"Maryland has never engaged in anything like this before," stated Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Transitional Services Director Gregory D. Shupe, as the state's first Homelessness Summit convened in Baltimore this week to create the framework for a 10-Year Plan for the state. On behalf of Governor Robert Ehrlich, Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Christopher J. McCabe, former Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, welcomed the federal, state, and local government partners who participated along with advocates, providers, and consumers. Summit work groups focused on housing, health, income, and supportive services, relying on the Action Plan developed by the state's Policy Academy Team, of which Director Shupe was a Team Leader. The Action Plan Vision Statement called for "a Maryland where homelessness is rare and brief."

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to keynote the Summit, pointed out that the first telegraph line ran between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, and told assembled partners: "Ever since your state has been well positioned to receive the message and respond in partnership. As public officials you are extending your leadership and political will to eradicate that which seems intractable. " Other federal partners at the Summit included U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Baltimore Field Office Director James Kelly, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Disability's Kate King, Social Security Administration Baltimore Office Director Terry Stradtman, and SSA Public Affairs Office's Vicki DeRuggiero. U.S. Interagency Council Regional Coordinator Debbie Jackson also participated.

Maryland's largest city, Baltimore, will develop its own plan soon in coordination with the state initiative. Laura M. Gillis, recently appointed by the City as President and CEO of the quasi-public agency Baltimore Homeless Services Inc., will lead the City process.

"It is our moral obligation as a state to do everything we can to make sure those people get the help and the resources they need." So stated Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen last week as he signed Executive Order No. 21 to create The Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness. Governor Bredesen appointed State Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner John Keys to chair the Council. Keys was a founding member of Alpha Omega Veteran Services, one of the oldest homeless veterans' agencies in the nation. He is also President of the Board of Directors of the Greater Memphis Interagency Coalition for Homelessness and has served on the Homeless Veterans Council for the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. Pictured here are (right to left) Director Mangano, Commissioner Keys, Governor Bredesen, and Campus for Human Development Director Charles Strobel.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to speak at the signing, stated, "Today's action will give assurance to the citizens of this great state that the quality of life for all Tennesseeans - both homeless and housed - will improve. Cost benefit analysis and fiscal responsibility have become allies in the efforts to balance state budgets to free health resources and end chronic homelessness."

According to the Executive Order, the Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness will be a multidisciplinary committee including the Governor, Commissioners from the Departments of Children's Services, Correction, Education, Health, Human Services, Mental Health, Veterans' Affairs, the Director of TennCare, the Chair of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole, and the Executive Director of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. The Council will develop a state-level action plan to improve the coordination of and access to housing, health, education and human service programs for homeless people, and will call on service providers and other professionals with expertise for recommendations.

Anchorage, Alaska Mayor Mark Begich last week presented the city's new 10-year Plan to the Anchorage Assembly during a work session designed to brief city officials on the key points of the new plan, created by a 24-member Mayor's Task Force. The group's vision for 2015 is that homeless people will be steered toward safe and affordable housing within three months of being identified by a local service agency. The Assembly will vote on the plan in January and will be asked to create a five-member oversight board. According to Mayor Begich, "The Oversight Board will make sure we are held accountable and the plan is on track."

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to address the Assembly, commented: "This Plan offers all the ingredients of success - it's a management plan based on realism and common sense, and it contains key ingredients, such as broad community input through multiple forums so that every voice could be heard. It shows intelligent strategies and innovations both home grown and borrowed from other cities. It's a smart plan - sophisticated, comprehensive, and doable." Mayor Begich and Director Mangano are pictured here.

The Plan proposes a housing commitment with a goal of 500 new units of housing and the creation of a city development authority to create housing on city- owned land. Mobile workers will target individuals living in camps and cars for engagement, and additional data collection will identify housing placement barriers and evaluate program performance. Among the other Action Steps in the Plan, all of which include performance measures, are appointment of a senior staff person in the Mayor's office to lead a communication campaign and to work with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the new Alaska State Council, development of a One-Stop Engagement strategy to reduce the local impact of daytime homelessness, including in camps, and rotate homeless program staff through a single service site to broaden engagement possibilities for the hardest to serve; and establishment of a partnership between United Way and the city's developing HMIS system to create a Housing First linkage that supports the rapid housing goal of the Plan.

"I hope you will provide your leadership toward this critical mission to build and strengthen the Greater Bridgeport area - a mission that within ten years, every resident will have permanent, affordable and safe housing with the ability to maintain it." With these words, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor John Fabrizi this week called on his newly named Leadership Group to develop a 10-Year Plan. United Way of Eastern Fairfield County President and CPO Merle Berke-Schlessel and Bridgeport Housing Department Acting Director Kathleen Hunter will co- chair The Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in the Greater Bridgeport Area, scheduled to be completed by July 2005. Mayor Fabrizi is pictured here at the launch.

Multi-sector partners invited to the announcement included the Mayors and Selectmen of Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull, Monroe, and Easton, as well as representatives of Bridgeport Housing Authority, banks, area hospitals, philanthropy, Council of Churches, universities and colleges, Central Connecticut YMCA, Catholic Charities, American Red Cross, Fannie Mae, Bridgeport Regional Business Council, and homeless service providers and advocates. U.S. Representative Christopher Shays and State Senator John McKinney, son of the late U.S. Representative Stewart B. McKinney for whom the federal McKinney Act is named, attended the event. Representative Shays holds the Fourth District seat vacated by Rep. Stewart McKinney's death.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to keynote the announcement, told Mayor Fabrizi: "Congratulations, you've got the right people around the table. We'll expect a plan that is realistic and doable and focuses on implementation, performance, and results." Interagency Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also took part in the announcement.

