PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. The fusion of political and civic will necessary to end the moral disgrace of homelessness was in full evidence Wednesday in Providence, Rhode Island. At the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, where more than 50 community volunteers and a variety of service providers had gathered to connect over 450 of their homeless neighbors with medical care, housing and employment information and referrals, benefits application and other assistance, Governor Donald Carcieri joined them and formally announced the State Action Plan to End Homelessness.

The Governor was accompanied by Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission Chair Susan Baxter; Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Director Susan Bodington, Housing and Community Development Director Noreen Shawcross, and Department of Administration Division of Planning Associate Director Kevin Flynn. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who earlier that morning had helped to greet the homeless men and women who came to the Cathedral seeking assistance and who had spoken at a rally for volunteers, joined Governor Carcieri at a press conference. Also present were Providence Mayor David Cicilline; Springfield, Massachusetts Mayor Charlie Ryan who brought a delegation working on that community's 10-year plan to Providence to learn more about their programs and services; USICH Regional Coordinator John O'Brien; and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Rhode Island Field Office Director Nancy Smith. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration representatives were among those providing services during the Connect event.

The Connect event in Providence, co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission, Rhode Island Office of Housing and Community Development, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, and United Way of Rhode Island, is one of almost 40 being held by cities and counties in 18 states during 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week, being coordinated by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (see related story). Director Mangano brought greetings from the White House, noting that President George W. Bush had signed a message of greeting expressing appreciation “to all those participating in National Project Homeless Connect Week 2006 for your hard work and generosity in answering the call to serve.” Director Mangano commended Governor Carcieri and the state officials "for ensuring an expansive group of stakeholders worked together to create a sensible and practical action plan to end homelessness in the state." Mr. Mangano added, “In my interactions with Governor Carcieri, he’s been clear. He’s Governor of all Rhode Islanders, housed and homeless alike. And as a former businessman he understands that without a plan things only get worse. Worse on our streets, in shelters, and in the lives of homeless people.”

The state Action Plan announced by the Governor calls for the development of 600 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families, and will build on existing initiatives including the Neighborhood Opportunity Program, and the Rhode Island Housing Rental Assistance Program. The $50 million housing bond approved by voters this year will provide additional resources. Prevention efforts will be strengthened by expansion of the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program that provides security deposit and first month rental assistance, and enhancement of prisoner re-entry programs and state agency discharge planning protocols.

Pictured here, top, is Council Director Mangano with Governor Carcieri (right). Bottom, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Jim Ryczek (background in suit) and Director Mangano greet homeless men and women as they enter the Connect event.

GALES FERRY, CONNECTICUT. There are no major metropolitan areas in “southeastern Connecticut” yet it is home to a couple hundred thousand people and includes the communities of Groton, New London, Norwich, Stoningham and Bisrah, and the Mohegan Tribal Nation, Eastern Pequot Tribal Council and Mashentucket Pequot Tribal Council. Over the past year, two deaths have occurred in the woods where homeless people gather which gave impetus to the development of a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Southeastern Connecticut by 2016 unveiled last week. The six month effort by more than 50 community members from all walks of life was led by co-chairs Janet Pearce, President of the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut, and Andrew Maynard, Stoningham Borough warden and vice chairman of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments who was elected to the Connecticut State Senate last month. Business support included the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Bank of America, and Dime Bank.

The "Next Stop, Home" plan was unveiled at a press conference at the United Way headquarters in Gales Ferry, CT at which several elected and appointed officials who participated in the plan’s development were present, including Groton Mayor Harry Watson, Bozrah First Selectman Keith Robbins, New London City Councilor Kevin Cavanaugh, Groton Town Manager Mark Oefinger, Norwich City Manager Robert Zarnetske, and plan co-chair Maynard. The press conference included remarks by the Plan co-chairs and Erica Marotto, a formerly homeless mother of two (shown here with her children), a plan overview by consultant Carol Walter, and remarks by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano.

During his remarks, Director Mangano spoke directly to Ms Marotto, saying, “You bear testimony that those who are our neighbors who are homeless now can have their homelessness ended.” Director Mangano stressed the importance of beginning the implementation of the plan, noting that the 10-Year Plans being developed by nearly 300 jurisdictions around the nation are community-based but they need to be led by political will. "Without political will, you know what happens. The plan sits on a shelf, gathering dust and cobwebs, and then it’s the subject of some future archaeological public policy dig,” he said. Co-chairman Maynard agreed and said, “We’re going to hit the ground running with this. We’re really going to be diligent, not just present this plan today but continue to implement it.” The plan will be implemented with the assistance of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments.

