"It's a question of whether we believe in our ability as Americans to do great and important things," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan as he addressed the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington DC on Thursday. Pointing to the success of reducing the number of chronically ill, long term homeless by nearly a third in three years through the delivery of permanent supportive housing via a targeted pipeline of resources, Secretary Donovan said, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness."

The Secretary went on to note the central role housing and homeless policy have in the health care reform effort. "The epicenter of that debate is how we can reduce the soaring cost of health care at the same time we make sure that every American can get the health care they need. Well, the truth is, there are few platforms better suited to improving health outcomes and reducing costs than housing," said the Secretary citing several examples of major savings in health care systems from permanent supportive housing. He also noted family homelessness research that has shown that homeless parents and their children are significantly less healthy than their housed counterparts. "Simply put, if we want to tackle health care reform - if we want to lower costs - we must tackle homelessness," said the Secretary.

As the newly elected chair of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, Secretary Donovan reaffirmed the Obama Administration's commitment to develop and implement a federal strategy to prevent and end homelessness. "I believe the mission of the Interagency Council is simple," he said. " [It is] to bring as many partners as possible to the table - at the local, state and federal levels -- to prevent and end homelessness."

The Council will work to strengthen existing partnerships such as HUD-VASH which addresses the housing and service needs of homeless veterans who today comprise 15 percent of America's homeless population, he promised. It will also work to forge interagency partnerships across the Federal government. He said he believes no partnership will offer a bigger opportunity to prevent and end homelessness than that with the Department of Health and Human Services, where he and Secretary Sebelius are already in discussions "to link HUD's housing work with HHS programs to address a broad range of issues from homelessness and aging in place to unnecessary institutionalization and designing more livable, healthy communities. We want to connect homelessness, public and assisted housing programs with Medicaid and Medicare services and HHS's major block grant programs - and have each designated senior staff to recommend how we can do so."

"For a quarter century, we've known that ending homelessness is bigger than any one agency or level of government," said Secretary Donovan noting that the time has come to fully realize the inter-agency vision so many in the audience championed for McKinney-Vento more than twenty years ago.

Addressing the need for affordable rental housing as a key element in ending homelessness, Secretary Donovan said that President Obama's Recovery Act, along with HUD's Fiscal Year 2010 budget, make it clear that the Federal government intends "to get back into the business of building and preserving affordable rental housing." He reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to seeing that the final FY 2010 budget includes $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund. HUD's budget would also increase funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program by $1.8 billion. The Secretary announced that he has asked HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Mark Johnston to lead a "comprehensive review of HUD's "mainstream" programs - public housing, Section 8 and major block grant programs like HOME and CDBG- to ensure they are working in an integrated way toward preventing and ending homelessness." .

In his concluding remarks, Secretary Donovan noted that "Just as some say we can't afford to reform our health care system, so too do they claim we can't afford to end homelessness . . . Whether it's reforming our health care system or preventing and ending homelessness, the fundamental question is the same: It's not one of ability - rather, it's a question of will."

Photo of Secretary Donovan courtesy of NAEH.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is accepting applications to strengthen health care infrastructure in rural communities under the Health Network Planning Grant Program. The Department anticipates receiving approximately $1,150,000 in FY 10 to fund approximately 20 awards. Applicants may request up to $85,000 for one year of funding. The lead applicant organization must be a rural, non-profit or public entity that represents a consortium/network of three or more health related entities that need assistance to plan, organize and develop a health care network. Faith-based and community-based organizations as well as Tribal Organizations are also eligible to apply for these funds. For-profit organizations are not eligible to be the lead applicant but can participate in the network. The application deadline is September 14, 2009.

In the funding availability notice, HHS notes that, "The realities of rural health care delivery (limited provider base, financial viability challenges, higher rates of chronic disease, etc.) create an environment in which rural providers may be able to build a more sustainable infrastructure by joining together in formal arrangements that improve and enhance health care delivery. However, identifying and exploring the viability of those kinds of partnerships can be a challenge. . . The Network Planning grant program provides support for initiating collaborations with the goal of creating strong networks that will help strengthen the health care infrastructure in their community. Networks can include a wide range of community partners including social service agencies, faith-based organizations, mental health agencies, charitable organizations, educational institutions, employers, local government agencies or other entities with an interest in a community's health care system."

