In This Update . . .
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE CONTINUES RECORD OF RESULTS AND REFOCUSES ON PRIVATE AND PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT
SAN BERNARDINO EXPANDS FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS FOR REENTRY POPULATION AND RESULTS IN EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING
FIRST YEAR RESULTS OF MERCED COUNTY, CALIFORNIA TEN YEAR PLAN ARE ANNOUNCED WITH NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESOURCES TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
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CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE CONTINUES RECORD OF RESULTS AND REFOCUSES ON PRIVATE AND PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT
The record of Chattanooga, Tennessee since the inception of its Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in 2003 is a litany of the vernacular that has changed the standard of expectation on the issue of homelessness from managing homelessness to ending the disgrace: political will (the commitment of then-Mayor, now Senator Bob Corker and Mayor Ron Littlefield), partnership (the City of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition), business planning (the mayorally-led 2003 Blueprint to End Chronic Homelessness and its subsequent recalibration), investment in the then-new innovation of Housing First (winning a first-ever award in the 2003 federal Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness and subsequently the federal Serial Inebriate Program housing initiative), adoption of innovations (Project Homeless Connect), and - most importantly - quantifiable results.
Chattanooga's results, which form a fabric with communities across the nation that have sustained decreases over the last decade, most recently reveal a Point-in-Time count showing for a 90% reduction in chronic homelessness since 2003. The total number of people experiencing homelessness in Chattanooga has been cut by half, and 2,987 people have been housed since 2003, exceeding the original goal of 1,400.
 To solidify these documented results and continue progress, the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition, led by Mary Simons (pictured here), convened a forum for local and regional philanthropies to learn more about what's working to end homelessness and how collaborative funding strategies can contribute to results.
 Round Table President Mangano (pictured here), invited to open the session, joined Anne Miskey of Funders Together to End Homelessness to discuss collaborative funder responses in other communities and how the approach has been successful. Mangano indicated to the partners: "All of the elements of Chattanooga's Plan, all of these strategies are aligned with the one, single metric we're interested in achieving. That metric is that the numbers of those suffering from the long misery of homelessness, from the human tragedy of not having a place to live go down." Ms. Miskey is pictured here at right with Autumn Mason of the Chattanooga Coalition.
 Business leader and philanthropist Stephen Culp of causeway.org described the business community's interest/ response, and State Senator Andy Berke, spoke about the State's response. Board members of local programs, including the HUD-VASH initiative, the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and local foundations, including the Maclellan Family Foundations, participated. Pictured here are Donna Maddox of Volunteer Behavioral Health Care and Richard Beeland, Media Relations Director for the City of Chattanooga.
 While in Tennessee, Mr. Mangano also met with regional leaders of the Volunteer State Health Plan in Chattanooga and Nashville, as well as with TennCare Director Darin Gordon to discuss opportunities to adopt Medicaid related innovations targeted to people experiencing chronic homelessness and stabilizing them in permanent supported housing.
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SAN BERNARDINO EXPANDS FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS FOR REENTRY POPULATION AND RESULTS IN EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING
San Bernardino County, California, building on a March 2012 Interagency Council on Homelessness event convened to hear from Round Table President Philip Mangano on innovations, took another key step in its Ten Year Planning to End Chronic Homelessness with a working meeting convened by Josie Gonzales, Chair and Fifth District Supervisor, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and leader of the Ten Year Plan.
Partners from county agencies focused on homelessness, corrections, workforce, housing, probation, public health, and behavioral health, many of which are members of the San Bernardino County Reentry Collaborative (SBCRC), met to develop next steps in addressing the needs of both the community and the increased number of parolees in the county as a result of the realignment of California's state corrections system. Tom Hernandez, Homeless Services Manager, Department of Behavioral Health, Office of Homeless Services was present with Dr. Joe Colletti of Urban Initiatives, who wrote the county plan.
Partners discussed investment resources and collaborations needed and available to replicate the Ready, Willing & Able strategy of housing and employment for individuals with complex histories of homelessness, incarceration, and addiction.
Noted Mangano, who met individually and in collaboration with more than two dozen agency representatives, "Once again, the commitment of Supervisor Gonzales, who has led elected officials in the county in re-examining the issue of homelessness, brings partners to the table to forward new solutions."
According to Mangano, "The Doe Fund's Ready, Willing & Able employment and housing initiative is targeted to those 98% of all who are incarcerated and released. When they get out they aspire to a place to live and a job. A new awareness of these aspirations is driving policymakers to innovative, results oriented efforts."
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FIRST YEAR RESULTS OF MERCED COUNTY, CALIFORNIA TEN YEAR PLAN ARE ANNOUNCED WITH NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESOURCES TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
"It has been one full year since we, the Merced County Association of Governments Governing Board, adopted the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Merced County. I'm thrilled that we are able to stand here today to applaud all of your efforts." With these congratulations to partners,  Merced County Supervisor Hub Walsh launched a full day of events to mark one year of accomplishments under the Merced Ten Year Plan. Supervisor Walsh chairs the Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG). Supervisor Walsh is shown here at right with Round Table President Mangano.
Unprecedented new resources have been key to the outcomes announced by the partners. Since the inception of the Plan, over $1,290,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) resources has been awarded to the Merced community. 58 new housing units have resulted, including 25 HUD-VASH Vouchers; 25 new Permanent Supportive Housing Units; HUD; 8 Shelter Plus Care Certificates; and $20,000 in CDBG resources targeted to Rapid Rehousing.
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