WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news provides excerpts from President Bush's official Greetings in recognition of the Council's Third Annual National Project Homeless Connect Week.

"I send greetings to all those observing National Project Homeless Connect Week 2007, hosted by the Interagency Council on Homelessness.

"Our Nation is a land of great blessings, and with those blessings comes the responsibility to reach out to others and love our neighbors. Since 2004, Project Homeless Connect events have encouraged community and business leaders and volunteers throughout America to assist homeless families and those in need. By offering employment opportunities, counseling, and support to individuals who are homeless, you are helping ensure more Americans enjoy the promises of our country.

"My Administration is committed to providing permanent housing solutions for our citizens who are without a home and ending chronic homelessness. We are working with faith-based and community organizations and local governments to offer assistance to the most vulnerable in our society. Through the Samaritan Housing Initiative and Homeless Assistance Grants, we are helping find housing and other services for homeless individuals to make a positive difference in their lives.

"I appreciate National Project Homeless Connect Week participants and all those who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to serving a cause greater than self. Your good work helps more of our citizens escape poverty and demonstrates the compassionate spirit of our Nation."

THIS WEEK, across the nation in 25 cities and counties of every size, homeless neighbors will be welcomed into "the living room of the community" by elected officials and community volunteers seeking to make resources more available and accessible to end homelessness, during the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness' Third Annual National Project Homeless Connect Week.

With this issue, the e-news begins its coast to coast coverage of the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect Week, and we'll continue coverage over the next several issues to bring you the highlights, best practices, and results in partner communities this year. In this story, we focus on highlights from San Francisco, where Project Connect first was established and New York City. Fifteen of this week's PHC cities are returning to the annual event, and five are inaugural sites for this year's event.

"Today, here in San Francisco, Project Homeless Connect becomes the living room of the community," noted United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to join San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for the kickoff of the city's 19th PHC at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. "We welcome those who have been metaphorically and literally exiled to the periphery of our community into our house of hospitality and welcome, to offer the resources to remedy the long misery of homelessness."

"We are indebted to Mayor Newsom and to 10-Year Plan Chair and Champion Angela Alioto for creating this innovation, and to Alex Tourk, Judith Klain, and Trent Rohrer for their continuing support for sustainability. As we launch the Council's Third Annual National Project Homeless Connect Week, we recognize the growing number of communities who have joined the National Project Homeless Connect partnership coordinated by the Council." Pictured here are (left to right): Director Mangano, Mayor Newsom, and Ms. Klain.

With the assembled volunteers, Director Mangano (pictured below) presented Ms. Alioto with the President's Gold Volunteer Service Award for her volunteer service to her community, noting that Ms. Alioto's record is " a model of community and civic involvement." "She has been shaped and formed by a Gospel of proactive initiative and priority for the poorest of the poor," he said, adding: "She fulfills the description given by Winston Churchill: 'We make a living by what we do. We make a life by what we give.' "

After addressing the assembled volunteers, Director Mangano joined Mayor Newsom to meet with private sector representatives partnering in PHC, including funders, and media.

IN NEW YORK CITY, 31 persons experiencing chronic homelessness moved to housing as Common Ground Community's Street to Home initiative married the engagement and one-stop elements of Project Homeless Connect with a successful targeting strategy for the streets. In Brooklyn, individuals targeted through the Street to Home registry moved to YMCA beds, supportive housing and rented apartments.

Street to Home incorporates strategic targeting of individuals and intensive followup modeled on the successful approach used in the United Kingdom's Rough Sleepers Initiative. The Rough Sleepers Initiative achieved a 75% reduction in street homelessness across England and prompted deeper investment in homelessness from Parliament.

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SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Convening an inaugural county-wide 10-Year Plan Summit - A Place to Call Home - in San Bernardino County last week, County Supervisor Josie Gonzalez told partners, "Today is the first step toward no boundaries . . . a seamless approach." Committing to the new county partnership during the event at Rialto's Behavioral Health Resource Center were Linda Haugan, Assistant County Administrator for Human Services, Allan Rawland, Director, County Department of Behavioral Health, and May Farr, County Mental Health Commissioner. Isaac Jackson, Department of Behavioral Health and County Homeless Coordinator and Patricia Nickols, CEO of San Bernardino's Community Action Partnership will serve as convenors of the process on behalf of the county. Attendees at the Summit are pictured here.

