Ending Family Homelessness 

We know that families on the verge of homelessness or who become homeless each have different circumstances and therefore different needs to avert or escape homelessness. The most common reasons for families becoming homeless are the inability to find affordable housing, the insufficiency of subsidized housing, loss of a job, or work that doesn't pay enough to afford housing. In addition, other factors include foreclosures on owned or rented property, domestic violence, having children at a young age or not having a strong social support network. Preventing and ending homelessness for all families needs to be approached with a range of strategies. In addition, we need to keep learning to be increasingly better at targeting the right interventions to the right families so that scarce resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible.  

- Read more from USICH on what the federal government is doing and how communities like yours can best serve families experiencing homelessness.  

Perspectives on Family Homelessness       

USICH spent time this month focusing on solutions to family homelessness that we could share with leaders, service providers, and advocates around the country. Family homelessness is a problem that touches a variety of service sectors and needs a range of strategies to get the job done.

USICH spoke with leaders in local government, the provider community, and research community to hear first-hand what is working to quickly and adequately house and support families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

We profile an initiative of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children, to detail the importance of collaborations between local homeless service providers and the child development community and to highlight some of the innovative work the initiative is doing. 

We also spoke with Cathy ten Broeke from Hennepin County, Minnesota, to learn about the effectiveness of strong local government leadership in housing and homelessness services. She shared lessons learned and advice for other communities about targeting limited resources to programs that work.

Social service providers are on the front lines in ending family homelessness, and the Hamilton Family Center in San Francisco has been in the field for 26 years. Megan Owens, director of the Center's successful rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention program, talked to USICH about programs that are most successful for children and youth in families and how collaborations in their work make a difference.

We also share the story of Rachel, a woman who has escaped homelessness with support from both the Hamilton Family Center (mentioned above) and the Riley Center, a program serving victims of domestic violence. Her first-hand account of navigating federal government programs and service provider collaborations illustrates what works for families like hers.

Finally, a report from the Department of Education's Education of Homeless Children and Youth program details trends apparent in the school-age population of children experiencing homelessness and points to sub-populations that most need our attention for more resources and programs.  

Department of Housing and Urban Development 

FY 2011 Continuum of Care Registration Notice Published

HUD HRE Webinar July 7 and July 11: Ramping Down HPRP  

This webinar, Ramping Down HPRP, is for HPRP grantees who are approaching the end of their program. Information will be given on key strategies in close-out with subgrantees, tapering off of services to ensure that HPRP-funded individuals and families transition to stable housing, and identifying HPRP-funded activities that should be continued via other funding sources. The webinars will take place Thursday, July 7 at 1:00 pm EDT and Monday, July 11 at 2:30 pm EDT.

-  Register here at HUD HRE  

HPRP Year 1 Summary Now Available on HUD HRE

The release of this year's AHAR was also the first year that data was available on HPRP from grantees across the country, and HUD prepared a brief national summary on the findings. The report summarizes data from the HPRP Annual Performance Report, and also highlights some of the positive impacts that HPRP has had on individuals and communities. 

- Read the report 

Department of Labor   

Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Funding Available - Due July 8

Grant funding has become available for workforce investment boards and nonprofit organizations to provide employment and training services to 3,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness. This program is administered by DOL's Veterans Employment Training Program (VETS) and applications are due July 8.

-  Read more and apply for funding  

Department of Veterans Affairs  

VA to Increase Housing for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness in 34 New Sites  

Continuing the VA's Building Utilization Review and Repurposing initiative (BURR), the Department will be developing 34 new sites to house Veterans and their families at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. This Initiative looks to create public-private partnerships with contractors to develop supportive housing projects at 23 new supportive housing sites and 11 independent living sites to house at-risk elderly Veterans. The VA is holding a National Industry Forum on July 13 in Chicago for interested organizations and contractors to learn more about developing multiple sites to  house Veterans in need.  

-  Read the full press release  

-  For more information about this Industry Forum, please email VA_BURR@va.gov.  

Learn More about Upcoming Events and Deadlines Online 

-  Visit our online calendar 

USICH News  

Listen to our Webinar: Opening Doors One Year In: Implementation and Voices from the Field  

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who also serves as USICH Chair, hosted a stakeholder conference call on June 22nd to mark the one year anniversary of the release of Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness. Key leaders shared their thoughts on the impact of plan implementation to date and what is needed as we move forward into year two of implementation. Thank you to all of those who joined us for this exciting and informative discussion. For those who missed it, the webinar is now available on our website and our Vimeo channel for viewing.