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Latest News from USICH   3.30.2010
In This Issue
HUD releases groundbreaking study on costs of first-time homelessness for individuals and families
USICH releases data on unprecedented opportunities for public comment
2010 Census Reminder
Labor Department announces $8.3 million grant competition to serve homeless veterans
Obama administration releases its blueprint for the reauthorization of ESEA
Recent remarks by USICH Executive Director Poppe
 
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SPOTLIGHT
 
HUD releases groundbreaking study on costs of first-time homelessness for individuals and families

 
HUD's cost study is the most comprehensive research on the price tag associated with first-time homelessness and creates a foundation to compare the costs of various homeless interventions. 


USICH releases data on unprecedented opportunities for public comment


Nearly 1,000 consumers, advocates, and experts took part in stakeholder meetings around the country to provide their comments on the forthcoming Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Over 7,700 individuals visited the online comment forum to share their ideas and comments.

The stakeholder meetings and online comments have been a great opportunity for USICH to hear directly from external and Federal Government stakeholders regarding challenges, priorities and different perspectives on how to prevent and end homelessness in the United States. The input from these sessions was valuable and is being incorporated into the development of the Plan.
2010 Census Reminder

Special Service-Based Enumeration program is happening this week:

On Monday, March 29, 2010, census workers will conduct a count at emergency and transitional shelters with sleeping facilities;
2010 Census
On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, census workers will conduct a count at soup kitchens and regularly scheduled mobile food vans; and

On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, census workers will conduct a count at pre-identified outdoor locations such as encampments underneath highway overpasses or bridges and other areas where members of the homeless population are known to live.


Department of Labor announces $8.3 million grant competition to serve homeless veterans

Grant competition to provide job training, counseling and placement services, including job readiness, literacy, and skills training to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force through its Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
 
Read the announcement >
Obama administration releases its blueprint for the reauthorization of ESEA

Secretary Arne Duncan
Secretary Arne Duncan lays out the Administration's plans for its Homeless Children and Youths Education program for the upcoming reauthorization of the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

On Page 21 of the Blueprint: "Our proposal will continue and strengthen formula grants to help states and districts put in place systems and services to meet the educational needs of homeless students. First, we will better target funds to serve homeless students by allocating funds on the basis of counts of homeless students rather than by shares of Title I allocations. Second, we will remove barriers to effective services for homeless children. And third, we will clarify provisions of the current statute where ambiguity resulted in delays in services for homeless children and youths. Our proposal will also increase transparency by requiring grantees to report on the academic outcomes for students served by the program."
 
Read the entire Blueprint >
USICH Executive Director recently spoke at the HUD-VASH Conference and the Annual Homeless State Education Coordinators Conference

USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe was the keynote speaker at the February HUD-VASH Conference on the role of the agency in supporting the goal of ending homelessness among Veterans. In March, Poppe discussed how USICH will address preventing and ending homelessness among families with children.

Read Poppe's HUD-VASH speech >

Read Poppe's speech from Annual Homeless State Education Coordinators Conference >
USICH Mission
 
. . . to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of the Federal Government in contributing to the end of homelessness.