Quietly resurrected, disputed homeless housing project moving forward.

A plan to convert a vacant motel-turned apartment complex into permanent housing for the homeless died nearly four years ago amid opposition from neighborhood groups and a lone city councilman, despite support from then-Mayor Bill White and all five members of Harris County Commissioners Court.

Plans to renovate the Magnolia Glen Apartments, however, quickly have been revived and are progressing without any financial backing from the city, or, apparently, the knowledge of the people who fought the project during its earlier incarnation.

The Housing Corporation of Greater Houston, a nonprofit that has been looking to convert the six-building complex in the 3800 block of Gulf Freeway since at least 2007, has joined forces with the county and secured enough federal funding to refurbish 120 of 184 units.

To read the full article please Click here.

Compassionate Houston has launched an initiative in support of homeless veterans. 

Through a coordinated effort of several government and non-governmental agencies, including the Houston Housing Authority, Harris County Community Services Department, and the Harris County Housing Authority, 101 chronically homeless veterans were housed within a 100-day period last summer.  More than 400 veterans were housed by the end of the year.  With the success of that pilot program, the Housing Houston's Heroes effort has been expanded this year, with a goal of housing 300 chronically homeless veterans in a 100-day period.  The First housing vouchers were issued in May and individuals are already moving in.

Though these veterans will also have access to social services and job assistance, their first challenge is to get settled in their new living spaces.  Compassionate Houston is asking Houstonians to join the Adopt-A-Vet project to provide basic household supplies in a "Welcome Home" basket for each veteran.  The approximate cost of adopting one veteran is $250.

To find out more details about Adopt-A-Vet please go to http://compassionatehouston.org/adopt-a-vet/

One of the highlights of the NAEH National Conference on Ending Homelessness was the opportunity to hear from and meet advocates and providers working across the country on the issue of youth homelessness. Communities including Seattle, Chicago, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC as well as representatives from The Urban Institute and The US Interagency Council on Homelessness were among those who shared insight into the issue and into the work that they are doing to end homelessness amongst both underage youth and those 18-24 years of age.

Some of the common themes and messages that resonated throughout the various sessions on this issue include:

• Youth homelessness needs its own framework, one that takes into account the unique needs and circumstances of this population;
• Homeless youth need access to stable housing, opportunities to complete their educational goals, mentorship in the area of employment, financial literacy education, access to health care services, and permanent connections that provide support and encouragement in order to improve their overall well-being;
• Communities across the country need to do a better job of gathering data, counting homeless youth, and understanding their needs and circumstances in order to develop appropriate and effective interventions; and
• Youth should have an active role in addressing this issue and developing solutions.

The information shared by and connections made with advocates and providers from around the country will prove invaluable as we continue to work to more fully understand and address the issue of youth homelessness in our own community.   

We had welcomes by Anne Miskey of FTEH, Nan Roman of National Alliance to End Homelessness, and keynote by Bryan Samuels Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.  

The morning session hosted by Funders Together was a series of tabletalks. The conversations were opportunities to network with other FTEH members and learn about what is happening in other communities. Each table had a specific topic area and was hosted by a member and featured someone with expertise in the area. The topics were: Funders Networks (hosted by our own Amanda Cloud), Systems Change, Veterans Homelessness, Family Homelessness, Chronic Homelessness, Youth Homelessness, Federal Funding Cuts, Advocacy.   The conversations were rich and many business cards were exchanged.

Celene Meyer was part of a panel discussion that followed the tabletalks. She and other panelists discussed their activities in funding efforts to address homelessness. She did a great job and represented Houston very well.

Thanks to Amanda and Celene for their contributions to the Institute!

Stephanie Foy

Funders Together

 2013 NAEH conference

To view a chart of funds already collected or pending review for the Earl Hatcher Commons Permanent Supportive Housing Demonstration Project please click here.

The Greater Houston Community Foundation, in collaboration with FTEH - Houston, has officially launched a second Community Impact Fund. The fund will be named the Greater Houston Fund to End Homelessness (GHFEH)and it gives donors a way to give together in a focused and strategic way around homelessness.  The mission of the GHFEH is to pool resources toward common goals that promote effective, strategic, and innovative grant-making and targeting solutions for preventing and reducing homelessness in our community.  The purpose is to continue to build a local network of funders who are committed to reducing homelessness through leadership, education and advocacy; strategic collaboration and grant-making; and effective promotion and replication of best-practice models in greater Houston.

The first official meeting for donors interested in becoming steering committee members or donor partners is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 8:00 am at the offices of GHCF, 5120 Woodway, Suite 6000, 77056.  The fund is open to donors, foundations, and individuals interested in collaborative giving.

How to Contribute: Contributions can be made by check or by visiting www.ghcf.org and clicking DONATE NOW then selecting "Greater Houston Fund to End Homelessness." Current GHCF donors can make a grant through their donor advised fund as well. 

 For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Touchet                                                       

Donor Engagement Director                                     

Greater Houston Community Foundation                 

713-333-2228 or email: jtouchet@ghcf.org   

The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) faces the unenviable challenge of cutting its voucher spending by $7 million as a result of sequestration, which took effect on March 1, 2013. The sequestration implemented several federal fiscal austerity measures resulting in an across the board reduction of approximately 5.1 percent of all federal programs. These reductions directly impacted the 2013 Fiscal Year budget for the Agency's voucher program, which is taking on the full weight of the $7 million reduction in funds.

HHA utilizes voucher program funds to support over 17,000 families, and has been the primary source of vouchers for the citywide "Housing Houston's Heroes" initiative to end homelessness and assist homeless veterans, and our disabled and elderly Houston families. In the past year, HHA has provided homes to 557 homeless individuals and families, including over 488 homeless veterans. HHA was faced with a difficult decision to ending assistance to these and other low-income Houston families or implement innovative ways to stretch the assistance.

HHA has evaluated national best practices and recommended changes to the program that will reduce the amount of subsidy provided to affected landlords by an average of $37 per month. The strategic move will preserve both homeless assistance and assistance to all families currently with a voucher, but some families will feel the effects of the sequestration in two ways: first, the occupancy standards were revised to require more family members to share bedrooms; and second, payment standards in more affordable areas of the city were reduced. Both of these measures will be implemented incrementally over the next year to transition families to the new subsidy structure.

"These are not easy choices and not something that we wanted to do but something that we had to do," said Houston Housing Authority President & CEO Tory Gunsolley. "Most of the families that HHA serves are elderly, disabled, or working families struggling to break out of the cycle of poverty. It is unfortunate to be in a position where we have to recommend these solutions and place the burden of paying for sequestration on low-income families."