SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. While attending the Housing Washington 2009 conference in Spokane this week, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims announced that $20 million in Family Unification Program (FUP) housing vouchers are coming to local communities through their public housing authorities. "Earlier this week, President Obama proclaimed Family Day on September 28th to emphasize the positive impact a loving, caring family has on children. Building strong, engaging families must first begin with a stable home. This funding will provide families the opportunity to safe, decent affordable housing for them and their children," said Mr. Sims.

The Family Unification Program provides rental assistance through housing vouchers to families whose lack of adequate housing is a primary cause of parents being separated or near- separated from their children. In addition this funding is used to help provide stable housing for some young adults (ages 18-21) who have aged-out of the foster care system. FUP entails collaboration at the local level between the public housing authorities and public child welfare agencies who work with the housing authorities to identify eligible families and aging out foster care youth and provide ongoing supportive services to the FUP participants.

The $20 million is expected to support approximately 1,940 FUP housing vouchers. $5.4 million is being awarded immediately to 11 public housing authorities who submitted qualified applications in 2008 but were not awarded grants because all available funding was expended. Public Housing Authorities are invited to apply for the remaining $14.6 million in FY2009 FUP funding. Closing deadline is December 3, 2009.

"We are planting the seeds to erase the word homelessness," said Deputy Secretary Sims in his closing plenary speech to the more than 500 attendees at this 16th annual affordable housing conference which over the years has demonstrated increased awareness and focus on the housing needs of homeless persons including the development of permanent supportive housing. Pictured here is Deputy Secretary Ron Sims with Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson at the conference. As King County Executive, Mr. Sims had co-chaired the Seattle/King County Ten Year Plan Committee to End Homelessness.

HUD RELEASES 2009 CONTINUUM OF CARE NOFA

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released the 2009 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) through which it will make available approximately $1.43 billion in homeless assistance grants to thousands of local projects that house and serve homeless persons and families across the country. The application deadline is November 9. In its funding announcement, HUD notified applicants that it will quickly award renewal grants to prevent any interruption in federal assistance to existing local programs while funds for new projects will be awarded later in the year.

"The grants we offer today will help to house and serve thousands of our neediest neighbors," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "HUD is committed to streamlining this grant process to make certain these funds are awarded as quickly as possible so they can make a real difference to individuals and families struggling against the backdrop of our economic crisis."

In the NOFA, HUD notes that while changes to the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act included in the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act enacted earlier this year "will not go into effect immediately, HUD strongly encourages CoCs to begin implementing the following practices, as they will be required elements of the NOFA in 2010:

• The CoC will be required to certify that it will collaborate with local education; agencies to assist in the identification of homeless families as well as inform these homeless families and youth of their eligibility for McKinney- Vento education services
• The CoC will be required to certify that they will consider the educational needs of children when families are placed in emergency or transitional shelter and will, to the maximum extent practicable, place families with children as close to possible to their school of origin so as not to disrupt the children's education;
• Project applicants must certify that their programs will establish policies and practices that are consistent with, and do not restrict the exercise of rights provided by the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act, and other laws relating to the provision of educational and related services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness; and
• Project applicants must certify that programs that provide housing or services to families will designate a staff person to ensure that children are enrolled in school and connected to the appropriate services within the community, including early childhood programs such as Head Start, Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and McKinney-Vento education services."

Additional information about the 2009 competition can be found, and will continue to be posted by HUD, on the HUDHRE.info CoC Materials and e-snaps Training and Resources Page.

UNITED STATES HOSTS 2009 WORLD HABITAT DAY

On Monday, October 5 HUD Secretary and Council Chair Shaun Donovan will participate in the Official Kickoff Celebration for the 2009 World Habitat Day global observance. This is the first time that the United States is hosting this global celebration sponsored by the United Nations General Assembly to promote innovations in affordable housing and sustainable urban development. Read More.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

EXPANDING AND STRENGTHENING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO ACHIEVE HOUSING STABILITY

Last week U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that 43 organizations from around the country working to end chronic homelessness in their communities have been awarded Services in Supportive Housing grants of up to $400,000 per year for up to 5 years from the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services. Recipients will be able to use these federal resources to provide and enhance intensive, individualized support services to individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness in coordination with existing permanent supportive housing programs. Click here to view a list of the grantees and their first year awards. Continuation of the the grants in years 2- 5 is subject to continuing availability of funds and the progress achieved by the grantees.