The development of the Southeastern Connecticut plan drew upon the experience of other 10-Year Plan efforts in incorporating local cost analysis. The plan also ties into existing statewide efforts, including Governor Jodi Rell’s Next Step funding initiative to create 500 units of permanent supportive housing in the state and leverage additional development funds, and the statewide Partnership for Housing’s Reaching Home Campaign to create 10,000 units of permanent supportive housing which has been endorsed by Governor Rell and the Interagency Commission on Supportive Housing and Homelessness. Cost analyses are ongoing but one example cited in the Plan over the period August 1, 2005-July 1, 2006 compared the $10,000 case management and rental subsidy cost for a formerly chronically homeless inebriate now in permanent supportive housing with the $50,000 cost during the same period for a still homeless inebriate ($35,000 hospital/detox, $15,000 ambulance).

Among other strategies, the "Next Stop, Home" plan prioritizes the addition of 148 permanent support housing units over the next 3 years for persons experiencing chronic homelessness (part of 704 units of permanent affordable and supportive housing to be created over 10 years); builds on a successful collaboration already in place between the Southeast Connecticut Mental Health Authority, Sound Community Services, and the New London Housing Authority to add 20 units of supportive housing for homeless individuals and families; and will put in place two community care teams. The two community care teams will provide geographically based coverage, using the successful Norwich Community Care Team model, to assure comprehensive outreach, engagement, and services to homeless individuals and families. Each team will serve as a hub for case conferencing and client level problem solving and provide cross training of providers across all systems of care. To increase access by homeless persons to mainstream benefits, 100% of case managers will receive employment services training and benefits eligibility training from either the Social Security Administration or the Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. The community care teams will implement Project SOAR, the Social Security Administration’s Outreach, Access, and Recovery initiative.

To create greater awareness of the needs of homeless people and support for "Next Stop, Home", a Public Information Committee will be established by January 2007 to include at least one civic and one faith based organization from each town. Homelessness prevention resources, including eviction prevention and security deposit assistance, will be increased over time and will be better publicized. Two Project Homeless Connect events will be held annually beginning with participation in 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week (see related story) with an events in New London and Norwich on December 7.

Pictured here, top l-r, are plan co-chair Maynard, Groton Mayor Watson, Plan co-chair Pearce, Director Mangano, Bozrah Selectman and chair of SE Connecticut Council of Governments Robbins, New London Councilor Cavanaugh, and Groton town manager Oefinger.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. After last week’s City Council meeting, it is looking more likely that San Antonio will be joining cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, and St Louis in having a near downtown one-stop campus for homeless services. The City Council approved a conceptual campus plan with a December 2008 completion date but did not specify funding sources. The estimated $30 million campus was recommended by the San Antonio Community Council to End Homelessness, a group formed by San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger (pictured here) earlier this year to expedite a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness unveiled in January 2005 by his predecessor, Mayor Ed Garza. The Committee is co-chaired by Councilmember Pattie Radle, who also co-chaired the initial 10-Year Plan effort, and Valero Energy Corporation Chairman Bill Greehey.

In his 2006 State of the City Address, Mayor Hardberger had highlighted the needs of homeless people and the importance of business community involvement in solutions, saying “Along with prosperity, the city’s growth and financial stability, there comes social responsibility that we need to give our attention to, just as we improve our infrastructure in our businesses when profits are up. Specifically, we have a growing homelessness problem in San Antonio . . . I ask the assistance of the business community in helping solve the problem of the homeless in our community. I will undertake this initiative this year in our community. Here is my request: give me the help you gave me when you so magnificently rose to the challenge with the evacuees.”

The campus recommendation comes after study and site visits by members of the committee to the Maricopa County/Phoenix Human Services Campus earlier this year and a June visit by Mayor Hardberger and members of the committee to the St. Vincent de Paul Village in San Diego. While a location for the San Antonio campus has not yet been announced, a non profit Haven for Hope of Bexar County has been established to oversee the fundraising and operation for a 15 acre campus that would include a 600 bed facility including a shelter, substance abuse and detoxification services, a day center, medical center, meal facility, and chapel. Under the conceptual campus plan, the city would close the SAMMinistries and Dwyer Avenue existing shelters. City Community Initiatives Director Dennis Campa believes there is strong business support for the effort and that private fundraising will pay for about half of the cost with the remaining half paid for by the city and Bexar County. San Antonio will host a Project Homeless Connect on Saturday.

