United States Interagency Council on Homelessness - No on should experience homelessness. No one should be without a safe, stable place to call home.
Retooling Crisis Response
March 5, 2012
Systems Change for Better Results

Skid Row Vulnerability Index Image Thanks to J.B. Rutagarama You know what they say: save the best for last. Or in this case, the biggest. The last objective presented in Opening Doors, Objective 10, calls upon communities to "transform homeless services to crisis response systems that prevent homelessness and rapidly return people who experience homelessness to stable housing." Arguably, more than any other single objective in the Federal Strategic Plan, our ability to end homelessness as we know it rests on this objective.

 

So what does this mean, exactly? USICH Director of Housing Policy/Research & Analysis Kristy Greenwalt provides an overview of what crisis response is, how it differs for different populations, and the 3 A's of retooling your system:  

 

  • Access to a community-wide system,
  • Assessment, and
  • Assignment of intervention  

 

We cannot accomplish the goal of preventing and ending homelessness without implementing Objective 10 of Opening Doors on a broad scale. Retooling crisis response is critical to success, but it is also critical to ensuring we use resources wisely and assist communities around the country to get the most bang for their housing services buck.

 

Kristy Greenwalt's policy brief on crisis response - learn more about implementing Objective 10 in your community 

 

Five Programs Paving the Way


Systems change is a process, not a single event. Retooling homeless assistance services into an effective crisis response system requires a network of providers who have embraced the principles of Rapid Re-Housing and Housing First, each working to fulfill a specific niche in that system. Read detailed program profiles on five programs that are helping drive systems change in their communities.  

 

USICH Toolkit: Tools You Need for Systems Change  


We have collected 16 resources from our partners to help communities transform their homeless services into rapid response systems that work quickly and effectively to prevent homelessness whenever possible and rapidly re-house those who do become homeless.

Visit the online crisis response toolkit  


Veterans Affairs Announces New GPD Funding for Specific Populations and Transition in Place Programs

VA Logo Application Deadline: May 30
 
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of funds for applications for assistance under the Per Diem Only component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) includes funding priorities for those applicants who will serve specific populations of Veterans experiencing homelessness that are identified in this NOFA, or implement a new "Transition in Place" housing model to facilitate housing stabilization. This Notice contains information concerning the program, funding priorities, application process, and amount of funding available.

600 housing opportunities for Veterans experiencing homelessness are expected to be funded.

    

Read the full NOFA

Video Message from HUD Secretary Donovan  


Message to HUD's Emergency Solutions Grant Recipients on the Importance of Rapid Re-Housing

 

Secretary Donovan recently issued a video message directed to Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) recipients and subrecipients, Continuums of Care (CoCs), and other organizations partnering with HUD to end homelessness.  This video message is relevant to communities as they retool their crisis response systems. In addition to highlighting your success in carrying out the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), he is calling on ESG recipients to invest in rapid re-housing, collaborate with CoCs, focus on results, and collect quality data in HMIS. 

Role of 100,000 Homes Campaign in Local Crisis Response   


100K homes logoAs discussed in the main article of today's newsletter, Housing First programs are a cornerstone of an effective homeless crisis response strategy, as is effective targeting. The 100,000 Homes Campaign, built on these two tenets, recently made tweaks to their campaign to better align with federal efforts and to help pave the way for systems change.  

 

Read the latest from our friends at the 100,000 Homes Campaign

 

- If you're not already a campaign community, join the movement today!

 

Policy Brief from the National Alliance to End Homelessness on Lessons for the New ESG  


NAEH logo In January, the National Alliance to End Homelessness released a policy brief that discusses the importance of using the lessons learned from the success of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program to inform the new Emergency Solutions Grant Program.

Read the brief 

USICH Publishes Fact Sheet on Homelessness Prevention 


In April 2011, leaders from USICH, SAMHSA, and ASPE (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS) led an expert panel and small group discussion on what is known about homelessness prevention, what can be learned from prevention science in behavioral health care that can be applied to homelessness prevention, and what principles and practices are effective and replicable.

 

Working together, panelists and audience members developed ten guiding principles to successful prevention of homelessness. The panel suggests that all levels of government, nonprofit, and private actors use these guiding principles in all aspects of their planning, monitoring, and implementation of their homelessness prevention activities. The fact sheet shares these principles, effective strategies to assist persons with multiple and complex needs, and where providers and policymakers working on prevention should focus their efforts. 

 

Read the fact sheet


Table of Contents
 
Retooling Crisis Response: an Overview from Kristy Greenwalt
Five Programs Paving the Way in Crisis Response
Crisis Response Toolkit
Veterans Affairs Announces New Grant and Per Diem Program Funding Opportunity
Video Message from Sec. Donovan on Emergency Solutions Grants
100K Homes and Local Crisis Response
NAEH Policy Brief: HPRP Lessons Learned and the New Emergency Solutions Grants
New Homelessness Prevention Fact Sheet
Upcoming Crisis Response Webinars
 
Register for Two Upcoming USICH/HUD Webinars on Crisis Response
USICH and HUD are co-hosting two webinars on crisis response:


Tomorrow
Tuesday March 6
3:00 - 4:15pm EST

An overview of crisis response: why achievement of Objective 10 is essential to ending homelessness as we know it today,  and how the HEARTH Act gives communities the tools necessary to do this important work.


Tuesday March 20
3:00 - 4:30pm EDT

Participants will hear about the benefits of coordinated and centralized intake systems and the different models or adaptations that can help meet the needs of different communities, as well as practical solutions for overcoming challenges related to implementation.

Spaces on both webinars are filling up. Register now by clicking the links above and sign on early to ensure your spot. If you are unable to attend, you will be able to watch the webinars online a few days after broadcast on our videos and webinars page.


Upcoming Events
     
SSA Deadline

SSA Requests Public Comment on Unique Needs of Homeless SSI Recipients

Friday, March 12 
5:00 pm EST
 

DOL: Grant Application Deadline for Programs Serving Young Adult Ex-Offenders

April 17

Learn more 
      

Check Out More Upcoming Events on our Online Calendar  

 

 

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