Legislation creating the program stipulates that applications should be prepared in consultation with the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) or other appropriate State government entity. HHS recommends you contact your SORH early in the application process.

RURAL TOUR INCLUDES STOP IN LOUISIANA WHERE FOUR CABINET SECRETARIES HOST COMMUNITY FORUM ON IMPROVING RURAL HEALTH CARE

Improving health care in rural areas was the topic last week at a community forum in St. John Parish, Louisiana hosted by 4 federal Cabinet Secretaries - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Department of Labor Secretary and Interagency Council Vice Chair Hilda Solis, and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In June President Obama announced he was asking top officials in his Administration to undertake a Rural Tour, visiting communities across the nation to discuss what needs to be done to strengthen rural America. While HHS is the federal agency most directly involved in health care, each of the four Departments operates programs that can directly affect the quality and availability of health care for rural residents, including the homeless and those at risk.

The President's FY 10 budget for the VA requests $440 million for rural health initiatives to increase access and improve care including mobile clinics, new outpatient clinics, expanding fee-basis care, operating Rural Health Resource Centers, accelerating telemedicine deployment, and exploring collaborations with other federal and community providers. A $5.5 million FY 09 funded effort will expand intensive case management services for Veterans with serious mental illness and outreach services for homeless Veterans living in rural and highly rural areas across the VA system. The project marks an expansion and integration of VA's existing Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program, the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans programs, and where applicable, the collaborative Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. An Office of Rural Health helps coordinate policy efforts across the Veterans Health Administration to promote improved health care for rural Veterans.

USDA's Rural Development Community Facilities Loan, Loan Guarantees, and Grants Program finances the construction, enlargement, extension, or other improvements for community facilities providing essential services including medical facilities, and group homes, in rural areas and towns with a population of 20,000 or less. More than 600 Recovery Act funded community facility awards have been made to date. Labor Secretary Solis has noted that "Americans need jobs, and our nation's rural communities need better health services. By training more nurses, direct care workers, and other health professionals, we can better address both challenges." In addition to annual program funding, the Recovery Act provided $500 million for training health care workers with an emphasis on improving health care accessibility in rural and underserved areas.

July 26th marked the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation designed to prevent discrimination and enable individuals with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of society. In conjunction with the anniversary, the U.S. Department of Labor has re-named and re-launched DisabilityInfo.gov as Disability.gov. The site integrates content from 22 federal agencies, providing comprehensive information about programs and services to better serve more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, their family members, veterans, employers, educators, caregivers and anyone interested in disability-related information. The site also provides valuable links to information from educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state and local governments.

"Far more than just a directory of federal resources, Disability.gov is a meeting ground for Americans to learn, respond and communicate about a wealth of critically important disability-related topics," said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. "The new site has been vastly enhanced to provide more information in as efficient and interactive setting as possible."

Disability.gov includes social media tools to encourage interaction and feedback and is organized into 10 subject areas: benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. By selecting a category, visitors are directed to useful information on federal and state government programs and services, news and events, grants and funding opportunities, and more.

The site's official web address is http://www.disability.gov

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. A Connecticut Jurisdictional Leadership Roundtable organized by New Britain Mayor Tim Stewart and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, in partnership with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Connecticut Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness, has provided elected officials who are leading jurisdictional 10 Year Plan efforts in Connecticut an opportunity for Leader to Leader dialogue and to engage with experts on federal Recovery Act resources, state planning, innovations, and cost benefit research. The event was held July 16 at The Lyceum in Hartford. Shown here, l-r, Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, New Britain Mayor Stewart, Wolcott Mayor Thomas Dunn, USICH Regional Coordinator John O'Brien, and Windham First Selectman Jean de Smet. 10 Year Plan jurisdictional leaders not shown but participating were Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez and Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman.