2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week, being facilitated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, kicked off Monday with events in Berkeley, California, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Altogether almost 40 communities will host Connect events between Monday and Saturday. Fifteen of those communities participated in last year’s first ever national Project Homeless Connect Day. A number of cities participating in National Week are further engaging key community opinion leaders through special 10- Year Plan opinion leader screenings offered by SONY/Columbia Pictures, of a feature film, "The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a homeless single father in San Francisco and Oakland who sets his sights to become a successful broker and eventually owns his own brokerage firm in Chicago. The film breaks down myths and stereotypes concerning homeless people and their abilities and capabilities. Denver city officials, who have held 3 PHC events in the past year and have scheduled their next one for February, held a very well received screening on Monday evening, also announcing this week that the Marsico Family Foundation has made a $1 million charitable pledge to support of Denver’s 10-Year Plan, Denver’s Road Home.

Council Executive Director Philip Mangano has described as the intent of every Connect event this week “to move our most vulnerable neighbors measurably closer to the end of their homelessness.” The size and scope of each event, however, varies including number of homeless, range of agencies and services offered, extent of business community involvement and number of volunteers. For some communities, this week is their inaugural Connect event. For others, like Minneapolis/Hennepin County holding their 4th event, three of which have been in Minneapolis and another in St. Paul notable for being the first in the nation led by two police officers, results from the earlier events have generated support for the community’s 10-year planning effort. Last week both the Hennepin County Commissioners and the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a 10-Year Plan, "Heading Home Hennepin", for which implementation will begin immediately including 2007 funding of $100,000 by the city for a new street outreach pilot and a county commitment of $2.5 million for a range of plan recommendations including capital costs, public health and homeless veterans outreach efforts, and refugee housing. Council Director Mangano, who joined Minneapolis Mayor Rybak and Commissioner Dorfman at the unveiling of the "Heading Home Hennepin Plan" in late September and who has attended previous Connect events in Minneapolis and St. Paul, notes that Minneapolis/Hennepin County leaders set the bar high as an example of extraordinary city/county partnership and in their resource commitment to implementing their 10- Year Plan and investment of effort to continually improve their Connect events.

A banner across Nashua, New Hampshire’s main street (pictured here) announces the community’s Connect event on December 8 and as reported in last week’s enews, elected officials of communities in Morris County, New Jersey issued a proclamation declaring December 8 Project Homeless Connect Day in the county.

In Berkeley, a Youth Connect was held that focused on homeless young adults 18-25 and in Rhode Island, Governor Donald Carcieri helped kick off the Project Homeless Connect in Providence with the unveiling of the Rhode Island Action Plan to End Homelessness (see related story).

Next week’s edition of the enews will feature event descriptions and results from 2006 National Project Homeless Week.

WASHINGTON, DC. "When the sun rises over the Salt Lake Valley in Utah, a brilliant early light is reflected off the Oquirrh Mountain range." This “early light” is the concept behind the public policy work of the Oquirrh Institute, according to its founders. The Institute was started in Salt Lake City in 2002 to “shine early light” on public policy dilemmas and develop innovative solutions. The Institute is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes distinguished industry, academic, and government leaders. Additionally, the Institute has a Governors Board that includes a growing number of former Governors who advise the Institute on public policy matters and attend Institute meetings and forums.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and former Utah Governor Michael Leavitt is a founding member of the Institute which this week held its Winter Meeting in Washington, DC. The invitation to United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano to be the luncheon speaker at this event, which also featured a Sunday evening dinner speech by Utah Senator Robert Bennett on “Post Election Policy Making and Challenges," and agenda discussions on Energy Policy and Emissions Reductions led by former EPA Administrator Christine Whitman and “Better Approaches To Mental Health” with former SAMHSA Director Charles Curie is indicative of the traction being gained on the subject of homelessness. No longer is homelessness a “niche" subject. The research and data driven, performance based and results oriented effort to end chronic homelessness is penetrating mainstream policy discussions as evidenced by speaking engagements to Oquirrh and JCAHO (see related story), and articles in New Yorker Magazine, Bloomberg News, Christian Science Monitor, Fortune Magazine, Governing Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly and JAMA.

In his remarks, Director Mangano spoke of the Council’s work to “disturb the status quo” after 20 years of a response that “could be characterized as maintaining a status quo that was failing our communities and our consumers.” He noted business author Jim Collins' insights that the good is not the steppingstone to the great. “Counter-intuitively, Collins tells us that good is the enemy of the great. The good is an obstacle that holds us back from the journey to the great. And the strengthened status quo of “good” is only more resistant to the innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives so vital for change.”

Director Mangano described the 10-Year Plan process committed to by nearly 300 jurisdictions across the nation that are incorporating innovations and best practices being identified and rapidly disseminated by the Council from research and practice both in this country and abroad and the important use of cost benefit analysis which is demonstrating that the cost of chronic homelessness to public systems of care is greater than permanent supportive housing solutions. Mr. Mangano noted, “The change we seek is shaped by the active discipline of implementing and investing in innovation. We expect to move beyond the nonsense to the common sense and the dollars and sense of homelessness.”

