United States Interagency Council on Homelessness - No on should experience homelessness. No one should be without a safe, stable place to call home.
USICH Newsletter
September 2011
Mark Your Calendars for Three New USICH Webinars 

HUD CoC Competition:  Why Communities Should Be Thinking About Reallocation

 

September 22nd 2:00 - 3:15 pm EDT

 

In order to make progress towards the goal of ending homelessness, it is imperative that we invest in interventions that are both effective and cost-effective. Because HUD McKinney-Vento funds are largely tied up in renewals of existing projects, CoCs must be reviewing their portfolio of existing projects on an annual basis to determine if those projects are effectively meeting needs within the community. During the annual CoC competition, HUD allows continuums in Hold Harmless Need status to reallocate funds from existing Supportive Housing Program renewal projects to create new permanent housing projects. On Thursday, September 22 at 2:00 pm ET, join USICH and the National Alliance to End Homelessness to hear more about this important topic.  

  

- Learn more background information on this topic  

 

- Register now 

 

 

Opening Doors Across America: State and Community Roles in the Federal Strategic Plan 

 

September 27th 4:00-5:00 pm EDT

 

USICH will introduce a new initiative called Opening Doors Across America. USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe will be joined by a panel of leaders in ending homelessness from cities and states around the country. This call to action offers clear direction to counties, cities, and states on the steps we must take to achieve the goals laid out in Opening Doors.       

 

- Register now 

 

  

Ending Youth Homelessness by 2020: What Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees Can Do

 

September 29th 1:00-2:00 pm EDT   

 

Executive Director Barbara Poppe will provide an overview of Opening Doors, the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. The webinar will cover work that needs to be done nationally in order to achieve the goal of preventing and ending homelessness among youth by 2020.  Poppe will discuss the specific roles that Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program grantees play.

 

- Register now     

 

 

Panel Addresses Physical, Mental Health Needs of America's Newest Veterans   

SAMHSA-hosted expert panel discusses unique needs of returning Veterans

On August 18, leaders on Veterans homelessness gathered together to discuss pressing mental and physical health needs of Veterans from Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn. Due to the changing nature of their time in combat, many of these Veterans return to civilian life with distinct mental health needs due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. This Expert Panel came together to discuss the care implications and to learn from the experiences of those who have worked on federal initiatives for Veterans in other capacities. The group discussed the unique needs of women Veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserves, the impact of military sexual trauma, and effective strategies for communicating with this young generation of "wired" Veterans. Working together, experts from across the country and federal representatives from many different agencies developed recommendations and ideas for implementing best practices for this group into existing federally-funded initiatives for Veterans. This Expert Panel was planned and hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), as well as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).    

Leaders from the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Veterans Affairs and the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs attended the day-long session. Their attendance and collaboration on this issue illustrates the commitment by multiple federal agencies to address the needs of our newest Veterans and their families to reach the goal outlined in Opening Doors to end homelessness among Veterans by 2015. A summary of the proceedings will be released this fall.

News from our Federal Partners

HUD LogoDepartment of Housing and Urban Development   

    

HUD Issues FY2011 Notice of Funding Availability for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs

 

HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance programs has released the FY2011 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). It is due on October 28, 2011. HUD strongly encourages all CoC lead agency contacts, applicants, project sponsors and other interested stakeholders to read the 2011 NOFA in its entirety. Visit the FY2011 CoC Competition Training and Resources page to access HUD Guidance, training modules, FAQs and listserv messages regarding the NOFA. Programs included in the CoC NOFA are the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy Program.  

 

Read the full NOFA 

  

HUD Awards $28 million in Rural Innovation Fund Grants      

 

On August 23, Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the grant recipients of HUD's new Rural Innovation Fund, granting $28 million to 46 rural and tribal communities in 19 states. These funds are used for housing and economic development projects tailored to the priorities and needs of these communities. As noted by Secretary Donovan, "These are catalytic projects that will have an impact on their communities for generations to come."   

  

    - Read more about the grantees and their projects 

      

Department of Labor

   

$5.4 million in Job Training Grants to Benefit Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

 

The U.S. Department of Labor announced 23 grants totaling $5,436,148 to provide homeless veterans with job training aimed at helping them succeed in civilian careers in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs. These grants will assist an estimated 3,000 Veterans across the country in classroom, occupational and on-the-job training through many types of service providers. HVRP is the only program in the Department of Labor dedicated solely to the employment outcomes of Veterans experiencing homelessness.

 

 Read the full press release from DOL on award recipients

Department of Health and Human Services

 

Affordable Care Act 101 Conference Calls 

 

HHS' Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships is conducting a series of conference calls to help explain the benefits and provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The calls will explain provisions of the Act that are already in place in communities and those that will take effect in the months and years to come. HHS recommends that community members, non-profit professionals, and faith-based community leaders listen in and learn how these provisions can help those in communities across the country.