In their letter of invitation, Mayors Stewart and Finch noted there are significant new federal resources, both targeted and mainstream, now available to local governments, community organizations, and through the states. Ways to enhance partnership among stakeholders within 10 Year Plan communities, regionally, and with the State Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness and federal agencies were discussed with the goal of creating a more coordinated strategy for the use of resources. Federal agency officials on hand included U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Hartford Field Office Director Julie Fagan, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System Homeless Services Director Preston Maynard, USICH Regional Coordinator John O'Brien who moderated the event, and USICH National Team Leader Michael German. Nancy Fritz, Director of Homeless Initiatives for the Governor's office, and State Interagency Council Co-chair and Workforce Development Director Mary Ann Hanley also attended along with officials from other key state agencies including the Department of Social Services, State Office of Workforce Competitiveness, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Other issues and strategies discussed included expanding partnerships with Public Housing Authorities, benefits of regional partnership initiatives, developing more local cost benefit data and creating a statewide database of these cost benefit studies and reaffirming the emphasis on a prevention and permanent housing response to homelessness.

"Over the last two years, Santa Barbara County's 10- Year Plan has gone from being a document capturing the collective vision of many people to the reality of supportive housing and services for the chronically homeless." City and County jurisdictional leaders including County Supervisors Joe Centeno and Doreen Farr, Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees, and Santa Barbara Council Member Helene Schneider delivered this good news recently to county residents, reporting on the progress of the community's two year old plan, Bringing Our Community Home(BOCH). Since the plan's inception, 108 units of supportive housing have been built for both individuals and families with 109 more in the pipeline; 344 chronically homeless individuals and families have been placed in permanent housing.

The jurisdictional officials were joined by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department Deputy Chief Geoff Banks, Plan Executive Director John Buttny and Governing Board President Jeanette Duncan and other leaders of the community in presenting the report during press conferences covering both ends of the county. Shown here in top photo. l-r, Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Helene Schneider, BOCH Governing President Jeanette Duncan, BOCH Executive Director John Buttny, and Third District County Supervisor Doreen Farr at Santa Barbara press conference. Bottom photo,l-r, Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees, BOCH Governing Board President Jeanette Duncan, Fifth District County Supervisor Joe Centeno, and BOCH Director John Buttny at Santa Maria press conference.

After calculating that Santa Barbara jails and hospitals were spending up to $13 million annually in costs associated with homelessness, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, along with the mayors and city councils of 5 communities, approved the development of a 10 Year Plan in 2005. Developed with the participation of over 100 business leaders, government officials, non profit agencies, funders and citizens, a 30 member Governing Board was established in 2007 to oversee the plan's implementation which now includes a full time executive director.

In addition to creating permanent supportive housing opportunities, another key focus for the plan has been improving discharge planning services at the jail. Funding is being provided for a discharge planner who will work to identify homeless inmates, and coordinate with case workers to create a plan that will provide necessary services and housing upon release. The Discharge Planner and jail personnel will work to address transportation problems. "This is the most optimistic I've been in 31 years about truly seeing a change," reported Deputy Chief Banks. Law enforcement agencies and South Coast homeless shelters are also collaborating on the Homeless Women's Safety Program, formed to ensure that any woman found on the streets at night is provided safe shelter until the next morning.

In Washington State the course for statewide change in homeless policy and resource investment to prioritize homeless prevention and housing solutions was laid down with passage of the 2005 Homeless Housing and Assistance Act. Today, a network of 33 local 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness cover the state and dovetail with a state plan also required in the legislation. By last year, twelve of the county 10 Year Plan efforts had been able to report decreases in the number of homeless persons, particularly among long term homeless on the streets. In the just concluded legislative session during which significant cuts had to be made to the biennium budget, Washington State leaders demonstrated their confidence in the state and county 10 Year Plans by backing the plans with more dedicated revenue sources. HB2331 signed by Governor Chris Gregoire last week provides for an increase of $20 to the Ending Homelessness document recording fee surcharge created in association with the 2005 legislation. This increase is expected to generate an additional $26.4 million in revenue annually which would result in an estimated total of $50 million being available in targeted homelessness funds for the state and county plans.