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Data, research, and cost-benefit analysis were the focus this week as United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Deputy Director Mary Ellen Hombs (pictured here) addressed over 300 psychologists, nurses, physicians, social workers, administrators, and quality improvement and risk management professionals gathered in Chicago for the 3rd Annual Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) National Conference on Behavioral Health Care: Issues for Today, Actions for Tomorrow. Ms. Hombs described the role of cost benefit analysis in 10-Year Plans across the nation, and some of the results from more than 35 such studies either underway or completed.

Dr. Jan Kasofsky, Executive Director of the Capital Area Human Services District in Baton Rouge, LA presented to attendees on disaster planning for behavioral health care, providing insight from the Katrina experience for clients, providers and local organizations. Other topics that were featured included: selecting, retrieving and applying outcome measures to direct client care, treatment and services; services that support recovery and resilience; and SAMHSA’s new National Registry of Evidence Based Practice.

An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States and is the nation’s predominant standards- setting and accrediting body in health care. JCAHO provides evaluation and accreditation services for general, psychiatric, children’s and rehabilitation hospitals, behavioral health care organizations and addiction services, and other providers.

WASHINGTON, DC. As evidenced by the Project Homeless Connect event for young adults in Berkeley, California this week, homelessness among young adults is a concern in many communities. Data showing that young people aging out of foster care are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless has resulted in initiatives by federal and state policymakers to focus on this population group in discharge planning efforts. Similarly, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness encourages jurisdictions involved in 10-Year Plans to incorporate the needs of homeless and at risk young adults in their 10-Year Plans.

Last week U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Council Chair Alphonso Jackson (pictured here) announced $44.5 million in Youthbuild grants to help an estimated 3,075 young people, ages 16-24, complete their high school education and receive training in the construction trades. Importantly, the more than 700 homes expected to be built or rehabilitated as a result of this training program will be made available for low income families, many of whom are also at risk of homelessness.

More than a $500 million in Youthbuild grants have been awarded since the program's inception in 1993, enabling construction trades training for more than 50,000 at risk young people and the resultant construction or rehabilitation of more than 13,000 affordable housing units in their communities. Pursuant to the recommendations of a White House Task Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth and subsequent enactment in September of the Youthbuild Transfer Act legislation, this program is being transferred to the U.S. Department of Labor to provide for greater coordination of the YouthBuild program with the nation’s Workforce Investment System, including local workforce investment boards, One-Stop Career Centers, and partner programs. More information about the program changes authorized by the transfer legislation is available on the Department of Labor website.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news highlights remarks of Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri at his state’s Project Homeless Connect on Monday in Providence. The event was one of almost 40 Connect events being held across the nation during 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week. At the event, Governor Carcieri announced a state Action Plan to End Homelessness in 10 years and also a new Executive Order to continue the work of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.

. . . It’s gratifying to me that Rhode Island is the first state in the nation to host a statewide event for Project Homeless Connect. This is a perfect example of what can happen when we work together to address homelessness. No single agency can get the job done alone, but by joining forces we can see a great deal of success, and today’s event is testimony to that fact.

. . . Back in 2003, I issued an Executive Order which enabled us to establish the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness. With the efforts of this Council we have made great strides in tackling homelessness and affordable housing. My administration has partnered with the Rhode Island Foundation and the United Way to create a five-year strategic housing plan for the State of Rhode Island. We have established the Office of Housing and Community Development . . . I have bolstered funding for the Neighborhood Opportunities Program . . . through this effort, we have created 445 homes for people with disabilities. Additionally, voters overwhelmingly approved a $50 million bond for affordable housing on the November ballot. Without question, we have set a strong foundation.

. . .Today I am pleased to accept a comprehensive action plan for us to end homelessness in Rhode Island over the next 10 years. It is our goal to transform our system from one that focuses upon providing shelter to permanent housing. We must ensure that all Rhode Islanders have a warm, safe place to call home.

. . . In order to build upon the momentum we’ve gained, I am issuing an Executive Order which will enable the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness to continue its work. I am calling upon the members of the Council to monitor our progress across all state agencies. . . whether it’s collaborating with the Department of Labor and Training on employment opportunities, MHRH on ensuring that behavioral health treatment is available, or the Department of Corrections on prisoner reentry housing to name just a few.

. . . Our goal is to maintain programs that are effective, create new housing resources, and expand prevention efforts. With the knowledge and expertise of the members of the Council and with the Neighborhood Opportunities Program and the Supportive Service Program, our state is well prepared to realize our collective vision for a Rhode Island where no one is homeless.