This week, SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment announced the FY 2009 Treatment for Homeless Grant awardees. These particular resources are aimed at increasing the number of homeless persons placed in stable housing and receiving treatment services for alcohol, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. The primary goal is to link treatment services with housing programs and other services such as primary care. Demonstrated effectiveness in providing services to runaway, homeless and street youth; veterans; and "chronic public inebriates" were highlighted areas of consideration in the 2009 competition. Click here to view the list of grantees.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has issued a Training and Employment Notice to all State Workforce Agencies, Local Workforce Investment Boards and others providing them with a white paper and toolkit on expanding apprenticeship opportunities for youth and young adults with disabilities. ODEP also announced that it has awarded a cooperative agreement to Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute, School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Ithaca, N.Y., to establish a national technical assistance center for employers on employment of people with disabilities.The Cornell Institute will receive $1.6 million to lead a consortium which will include the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs, the Altarum Institute, the Conference Board, the Institute of Educational Leadership, the National Business and Disability Council, Rutgers University's John J. Heldrich Center and the U.S. Business Leadership Network, to conduct innovative research, assist ODEP in developing demand-side policy, and share best practices with employers on the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities.

Michael German, who leads the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' team of Regional Coordinators created through interagency partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been awarded the Citizen Services Medal by the Partnership for Public Service. The award was presented at the Service to America formal gala in Washington DC during which nine federal employees were recognized for their commitment, innovation, and significant contributions to the nation. "The accomplishments of the people we're honoring this evening prove that government can do what we need it to do and more," said Partnership President Max Stier.

In awarding the Citizen Services Medal to Michael, the Partnership cited his achievement in having "created partnerships to reduce homelessness with more than 850 state and local leaders, which has contributed to a 30 percent reduction in long term homelessness." For the past five years, Michael has crisscrossed the country tirelessly meeting with mayors, governors, county executives, business and non profit leaders promoting and assisting the development of jurisdictional business- principled 10 Year Plans that are bringing housing solutions and best practices in outreach and engagement, supportive services, and benefits acquisition to the prevention and ending of homelessness. Michael is shown here (left) with Acting U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Pete Dougherty.

Saying he was "humbled and honored" to receive the award, Michael acknowledged the work of his colleagues at the Council including Regional Coordinators Paul Carlson (Seattle), Ed Cabrera (San Francisco), and John O'Brien (Boston) and the support he has received from Acting Council Executive Director Peter Dougherty. Coordinators Carlson and O'Brien (far right) are pictured with Michael and Pete Dougherty at this year's National Alliance to End Homelessness conference. He also paid tribute to the Council's federal agency members, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, International Downtown Association, the United Way, and the " thousands of providers on the front lines" across America who are partnered in the quest to end homelessness.

Several senior Obama Administration officials participated in the event including Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry who read a letter of congratulations from President Obama, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag who presented Michael with his award, Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair, and VA Secretary and past Council Chair Eric Shinseki (shown here at the awards gala with Michael). Dr. Janet Kemp of the VA was named Federal Employee of the Year for her work establishing a suicide-prevention hot line that employs more than 400 full-time counselors and interventionists who have fielded more than 160,000 inquiries and intervened in more than 3,000 potential suicides.

This month the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness held its annual Training Institute. Among the offerings were a number of workshops relevant to developing and implementing Ten Year Plans to end homelessness, a Cost Benefit Research Panel moderated by Council New England Coordinator John O'Brien, and Opening Plenary remarks by New York City Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess who discussed his experiences in creating collaborations and described several best practices he has promoted including NYC's HomeBase prevention program. Since its inception, HomeBase has assisted more than 14,300 households, including over 15,000 children. Nine out of ten households, or nearly 13,000, have successfully stayed in the community and not re-entered shelter after one year.

How cost benefit research can drive public policy to prevent and end homelessness was the focus of the Cost Benefit Research Panel which examined the State of Maine's Rural Homelessness Cost Study and the Home and Healthy for Good Initiative in Massachusetts. Council Regional Coordinator O'Brien is shown here with panel presenters (seated, l-r) Tom Chalmers McLaughlin PhD, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the University of New England Social Work Center for Research and Evaluation and Melany Mondello of Shalom House, Inc. in Portland who were two of the authors of the Maine study; and Joe Finn, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing and Finance Agency which is overseeing the Commonwealth's Home and Healthy for Good Initiative with 12 partner agencies around the state.