 

Six calls are scheduled for the following times:

 

Wednesday, September 14, 12:30 pm EDT

Thursday, September 29, 8:00 pm EDT

Tuesday, October 4, 12:30 pm EDT

Tuesday, October 18, 8:00 pm EDT

Tuesday, November 1, 12:30 pm EDT

Tuesday, December 6, 8:00 pm EDT

 

Learn more and RSVP for the calls

 

White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

 

National Jobs Club Initiative Launched   

 

In many communities across the country, Job Clubs led by volunteers and community members have for years provided job seekers with training on networking, emotional support during their time of transition, and practical training for new careers at the community level. In this new initiative, the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships aims to harness the grassroots power of active job clubs across the country and connect clubs with the already established workforce investment system at the Department of Labor. In their new online community, job club participants will be able to connect with other job club coordinators and with agency experts on effective practices, resources, and success stories. If you are a job club coordinator or if you are interested in starting a job club, finding a club in your community, or learning more about their work, please visit the online community and sign up to be a member. 

Listen to Job Clubs Webcast with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Job Club Coordinators

-  Read the Training and Employment Notice Encouraging Job Club Partnerships  
 

 

New Homelessness Research

This summer, a variety of research has been published examining the prevalence and impacts of homelessness among different subpopulations.Other studies explore the direction of the field in general.   

 

To stay up to date on the latest research, please visit our Research and Evaluation database. Below are a few of the recent studies that may be of interest.

 

Dennis Culhane from the University of Pennsylvania released four different publications this summer, with one more to come out in the fall:     

  1. In one study, Culhane investigates the "right to housing" framework in both a historical European context and its applicability to homelessness work in the United States. While the United States has no precedent for a "right to housing," Culhane examines what a "right to housing" means and if it is the right approach to homelessness in the United States.  
  2. Along with a number of colleagues, Culhane analyzes HMIS and American Community Survey data from seven jurisdictions to assess the prevalence and relative risk for homelessness among Veterans by race, sex, age and poverty status. 
  3. "The Impact of Shelter Use and Housing Placement on Mortality Hazard for Unaccompanied Adults and Adults in Family Households Entering New York City Shelters: 1990-2002" examines mortality among New York City (NYC) homeless shelter users, assessing the relationships between mortality hazard and time in shelter, patterns of homelessness, and subsequent housing exits for both adults in families and single adults. Although causal conclusions could not be drawn, there is evidence that prompt resolution of homelessness could contribute to reduced mortality.  
  4. "The Patterns and Costs of Services Use among Homeless Families," to be published in 2011, examines families' use of behavioral health hospitalizations and foster care services during and after their stay in shelter. While these costs decrease during time in shelter, they quickly rebounded, suggesting referrals to longer-term community-based services for families might be better a intervention. 
  5. In "Prevention-Centered Approach to Homelessness Assistance: A Paradigm Shift?" The authors outline a conceptual framework for a transformation of homeless assistance towards prevention-oriented approaches, with a discussion of relevant issues of program design and practice, data collection standards, and program performance monitoring and evaluation.

 

A study from Brigham Young University in Pediatrics looks at the impact of homelessness on women and babies, noting that nearly four percent of women in the United States were homeless in the 12-month period before they gave birth. This study discusses the effects on both the mother and child's health, and provides more insight into homelessness in the perinatal period.         

 

The American Journal of Public Health released a study on the effect of homelessness and housing instability on the health of very young children. This study looked particularly at the effect of crowding, or "doubling up," on health outcomes.      

 

The National Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare recently released a report from their First Focus Initiative on the effectiveness of Medicaid and CHIP to protect the health of both children and vulnerable adults. This report takes evidence from a study in Oregon of uninsured vs. insured residents' outcomes to gauge effects of public insurance. The report also noted that public insurance programs help protect the finances of families living at or near the poverty level and can prevent a family from financial ruin caused by high medical costs.    

 

Finally, in one of the largest studies of the prevalence of homelessness among LGBT Youth, researchers in Massachusetts compared the prevalence of current homelessness among those in a sexual minority and their heterosexual peers. The results were astounding: approximately 25% of lesbian/gay and 15% of bisexual Massachusetts public high school students were homeless, compared with only 3% of their heterosexual counterparts. Researchers concluded that youth homelessness is linked with numerous threats such as violence, substance use, and mental health problems.   

 

Table of Contents
 
Three New USICH Webinars
SAMHSA Panel on Mental and Physical Health Needs of America's Newest Veterans
News Updates from HUD, Labor, HHS, and WHOFBNP
New Homelessness Research
 
Update on FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program
 

FEMA has updated the list of communities qualifying for grants under the EFSP. FEMA uses the same formula every year to determine which communities qualify, but they have updated this formula with the latest numbers available for Fiscal Year 2011.   

 

- Learn more about the qualification process 


Upcoming Events

USICH Webinars In September

HUD CoC Competition: Why CoCs Should Be Thinking About Reallocation   
   

September 22

2:00 - 3:15 EDT   

    

- Register now   

 

Opening Doors Across America

September 27
4:00 - 5:00 pm EDT

 

- Register now  

 

Ending Youth Homelessness by 2020: What Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees Can Do

 

September 29  

1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT

 

- Register now  

 

Check Out More Upcoming Events on our Online Calendar  

 

 

 

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