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson notes that leadership from Governor Gregoire, State House Speaker Frank Chiopp, State Representative Mark Miloscia, and 10 Year Plan jurisdictional leaders including Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen, and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon was instrumental. Also indispensable has been the role of the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless in making a forceful case to the state for establishing, and over the years increasing, dedicated revenue streams for the 10 Year Plans and the state housing trust fund.

A notable feature of the county 10 Year Plans in Washington State is the key involvement of Public Housing Authorities in nearly every plan. Also, Community Action Agencies, mental health services, shelter providers, and housing agencies have organized their work in alignment with the plans. Housing First and coordinated entry are hallmark strategies of the most successful plans. With the increased dedicated revenue funding and more than $23 million in federal Recovery Act Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing funding recently approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, city and state leaders expect to continue making progress toward the goal established in the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act to reduce homelessness by 50% by 2015.

Visit our website Innovations Page for more examples of dedicated revenue streams to prevent and end homelessness.

"My fourteen year old daughter got me to come to this with her after reading about it in the church bulletin--- and it was a great experience!" This comment by John Umlauf who provided the photo that accompanies this story is indicative of the many avenues through which ordinary citizens came to volunteer alongside government and non profit agency staff at Buffalo's first ever Project Homeless Connect. Involvement by the entire community is exactly what Buffalo and Erie County leaders know is needed for the effort to address and reduce poverty and homelessness, outlined in the Buffalo Poverty Reduction Blueprint: A Roadmap for Reducing Poverty in the City of Buffalo unveiled in April of this year and in the Buffalo/Erie County 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, to succeed.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey released in August 2008 listed Buffalo as the nation's 3rd poorest city among cities with populations of 250,000 or more with approximately one-third of its adult population living below the poverty line, and 42% of its children living in poverty. Noting that the latest Point -in-Time count shows more than 2000 people homeless in Erie County on any given night, a Proclamation by Erie County Executive Chris Collins declared July 2009 " Project Homeless Connect Month." A similar City proclamation recognized July 17 as Project Homeless Connect Day.

The July 17 all-day event held at the Buffalo Convention Center was sponsored by the Western New York Coalition for the Homeless, with the support of Mayor Brown's Poverty Initiative Team including representatives of the 10 Year Plan, and the Homeless Alliance of WNY. Seventy-five service providers were joined by more than 100 community volunteers in welcoming and assisting 400 homeless and at risk individuals and families. An extensive outreach effort included the distribution of brochures and posters in the weeks leading up to the event as well as day-of outreach worker visits to the Department of Social Services office, the library, and other community locations. Transportation was provided through bus tokens and two shuttles which made a continuous loop throughout the day. Business support included a $5000 donation from Try-It Distributors, a "truckload" of linens donated along with toiletries by the Adams Mark Hotel, new clothing donation by Fashion Bug, and numerous other smaller donations and gift cards. Federal agency participation included representatives from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness National Team Leader Michael German, who attended the event and met with city and county leaders including Buffalo Deputy Mayor Donna Brown who led the development of the Poverty Reduction Blueprint at the request of Mayor Bryon Brown, took special note of the leadership role of young adults in organizing the event including co-chairs Tara Stahl, a staff attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services, and Kathleen Heim, a student at the University of Buffalo's School of Social Work.

Shown here at the event are, l-r, Susan Volk Sizemore, Executive Director of the Commission on the Status of Women, County of Erie; Donna Brown, Deputy Mayor of the City of Buffalo; Tara Stahl, Staff Attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services and Co- Chair of Project Homeless Connect Buffalo; USICH National Team Leader Michael German (holding copies of the City and County proclamations); Penny Selmonsky, Supervising Attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services and Project Homeless Connect Buffalo Committee Member; Sam Miller; Kathleen Heim, Co-Chair of Project Homeless Connect Buffalo; Bill Graham, Assistant Commissioner of Erie County Department of Social Services; and Carol Dankert, Acting Commissioner of Erie County Department of Social Services.

email: usich@usich.gov

web: http://www.usich.gov