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10-Year Plans
State Interagency Councils
National Project Homeless Connect
Federal Resources
2009 Calendar of Veteran Stand Downs
As of 2008, there were an estimated 23.3 million Veterans living in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Of these, the VA currently estimates there are 131,000 homeless Veterans on any given night. The first Stand Down was organized in 1988 by Vietnam veterans in San Diego to reach out to homeless veterans in their community. In 2008, more than 30,000 Veterans and 4,500 family members received outreach services from Stand Downs aided by 24,500 volunteers. Each 1 to 3 day event is a collaborative effort of the local VA, other government agencies, and community organizations to offer homeless veterans a welcoming atmosphere, safe gathering place, and access to a broad range of services and resources. The calendar includes the local VA contact for each scheduled event. The Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program helps support many Stand Downs with grants of up to $7000 for a single day event, and $10,000 for multi-day events.
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Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions. No one federal agency, no one level of government and no one sector of the community can reach the goal of ending homelessness alone. Federal agency collaborations and partnerships with state and local governments and the private and faith-based and community sectors are key to achieving the objectives of preventing and ending homelessness. The Council has established a broad range of intergovernmental partnerships:
Federal Regional Interagency Councils.
The Interagency Council has encouraged the development of Federal Regional Interagency Councils through which key regional representatives of Federal agencies are convened to mirror the work of the federal partners in Washington to make resources more available and accessible to homeless people.
State Interagency Councils on Homelessness.
Every State and territory has been encouraged by the Interagency Council to establish by legislative authority or Governor's Executive Order a State Interagency Council on Homelessness with representation at the Cabinet level from the mainstream income support, health care, behavioral health, human services, veterans, corrections, transportation, education, and labor departments and agencies. To date, Governors of 53 states and territories have taken steps to create State Interagency Councils on Homelessness.
Jurisdictional 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness.
Cities and counties across the country are being encouraged by the Council to create business-like, results-oriented 10 Year Plans that incorporate a Housing First approach, cost benefit analysis, best practice engagement and services innovations, and prevention. At the close of 2008, 860 cities and counties have partnered in 355 10 Year Plans. In 2006, the State of Michigan directed the development of 60 new 10-Year Plans covering all 83 of its counties, and legislation enacted by the State of Washington has resulted in the creation of local 10 Year Plans throughout that state, providing new models of federal, state, and local jurisdictional partnership and planning. Please see Tools section on this page for additional 10 Year Plan information and resources.
National Project Homeless Connect.
The Council actively works to identify and promote the rapid dissemination and replication of proven innovations to end homelessness. One of those innovations is Project Homeless Connect, a one day, one stop engagement model with immediacy of outcome as a guiding principle, initiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and now being promoted by the Council for replication in cities across the country. Sponsored by Mayors and other community leaders and with the help of the business community and volunteers from all walks of life, Project Homeless Connect engages homeless people from off the streets and in shelters and connects them to a range of resources - housing, jobs, medical care, mainstream benefits application assistance - that can put them on the road to recovery and self sufficiency. Please visit our National Project Homeless Connect web page
on this website for additional information.
Technical Assistance and Support.
The Council has Regional Coordinators to facilitate the Council's mission at the local, state, and regional level. The Regional Coordinators are tasked with the responsibility to facilitate creation, and provide ongoing technical assistance to, Regional Federal Interagency Councils, State Interagency Councils on Homelessness, Jurisdictional 10-Year Plans, and Project Homeless Connect events.
Michael German
Regional Coordinator Team Leader
40 Marietta Street
Five Points Plaza
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Tel: (404) 331-5001 ext. 2147
Fax: (404) 331-4020
michael.german@usich.gov
John O’Brien
Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building
10 Causeway Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02222-1092
Tel: (617) 994-8203
Fax: (617) 565-6558
john.o’brien@usich.gov
Daryl Hernandez
Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Tel: (312)-353-6236, ext 2090
Fax: (312)-353-1370
daryl.hernandez@usich.gov
Ed Cabrera
600 Harrison Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107-1300
Tel: (415) 489-6407
Fax: (415) 489-6419
eduardo.cabrera@usich.gov
Paul Carlson
909 First Avenue, Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: (206) 220-5362
Fax: (206) 220-5108
paul.carlson@usich.gov
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