The Maine report, Cost of Rural Homelessness: Rural Permanent Supportive Housing Cost Analysis, sponsored by the Corporation for Supportive Housing, MaineHousing, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and released in May, revealed a 32% reduction in service costs by providing permanent supportive housing to people with disabilities experiencing homelessness in rural areas, with average cost avoidance of $1348/person. Incarceration costs for the 163 study participants were reduced by 95%, ambulance transportation by 32%, emergency room costs by 14%, and expenditures for mental health services by 57% . Presenters noted that the study results have influenced Maine state policy in several ways including HPRP distribution, Continuum of Care project construction, Housing First models funded, prevention of program budget cuts, and opening community dialogue.

Data released this summer from the Massachusetts Home and Health for Good initiative reveals that:

• As of June 22, 2009, 388 formerly chronically homeless people have been housed in the Home & Healthy for Good (HHG) program.
• Tenant retention stands at 84 percent.
• The annual costs per person decreased from $33,108 before housing to $24,159 after housing placement, resulting in an annual savings of $8,949 per person.
• A recent analysis by the state Office of Medicaid showed that on average, Medicaid costs per HHG participant dropped by 67 percent after participants moved into housing.

Workshops focused on Ten Year Plan efforts included Engaging Public Housing Authorities in Ten Year Plan Goals and Implementation; United Ways and Ten Year Plans: Developing a Structural Model; Ten Year Plans as Models for Regional Advocacy; and Reducing Municipal Road Blocks to Ten Year Plans.

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND. In the wake of foreclosures and a statewide unemployment rate over 12% which is resulting in increasing numbers of individuals and families seeking shelter, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian and Councilwoman Donna Travis, chair of the city Interagency Council on Homelessness(ICH) created by the mayor's Executive Order in 2004 and modeled after the federal ICH, brought members of the Warwick community together last week to brainstorm strategies to include as Warwick recalibrates its 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. In July 2008, Warwick became the first Rhode Island community to develop its own 10 Year Plan to end homelessness, which built on and linked to the Rhode Island state plan.

Invited to address the gathering, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator John O'Brien commended Mayor Avedisian and Councilwoman Travis on their continued initiatives to prevent and end homelessness in Warwick, encouraged them to utilize new federal targeted and mainstream resources to support the strategies in the Warwick 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and encouraged their ongoing commitment to develop permanent housing. Also speaking at the Forum were Noreen Shawcross, Chief of Housing and Community Development for Rhode Island, Michelle Brophy, New England Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Jeff Gofton, Warwick Interagency Council on Homelessness, and Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Kids Count.

REDMOND, OREGON. In an examination of homeless populations and rates by Continuum of Care, the National Alliance to End Homelessness recently ranked Central Oregon as having the 6th highest homelessness rate in the nation, and 3rd among rural areas. Central Oregon includes Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties with a population just over 200,000. On September 19, over 650 volunteers "gave of themselves, and showed the power of a community in action" turning out to welcome and assist over 2200 of their homeless and at risk neighbors at the Central Oregon Project Connect, reports Cindy Pasko of the Partnership to End Poverty and event organizer. Held at the Deschutes Fairground in Redmond, over 150 types of services were provided by more than 190 organizations. 700 persons received medical and dental care. The Bend LaPine School District Homeless Liaison was able to identify 42 homeless families whose children had not yet been identified as homeless by the school system. First time participants included the Sheriff's Office who brought McGruff, the crime dog, and the federal Bureau of Land Management who assisted with outdoor survival information. Both the Sheriff's Office and the BLM reported that their "staff experienced a perception change as well as the guests" and that "new relationships were forged."

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska Paul Carlson was among the participants, pictured above with the state and local elected officials who were on hand beginning with a kickoff rally for the volunteers. Pictured, l-r, are Crook County Judge Mike McCabe, event organizer Pasko, Oregon Housing and Community Services Deputy Director Rick Crager, State Representative Gene Whisnant, Council Regional Coordinator Carlson, State Senator Chris Telfer, State Representative Judy Stiegler, and Bend City Councilor Jodie Barram. The day before, Council Regional Coordinator Carlson met with the Central Oregon 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness Development Committee, chaired by former Bend Mayor Bruce Abernathy. Pictured here facing the camera at the meeting , l-r, Chair Abernathy; Corky Senecal, Neighbor Impact; Scott Cooper, Partnership to End Poverty; Coordinator Carlson, and Cindy Pasko.

email: usich@usich.gov

web: http://www.usich.gov