As San Bernardino became the latest jurisdiction to join the National Partnership constellated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Mayor Donald Kurth of Rancho Cucamonga joined the event via video teleconference from the Kennedy School at Harvard University, where new elected officials were gathering for transition planning (see related note).

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Eduardo Cabrera took part in the County's launch. Other speakers included Steve Berg of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and several formerly homeless persons.

Mayor Kurth, a physician, is certified in Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He serves as Associate Professor at Loma Linda University where he also holds the position of Chief of Addiction Medicine at the Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center in Redlands. He has been the recipient of the prestigious Robert Ward Johnson Fellowship in Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse from 2003 to 2006. Mayor Kurth also holds the title of Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (FASAM), an honor held by only 300 physicians worldwide. He founded the Children's Free Immunization Program, which has provided free immunizations to thousands of local children and works closely with local sports teams to provide low cost sports physicals to children. Dr. Kurth served as President of the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce after serving for many years on the Board of Directors. Dr. Kurth also served as Councilmember for the City of Rancho Cucamonga, from 2002 to 2004.

As noted above, Mayor Donald Kurth of Rancho Cucamonga joined his local 10-Year Plan event via video teleconference from the transition conference for new Mayors at the Kennedy School of Government. Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien took part in the Kennedy School event on behalf of the Council. Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer, currently President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Tom Cochran, USCM Executive Director welcomed Mayors, who also heard from former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, currently a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School, as well as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.

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WASHINGTON, DC. Initial evaluation of data from over 40 awardee sites for the Social Security Administration's Homeless Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE) indicate HOPE programs were effective in improving housing outcomes for individuals, as well as in reaching individuals with disabilities who had more than 20 years' of homelessness. First established in FY 2003 with an $8 million budget, HOPE has been SSA's signature initiative in support of the Administration's goal to end chronic homelessness. The HOPE initiative is focused on assisting eligible, chronically homeless individuals in applying for SSI and SSDI benefits and has helped SSA to demonstrate the effectiveness of using skilled medical and social service providers to identify, engage, and assist homeless individuals with disabling conditions file for benefits, thus increasing access to a key mainstream resource.

Changes in living situations indicate a significant difference in HOPE enrollees' situations between the day they enrolled in the HOPE program and 12 months later. Smaller percentages of enrollees were living on the streets or outdoors, or in places not meant for human habitation. In addition, fewer percentages of enrollees are living in doubled- up situations and fewer enrollees are in institutions or correctional facilities.

"These data report the good news from SSA in helping the most disabled and vulnerable people living on our streets and in our shelters to access consumer- centric resources that create a trajectory out of homelessness and into stability," indicated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who also noted the important role of HOPE Project Officer Ed Beane in working with federal partners in this initiative.

HOPE goals include outreach and engagement to persons who are chronically homeless, with expert assistance in submitting a high quality claim for benefits, including by improving the quality and timeliness of medical evidence, enabling quick determinations and benefits payments, and reducing processing time for SSA field offices and state Disability Determination Services. In addition, HOPE seeks to develop, provide, or refer enrollees for housing and other needed services that will improve their housing status and quality of life.

The evaluation examined both the processes used by awardees and the outcomes for clients, seeking to learn if HOPE programs operate effectively as well as efficiently. Data sources included HOPE program reports, focus groups, site visits, and information used by DDS to make benefits decisions.

Over 8400 consumers to date have enrolled in HOPE. Evaluation data show 2,659 favorable decisions for benefits from enrollees.

HOPE grantees are required to provide outreach, supportive services and benefit application assistance to homeless adults and children. In addition, HOPE grantees may perform optional activities that include presumptive disability screening for supplemental security income (SSI) applicants; pre-release assistance for institutionalized individuals with disabilities; representative payee services; employment interventions and the use of electronic services to file for benefits. Awardees are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON, DC. The housing needs of low income veterans were the focus this week of a hearing convened by Representative Maxine Waters (CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and Ranking Member Shelley Capito (WV). Both the Chair and the Ranking Member noted the importance of the housing issue for veterans. Rep. Waters is pictured here. Also participating in the hearings were Reps. Velazquez (NY), Cleaver (MO), Moore (WI), and Green (TX), and Reps. Biggert (IL), Shays (CT), and Garrett (NJ).

