Job Corps Reminder
The Veterans' Employment and Training Service and the Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) Job Corps are partnering in a demonstration project that will provide Job Corps' comprehensive array of career development services to eligible Veterans 20 to 24 years old to prepare them for successful careers. This is a fully-funded, all-expense-paid demonstration project that is free for the Veterans. | | |
|
|
|
|
Developing and Implementing Strategic Plans to End Homelessness
In this issue, we want to take a moment to outline the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' position on the creation and implementation of community strategic plans to prevent and end homelessness. The implementation of Opening Doors relies on the unprecedented collaboration that is occurring among federal agencies and other partners. State and local officials, service providers, and local advocates are critical partners in achieving the goals in Opening Doors. Effective communities are implementing strategic plans to prevent and end homelessness tailored to their local needs. USICH strongly encourages the development and implementation of these plans; and they are a requirement of the HEARTH Act of 2009. Community-wide strategic planning is a pivotal step in ending homelessness and has been shown to demonstrably result in decreases in homelessness when the plans are well-crafted and implemented. Many communities are familiar with Ten Year Plans, which have been advocated for by local, state, and national organizations and the Bush and Obama administrations. For communities that have established Ten Year Plans, Community Strategic Plans, or Continuum of Care plans, USICH encourages the reassessment of progress toward the goals or objectives outlined in these plans. Additionally, community leaders should consider aligning their plans with the subpopulations, goals, and timelines given in Opening Doors, as well as the opportunities presented by the HEARTH Act. For those who do not already have a plan, USICH calls on communities to develop a Community Strategic Plan to prevent and end homelessness guided by best practices and aligned with Federal goals.
|
|
Promoting Effective State Interagency Councils
USICH looks to its partners in state governments to play a pivotal role in reaching the goals outlined in Opening Doors. Every state and territory is being encouraged by USICH to establish a State Interagency Council on Homelessness (SICH) by legislative action or a Governor's Executive Order with representation at the Cabinet level from mainstream income support, health care, behavioral health, human services, veterans, corrections, transportation, education, and labor departments and agencies.
- Fact sheet on the importance of a SICH
- Toolkit for states
|
|
Progress in California
At the beginning of February, USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe traveled to California to visit homeless service provider sites, meet with government officials and stakeholders, and create momentum to forming a California State Interagency Council on Homelessness and adopting the goals and strategies of Opening Doors.
 | | USICH Executive Director Poppe with Michelle Wildy (VA Homeless Coordinator), Flora Gil-Krisloff (Senior Field Deputy to LA County Supervisor Yaroslavsky), and LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky |
Executive Director Poppe participated in a joint announcement between the VA and Los Angeles County to kick off a new initiative to house homeless Veterans in Los Angeles called Project 60. This project which is modeled after LA County's Project 50 targets the 60 most vulnerable homeless Veterans to move them to supportive housing and help them build a stable life.
- Learn more about this initiative
- Listen to Poppe's interview on Southern CA radio
Poppe also visited two innovative programs. First Place for Youth in Oakland and the Century Villages at Cabrio in Long Beach. First Place for Youth works specifically with youth who are preparing to exit or have recently exited the foster care system, a subpopulation with a high rate of homelessness. The Century Villages at Cabrio is a unique public-private partnership consisting of a 26-acre former naval base that now serves to provide a continuum of housing and services for the homeless population. Poppe and Regional Coordinator Ed Cabrera also presented the progress made on the goals and strategies of Opening Doors at the National Alliance to End Homelessness' National Conference on Family Homelessness in Oakland. They encouraged conference attendees to review their current program for consistencies with the federal plan and look closely at the ways each program can implement HMIS, use Federal funds efficiently, and invest in prevention efforts for families on the brink of homelessness. - View their presentation |
|
Member Agency Updates
HUD AND VA COLLABORATION: Veteran AHAR Report
At the beginning of February, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published the most authoritative analysis of the extent and nature of homelessness among American Veterans. According to HUD and VA's assessment, nearly 76,000 Veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009 while roughly 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year. Since its release, the Veteran AHAR Report has received coverage in USA Today and in a variety of local media outlets.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The purpose of planning grants is to demonstrate the need for health services in the community from public or non-profit organizations seeking a grant to plan for the development of a comprehensive primary care health center under the Health Center Program. The purpose of the Health Center Program is to extend comprehensive primary and preventive health services (including mental health, substance abuse and oral health services) and supplemental services to populations currently without access to such services, and to improve their health status. Health Care for the Homeless Programs are eligible for these planning grants, as the program seeks to serve this and other vulnerable populations. Applications are due March 18, 2011.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Approximately $11.7 million in grant funds have just been announced to serve adult-offenders who are returning from incarceration to high-poverty, high-crime areas by providing an employment-centered approach to reintegration. Services funded will include job training and employment preparation, mentoring, and assistance connecting to supportive services such as housing, substance abuse programs and mental health treatment. Specifically, the employment component of the grant will focus on the development of employment opportunities in in-demand occupations, including emerging "green" jobs. Competitive funds are available to nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations. Applications are due March 17, 2011.
