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VETS News Release: [04/01/2004]
Contact Name: Michael Volpe
Phone Number: (202) 693-7909

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Becomes Vice Chairperson of U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

WASHINGTON—The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) announced today that U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has been named Vice Chairperson. Chao is the first Labor Secretary to hold Council office.

“The Bush Administration has made it a top priority to confront the root causes of homelessness in America,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “I am looking forward to my service as Vice Chairperson for the Interagency Council on Homelessness. Through counseling and job placement services, the Department of Labor can play a key role in helping homeless individuals get the training and employment services they need to live more productive and healthy lives.”

As part of the Bush Administration’s commitment to end chronic homelessness in the next decade, the Administration announced more than $30 million in new federal resources targeted to preventing and ending chronic homelessness.

The announcement came at a meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, attended by VA Secretary Anthony Principi; HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson; Education Secretary Rod Paige; HUD Acting Secretary Alphonso Jackson; and Deputy Labor Secretary Steven Law.

The Council Members also welcomed Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker and Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi to the meeting.

Key Items from the Interagency Meeting:

• The Bush Administration’s $70 million Samaritan Initiative—a new, comprehensive grant program targeted to reducing homelessness on the streets of our communities—was introduced in Congress this week by Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi.
• Secretary Principi announced $15 million in awards for VA Grant and Per Diem transitional beds for homeless veterans, representing a total of 1,500 beds.
• The Social Security Administration announced $6.4 million in awards to 32 sites to support enrollment of chronically homeless individuals who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
• Acting Secretary Jackson announced $6.5 million in HUD HOME funds targeted to housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness.
• The Department of Justice will offer supplemental funding of up to $300,000 to approximately 20 grantees under the Serious and Violent Offenders Re-entry Initiative to identify housing opportunities.
• Secretary Thompson announced that HHS will sustain funding to the 11 community sites, which received awards last year under the Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness in FY 2004 and FY 2005 at $10 million. This brings the total HHS support over the 3 years to approximately $30 million.
• Deputy Secretary Law announced $1 million to four demonstration programs under the President’s Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program. These grants, a collaborative effort between the Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans Affairs, are designed to assist incarcerated veterans, who are within 18 months of release and are at risk of homelessness, to re-train and re-enter the workforce.

The ICH was established as part of the Domestic Policy Council of the White House to provide Federal leadership through coordinated policies, technical assistance, grant programs, and special initiatives to assist families and individuals out of chronic homelessness. The Council includes twenty Federal agencies that offer funding, assistance and other resources to the homeless.

The Administration has adopted a multi-faceted intervention and prevention approach toward meeting the goal of ending chronic homelessness in America within ten years. For instance, President Bush’s FY 2005 budget includes resources targeted to emerging populations that could fall into homelessness, such as ex-prisoners and young adults aging out of foster care. Deeper investments in mental health services and substance abuse treatment capacity will also have a preventative impact, Chao said.

For its part, the Labor Department has been at the forefront of the effort to end homelessness. In addition to awarding $1 million to four pilot programs under the President’s new Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program, the Department, in joint cooperation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, made available in 2003 up to $13.5 million to five major cities to help end chronic homelessness among persons with disabilities by helping them achieve employment, permanent housing, and self-sufficiency.

For more information on the efforts to end chronic homelessness, visit the Labor Department at www.dol.gov and the Council at www.ich.gov.

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