapidly.

"Our commitment this year is to fund as many SRO- style units as we can find," she said. "We don't want people living in the shelter system year after year." Speaking to a statewide audience of providers and advocates gathered at Bentley College for "Strategies for Hope," the annual Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) conference, Lt. Governor Healey, joined by a range of state commissioners who reported on results in treatment, corrections, and housing initiatives, said that targeted outreach and access initiatives have helped the state enroll an additional 150,000 people in the food stamp program and 45,000 in Medicaid benefits.

MHSA Executive Director Joe Finn welcomed conferees. MHSA Board Chair James Cuddy, Executive Director of the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, a Community Action Program in Framingham which operates a wholly owned subsidiary organization that develops permanent housing for many persons who are homeless, told the shelter and service providers that they should act deliberately to move away from managing homelessness and toward ending homelessness.

"We need to be able to look to the time when all of us who are connected with shelters can walk into dormitories where people live, turn off the light, and not turn it on again," Cuddy said. SMOC Housing Corporation is a full-service real estate organization that performs all property and asset management functions including 24/7 property services, housing operations, capital planning, marketing, tenant relations, leasing, contract compliance, licensing, consulting, construction and project management, financing strategies and technical assistance. SMOC's Housing Corporation has integrated human services with over 1200 rental and program units serving individuals and families in 120 locations in Massachusetts.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS. Government and business leaders gathered last week in Fort Worth, Texas, as Mayor Mike Moncrief appointed a permanent Advisory Commission to develop and implement a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. Partners convened at the Cornerstone New Life Center transitional program in Fort Worth where they were hosted by Executive Director Mike Doyle, who is Texas Governor Rick Perry's appointee to the Texas Interagency Council.

Joined by Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, former Fort Worth City Councilman and new Advisory Commission Chair Ralph McCloud, and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano (pictured here), who was invited to keynote the event, Mayor Moncrief stated, "We can't afford to have an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude about the homeless." Mayor Moncrief pointed to recent community partnerships in Fort Worth and Tarrant County that provided assistance to hurricane evacuees, saying, "Thanks for your extraordinary work. Thank you for welcoming and placing them [evacuees] in homes. We're learning from that work how that effort can be bottled up to help those who have historically been homeless. The idea is to put that same heart to work."

Director Mangano noted the Mayor's leadership for the newly appointed Commission members: "The Mayor is saying that the status quo of can no longer be tolerated in Fort Worth. In assembling the team to get this job done, the Mayor has taken the time to get it right. Now this leader takes the role of the Good Samaritan, pledging to create the plan that will ensure that those left on the side of the road who have been ignored and exiled will move forward to housing and services."

Formation of the new entity, with broad representation from all stakeholders to advise the City Council regarding homelessness and develop and oversee implementation of a specific step-by-step plan to address homelessness, was the key recommendation of the 2004 committee appointed by the Mayor. The 2004 Advisory Committee was a 47 member body whose purpose was to develop policy recommendations for addressing homelessness in Fort Worth. The Committee was created to respond to the issues of increasing concerns expressed by neighborhoods about the negative community impacts of homelessness, and the Interagency Council's encouragement to develop 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness. Membership on the committee included representatives from all stakeholders, including neighborhood associations, business interests, homeless service providers, affordable housing developers, religious organizations, the Ft. Worth Independent School District, and health services professionals.

Key recommendations of the Advisory Committee included finding that the City of Fort Worth must begin to play a stronger role in addressing homelessness, by partnering with the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition and Tarrant County government to improve existing processes, and by actively taking on new initiatives to address needs. Specific recommendations in addition to the creation of the permanent body included: adding homelessness in the Comprehensive Plan and to the city's legislative agenda; pursuing additional resources to address homelessness, including dedication of city tax dollars; and establishing a centralized one-stop resource facility. The Committee also recommended that multiple issues should be addressed by the city simultaneously, to ensure continued cohesion of all stakeholders and to focus on long-term cost- effective solutions. These include scattered site affordable and service-enriched housing, increased public safety resources in homeless-impacted areas, adequate funding, a centralized intake center, and improved accountability for achievement of outcomes across the homeless service system.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. The City of Brotherly Love, which has documented multi-year progress in reducing its street population, last week unveiled its new 10-Year Plan developed by a multi- sector partnership commissioned by Mayor John Street. Mayor Street announced the completion of "Creating Homes, Strengthening Communities, and Improving Systems," the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness from a Task Force that he created last year, co-chaired by Managing Director Pedro Ramos and Sister Mary Scullion, a longtime advocate in the city. The Task Force produced a 34-page plan to end homelessness in Philadelphia.

"We have made significant progress in reducing homelessness in our City," Mayor Street said at a news conference announcing his endorsement of the 10-Year Plan. "But there are still too many families and individuals experiencing homelessness. We have the right programs in place now, and with the resources we've identified, and leadership from throughout the city, we can - and we will - end homelessness in Philadelphia." More than 100 participants, representing government agencies, homeless service providers, housing providers, community development corporations, advocates, and individuals experiencing homelessness developed the plan's objectives during four planning meetings. Participants joined one of seven formal work groups (Housing Production, Hard to Serve/Street Homelessness, Building Human Capital, Community Awareness and Engagement, Using Data, Shelter and Services, and Prevention and Collaboration). To gain consumers' perspectives on homelessness and homeless services in Philadelphia, Plan participants conducted focus groups and interviewed consumers at a number of emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities throughout the city.

