During the last ten days in January volunteers in cities, towns, and counties across America perform the important work of counting people experiencing homelessness on streets and in shelters. Good data is essential to measuring what works, what doesn't, and what we need to do better. The Point-in-Time count is essential to having the clearest understanding possible of the scope and breadth of homelessness and to measuring progress toward ending it.    

The results of last year's homelessness count showed that between 2010 and 2011, homelessness went down by every measure, from individuals, to families, to those who are experiencing chronic homelessness. For America's Veterans, homelessness dropped nearly 12 percent in the last year.

This year Administration officials volunteered in 20 cities, joining thousands of volunteers across the nation. In the District of Columbia, Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Scott Gould and HUD Acting Deputy Secretary Estelle Richman volunteered with staff from VA, HUD, HHS and USICH to survey Capitol Hill. USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe participated in counts in both New Orleans and Miami this week. In New Orleans, she was moved by the lives of the people she spoke with during the count, most of whom had serious unmet medical needs.

Data collected from the Point-in-Time counts will be aggregated and released by HUD later in the year. USICH encourages you to get involved in your local community and be a part of the count next year.  

News from our Federal Partners   

Department of Labor

Nearly $100M in Grants for Workforce Innovation Fund  

Earlier this month, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the availability of approximately $98.5 million through the Workforce Innovation Fund to support employment and training services. The fund invests in programs that support, evaluate and enhance workforce investment strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations including people experiencing homelessness. A solicitation for grant applications was published in the December 23 edition of the Federal Register.      

This grant provides workforce agencies and other eligible applicants an opportunity to partner with homeless service providers to improve alignment of the homeless services system and the workforce development system. This is an opportunity to test promising practices like supported employment, transitional jobs, and workforce navigators in improving employment outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. 

"The mission of the public workforce system is to find good jobs for everyone," said Secretary Solis. "These grants will significantly enhance the capacity of our public workforce system by identifying, evaluating and expanding successful programs."

Eligible applicants include state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards and organizations considered eligible to apply for WIA Section 166 grants. The grants will be administered by the Labor Department, working closely with the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. In addition to providing technical assistance to grantees throughout the life of the grants, the Labor Department will share program evaluation results with grantees as well as stakeholders in workforce, education and human services systems.

-   Learn more about the Workforce Innovation Fund and view application tools 

-  Visit the online tutorial "Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants"  

-  Read the full solicitation 

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Tips and Resources for CoC Grantees for the New Homeless Definition 

On December 5, 2011, HUD published the final rule on th e Definition of Homeless in the Federal Register. As this is the final rule, there is not a further comment period for the Definition of Homeless. The final rule on the Definition of Homeless went into effect on January 4, 2012. HUD has developed resources on the definition as well as answers to a few basic questions on the implementation of the regulation. HUD will release new resources as they are developed.

-  Learn more 

$6.8M Awarded to Help Communities Understand the Scale of Homelessness in their Areas   

Last week HUD awarded $6.8 million to four technical assistance providers through HUD's Homeless Management Information System Technical Assistance Program. The awards will ultimately go to local communities through their Continuums of Care to improve data collection and reporting, a key element in designing a community's response to homelessness.

"You can't solve homelessness unless you understand homelessness," said Mercedes Márquez, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. "These grants will offer critical assistance to state and local planners as they gather the necessary data they'll need to prevent and end homelessness as we know it."

- Read the press release 

New HUD Language Line to Improve Access to HUD Programs for those with Limited English Proficiency 

 
The HUD Language Line, a telephone language service pilot, will offer live, one-on-one interpretation services in more than 175 languages. These efforts are taking place in order to better communicate with Limited English Proficient individuals and families about HUD housing programs, services, and activities.     

-  Learn more 

Department of Veterans Affairs

Reminder: SSVF Grant Applications due February 15, 2012 

The SSVF program provides grants to nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives that coordinate or provide services for very low-income Veteran families currently experiencing homelessness, transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, or to prevent at-risk Veterans from becoming homeless.

Grant applications are due to the SSVF program office by 4pm Eastern Time on February 15, 2012. This funding is available for both initial and renewal funding for a one-year period.   

- Learn more and apply 

Department of Agriculture  

Help the USDA Feed Low-Income Kids over the Summer   

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) can help to fill the summer meal gap for low-income children. Faith-based, community and private non-profit organizations can make a difference in the lives of hungry children by serving meals with SFSP, a federally funded program administered by states that reimburses organizations for meals served to children during the summer. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service will be providing webinar sessions, including an overview of the SFSP, resources and tools available to help get started with the SFSP, successful outreach practices and tips, and how to get involved.  

-  Learn more 

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