Testifying for federal agencies were Mark Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans Programs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and David Wood, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO has issued a report, "Rental Housing: Information on Low-Income Veterans' Housing Conditions and Participation in HUD's Programs."

DAS Johnston and Mr. Dougherty were both recently returned from Tampa, Florida, where they participated in the VA Secretary's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, which was holding one of its regular meetings. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator and ex officio liaison John O'Brien also attended and reported on the results of the Council's continuing initiatives to ensure specific strategies for homeless veterans in jurisdictional 10-Year Plans.

Testifying on the public interest panel were George Basher, Chair, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; Nan Roman, President, National Alliance to End Homelessness; Sharon M. Dale, Executive Vice President of Operations and Strategic Development, Volunteers of America; Dwight Radcliff, Chief Executive Officer, United States Veterans Initiative; Deborah DeSantis, President, Corporation for Supportive Housing; Sharon Hodge, Associate Director of Government Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America; and Ron Chamrin, Assistant Director, National Economic Commission, The American Legion.

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WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its regular series of profiles that focus on "what's working" to end homelessness. In this series, we provide detailed information on an innovation or new technology that is achieving results in ending homelessness. From cities large and small, wherever in the country, whether a simple approach or the evolution of an innovation, we'll offer you key insights into results-oriented strategies. This week's profile presents The Doe Fund's Ready, Willing, and Able program.

"Work works." That simple motto is the core of the Ready, Willing, and Able employment, housing, and recovery program which reaches those single men in New York City who have long histories of homelessness, addiction, and incarceration. As described by Founder and President George McDonald, candidates for RWA have to be ready to change their lives, willing to follow rules, and able to work. The "men in blue" as program enrollees are called, for their blue uniforms, work hard in a program of employment, counseling, recovery, and community.

"The men of Ready, Willing & Able often come from very difficult backgrounds," says Mr. McDonald. "They are products of poverty, poor education, alcoholism, drug addiction and families broken in ways most of us cannot imagine. Despite all of this, they come to us wanting to be productive and useful, wanting to be an asset to their families, communities and city, and wanting to share in both the benefits and responsibilities of being an American."

"George and Harriet McDonald have created an employment initiative that offers positive hope and practical help," indicated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. "Their field-tested innovation, which applies the therapeutic power of work to the lives of those with disabilities, has demonstrated unprecedented results in employment and myth-breaking strategies that affirm consumer capacities."

Mr. McDonald first began to develop the idea for Ready, Willing & Able more than fifteen years ago. He set out to prove that a formerly homeless person could create a viable existence if he were able to obtain even a minimum wage low skill job, rent an affordable room and stay off drugs. The Doe Fund takes as its mission to develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. All of The Doe Fund's programs and innovative business ventures ultimately strive to help homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals achieve permanent self-sufficiency.

The results are quantifiable. RWA has successfully graduated over 2850 individuals to date, with 445 in FY 2007 alone. More than two- thirds are housed, employed, and sober at the six months' point. RWA's community maintenance and cleaning services cover more than 160 miles of New York City streets daily through the work of more than 265 trainees who take on the challenge of improving New York City's streets. More than 200 participants have completed vocational training in areas including culinary arts, computer skills, and an in-house extermination service that is one of several revenue generating micro-businesses which help raise funds for the operation of programs and provide valuable vocational training opportunities. Average wages for graduates are $9.94 hourly. Top employment partners include such major businesses as Aramark.

RWA operates a "back office" direct mail business and has "green" ventures as well, including its exterminating business and a more recent recycling program for restaurant cooking oil.

Observes Mr. McDonald: "As you come to know the individuals of Ready, Willing & Able, you appreciate the heroic proportion of their struggle to change and their profound gratitude for the opportunity that this program provides - structured paid work and collective caring."

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