"Solutions to end homelessness can and must be found in every public and private sector entity," states the new Nashville, Tennessee Strategic Framework for Ending Chronic Homelessness developed over the last five months by a 26-member Task Force appointed by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. "By focusing on the chronically homeless population and working to end chronic homelessness all the homeless populations are better served," stated the Task Force. The Task Force membership represented an unprecedented convening of representatives of law enforcement and emergency services, health care providers, hospitals, philanthropy, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, local, state, and federal officials, business and political leaders, service providers, and advocates.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to keynote the unveiling, stated: "Now this exceptional piece of work needs to be implemented in Nashville. This is a plan that will benefit everyone - police, hospitals, business, the public, and consumers. " Pictured here are (left to right) Hank Helton, Mayor's Office of Affordable Housing, Task Force Chair Dorothy Shell Berry, Director Mangano and Mayor Purcell.

Four work groups in the Task Force focused on housing, health, economic stability, and systems coordination, including data and discharge planning. Charged with creating a set of recommended goals, the groups sought input from homeless people, business, faith community, and service providers. They researched other cities' plans and investigated best practices and assessed current and past efforts in Nashville to impact chronic homelessness. Given that prior planning efforts had occurred, the Task Force observed, "All these efforts had their merit in informing the city, creating segments of needed infrastructure and improving pockets of services. In looking back at all this work, it is evident that to have a significant impact, a clear focus has to be determined, the vision has to be longer than 3-5 years, and the commitment to the plan has to be expanded to include the entire city. The work done dating back to 1984 has brought Nashville to this point where a unified coordinated 10-year plan is the logical next move."

Measurable results will be key to the plan, which states: " A Results-Driven framework must be imbedded in all our services, programs, and endeavors. Success must be clearly defined and measured. Only services proven effective will be funded." Key recommendations of the Framework include development of permanent supportive housing, establishment of a leadership committee to secure lead private gifts for housing development, and housing stabilization training to ensure that formerly homeless individuals retain their new tenancies. Homeless prevention measures regarding discharge planning include establishing criteria for exemplary discharge planning practices for individuals who are homeless and at risk and assuring pre-release assistance with enrollment and public assistance programs. In the area of economic development, the Framework proposes that Nashville will develop at least one results-based job readiness and training pilot for persons experiencing chronic homelessness, and conduct an analysis of the public transportation barriers that prevent homeless individuals from participating in job training programs or maintaining employment.

Montgomery, Alabama's Friendship Mission was the site this week of the City of Montgomery's unveiling of a regional Blueprint Toward Ending Chronic Homelessness. Alabama's capital city joined 25 other state capitals with 10-Year Planning processes. Mayor Bobby Bright launched Montgomery's in March 2004. The Plan's prevention, engagement, and housing strategies are to be reviewed at least twice annually in the future.

Mayor's Commission to End Chronic Homelessness Chair Henry K. Stough, commenting on the Blueprint, stated, "The Blueprint is a feasible plan containing reachable actions and outcomes related to the necessary strategies in the efforts to end chronic homelessness." Stough is also Executive Director of the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, which partnered with the City to produce the Blueprint.

Blueprint prevention strategies will focus on improving discharge planning by conducting a survey of public agency discharge polices and creating a Memorandum of Understanding between the Homeless Coalition and public agencies to strengthen interagency relationships and provide point of contact support for individuals facing discharge. Housing goals include placement of persons experiencing chronic homelessness into 50 new units of housing by October 2006 and placement of a total of 300 formerly homeless person into housing that they will retain for one year.

"While Fall River may not have the street homelessness problem that other communities have, we need to recognize that it's our responsibility to be ahead of the curve. We want to make sure that as Fall River experiences its renaissance, no one is left behind," stated Fall River, Massachusetts Mayor Ed Lambert as he advanced his city's 10-Year Planning process to end chronic homelessness this week with the appointment of Citizens Union Savings Bank President Nicholas Christ and Fall River Director of Health and Human Services Michael Coughlin, to co- chair the local Planning Committee. Speaking at a City Hall press announcement, Mayor Lambert stated, "Fall River residents should expect results both short term and long term."

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to speak at the press announcement, was joined by Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien. Fall River, with a population of abut 92,000, is one of twelve Massachusetts communities which have taken steps to develop a 10-Year Plan. The Planning Committee will meet and chart a course and timeline to complete work in 2005.

. . . that the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCOM) Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness released its annual 27-city survey results this week, with Cedar Rapids Mayor and Task Force Co-chair Paul Pate taking the occasion to affirm 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness: "It is important that we all take seriously the challenge of eliminating chronic homelessness over the next 10 years," the Mayor stated. USCOM represents mayors of over 1100 cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

. . . that, of the 27 cities surveyed in this year's USCOM report, 22 are part of the 170 cities and counties with 10-Year Planning processes that have joined the federal partnership represented by the 20 federal agency members of the Interagency Council.

. . . that, in addition to the partnership of federal agencies and cities, 50 Governors of states and territories have taken steps to create State Interagency Councils, including Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen last week.