Stated the Plan's co-chairs, "We need every sector and community to play a part in this plan to enhance the life of every Philadelphian. The dedication and hard work of so many set an example for us redouble our efforts to realize our shared goal - to end homelessness in ten years." Mayor Street said the Task Force identified the following funding resources committed to the Plan: $5 Million in community behavioral health reinvestment funds to help families and individuals in emergency housing when they are suffering from mental health or drug addiction problems; $2 Million from NTI bond proceeds and the new Housing Trust Fund to prevent families and individuals from falling into homelessness in the first place; $2 Million, mostly from Federal housing funds, for new housing initiatives - 600 units of subsidized housing for homeless families over the next two years, and 100 beds for individuals who have been homeless for years, living on the streets or in and out of shelters, jail and hospitals; and $1 Million for the planning and implementation of this Plan that will be raised through grants and donations.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS. The Texas Homeless Network surely did not have hurricanes in mind when it named its 17th Annual Conference "Making Waves" to show its commitment to energy and change in addressing homelessness in the Lone Star State. But gathered in Corpus Christi last week, hundreds of public officials, philanthropists, providers, advocates, and persons experiencing homelessness focused on the work at hand for both historically homeless persons and those evacuated from affected areas by recent hurricanes.

Executive Director Ken Martin welcomed the conferees to hear United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to keynote the event. Director Mangano, introduced by Texas Interagency Council official Mike Doyle of Fort Worth, reminded those gathered why they had responded to homelessness in their state: "You invested your lives and expected a return on that investment. And the return you wanted was a simple one and a non-self-serving one - that the homelessness of your poorest neighbors would come to an end. That your investment in the lives of the many women and children who had slipped through into the human tragedy of homelessness - that that investment would bring a solution."

National Alliance to End Homelessness President Nan Roman also addressed the conference, which included workshops on Housing First, education of homeless children, the development of the City of Waco's 10-Year Plan (see past e-news story), and homelessness prevention. Council Region VI Coordinator Sally Shipman also took part. Texas Homeless Network is a statewide non-profit membership organization that provides information services to direct service providers and individual members; it is funded through the Texas Departments of Housing and Community Affairs and Mental Health/Mental Retardation.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its focus on expressions of leadership by jurisdictional leaders who have established State Interagency Councils on Homelessness or 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness. This week's feature is excerpts from the remarks of Fort Worth, Texas, Mayor Mike Moncrief, who last week named a permanent Advisory Commission to develop and implement a 10- Year Plan. Pictured here are (left to right): Mayor Moncrief, Director Mangano, and Cornerstone New Life Center Director Mike Doyle.

. . . We appreciate the opportunity to learn more about how other cities across the country are successfully helping their most vulnerable citizens. It is my hope that we can learn from these examples. I want to bring the focus a little closer to home, and speak today about how the city of Fort Worth is taking action on this front.

. . . One thing that distinguishes Fort Worth, Texas from many other places is our tradition of forming collaborative partnerships. In Fort Worth, we work with each other, not against each other. And this is true for homelessness, as it is for many other issues. For nearly 10 years now, we have partnered with Tarrant County in the continuum of care program to address homelessness. Now we are strengthening that partnership and expanding that effort, by creating a permanent Mayor's Advisory Commission on Homelessness.

. . . We must do better than this and we will do better than this. We will strengthen our partnerships. We will focus our efforts. We will concentrate on adopting tactics and policies that actually reduce homelessness instead of maintaining it. We began focusing our efforts by forming an initial group who have worked many hours putting together a comprehensive report.

WASHINGTON, DC. The needs of persons who are homeless with mental illness will be a focus of the upcoming national conference of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services which will convene the Third National Conference Addressing Homelessness for People with Mental Illnesses and/or Substance Use Disorders on October 26-28 in Washington, DC. The theme of the 2005 conference, which is free, is "Preparing People for Change: Knowledge and Choice." The theme focuses on increasing the knowledge of consumers so they may readily share in treatment decisions, as well as increasing the sensitivity of service providers to the unique needs of people who are homeless.

On-line registration is now closed, but, if you would still like to attend the conference, you may register in person. On-Site Registration at the Washington Hilton will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at the Front Terrace Level.

HAVE YOU UPDATED your address book for the Interagency Council? With our recent move to new headquarters, some of our key contact information has changed. Be certain to note the following:

TELEPHONE: 202/708-4663 (This number remains the same.)

MAILING ADDRESS: NEW! Federal Center SW, 409 Third Street SW, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20024

FAX: 202/708-1216 (This number remains the same.)

EMAIL: NEW! If you have been emailing, you have received a standard "not in the office" response. It is against federal protocol to forward email outside of an agency, so any messages sent to our old address will not reach us. Please be certain to use the new addresses below:

Executive Director Philip Mangano: Philip.F.Mangano@usich.gov

Deputy Director Mary Ellen Hombs: Maryellen.Hombs@usich.gov

Special Advisor Janna Jahn: Janna.Jahn@usich.gov

Administrative Officer Darren Franklin: Darren.G.Franklin@usich.gov Note the change in the email addresses from hud.gov to usich.gov For other email addresses, contact the Council's Administrative Officer.

WEB SITE: NEW!www.usich.gov