- Read the full announcement
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
REMINDER - Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant applications due by March 11
On December 17, the VA released the NOFA for its new program designed to provide enhanced services to low-income Veterans and their families who are at risk of being homeless. Under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, VA will provide grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that will help break the cycle of homelessness among America's Veterans. Applications are due March 11, 2011.
A component of VA's plan to end homelessness among Veterans in 5 years is promoting use of management systems to monitor outcomes for both individual Veterans and the programs that serve them. Accordingly, the VA announced on December 21, 2010 that it plans to fully participate in Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) over the next 12 months, and VA-funded homeless assistance providers will be required to participate in their local HMIS before or by March 31, 2011.
|
|
In The Field
St. Louis shows marked progress in their Ten-Year Plan Goals
 | | Bill Siedhoff, Department of Human Services Director; Dee Ann Ducote, HUD; Mayor Francis G. Slay and Antoinette Triplett, Homeless Services Manager |
Halfway through St. Louis' Ten Year Plan to end chronic homelessness, Mayor Francis Shay reports that goals have either been met or have exceeded projections. Since 2005, the City has created more than 400 permanent supportive housing beds, 217 of which are designed specifically for the chronically homeless population. With these actions, St. Louis has been able to decrease its overall homeless population and has experienced a 20 percent reduction in chronic homelessness. With a recent Continuum of Care grant from HUD for $8.6 million, the City is prepared to make even more progress in the months ahead.
- Read the report and coverage
Connecticut Governor Proposes Increases in Supportive Housing
Governor Daniel P. Malloy has recognized the need for more supportive housing to combat homelessness, according to news reports about his forthcoming budget proposal. The governor is expected to propose $30 million to create 150 new supportive housing units.
- Read more
HRC Free Training Opportunity for Service Providers in Tampa, FL Metro Area
The Homelessness Resource Center is providing a free two-day training in Plant City, FL on March 16-17, 2011. Promoting Wellness: An Integrated Approach to Homeless Service Delivery will help participants advance best practices and innovative strategies to resolve homelessness. This training focuses on person-centered, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented approaches to care.
- Learn more and register today
|
|
Featured Webinar
Learning from the Field: Serving LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
March 2, 2011 12:00 - 1:30 pm EST
Between 20-40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, and all programs serving youth should assume that some of their participants are a part of this population. The Homelessness Resource Center set out to identify best practices that are being implemented across the country. This webinar will feature Wayne Centrone of the Center for Social Innovation; Laura Hughes, Executive Director of the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, and Bonnie Wade, Associate Director at the UCAN LGBTQ Host Home Program - all experts on this issue. These experts will share information from around the country and share ways to provide culturally competent care for this vulnerable population.
- Register for the webinar now
|
|
USICH Staff Transitions
We are delighted to have Laura Zeilinger join the USICH team as the new Regional Coordinator Team Leader. In this position, Laura will be responsible for providing direction, guidance and support to the Regional Coordinators on the strategic implementation of Opening Doors. As a Team Leader, she will also be responsible for overseeing this strategic approach to the states and local communities, and deploying Regional Coordinator resources consistent with full implementation of the Federal Strategic Plan.
Laura brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position, and has a proven track record of success in Washington DC. In 2008, Laura joined the DC Department of Human Services after serving in the City Administrator's office as a liaison between the Mayor, City Administrator, Department of Human Services and the Office of Disability Rights. In that capacity, she was a key facilitator of DC's policies and achievements in the delivery of homeless services. She developed a strategy for the implementation of DC's Homeless No More Plan by identifying 2,500 units of permanent supportive housing and coordinating and directing the activities of the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Daryl Hernandez, our Region 5 Coordinator, continues to work in Chicago in HUD's Field Policy Management with a focus on other HUD priorities. Laura's responsibilities will include coverage of Region 5 and Region 3.
Sharon Price, the Deputy Director for Policy since 2010, ended her tenure with us. A valued member of our team, Sharon spearheaded the OMB review process for approving Opening Doors as well as working with many of the CPG members in our collective work to prevent and end homelessness. In light of this vacancy, the work load covered by this position has been re-allocated among USICH staff. Communications Director Jason Kravitz has assumed responsibility for Congressional relations, Deputy Director Anthony Love will now manage relations with national advocacy organizations, Research Director Kristy Greenwalt is now the liaison to HUD, and Director of Finance and Administration Darren Franklin is serving as USICH's liaison to OMB. Management Analyst Cynthia Miller will serve as the initial point of contact for other agencies that were previously assigned to Sharon.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
