Acting Administrator
Paul Prouty
General Services Administration

AMERICA'S ROAD HOME: A PARTNERSHIP TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS

Read U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008 Resolution Encouraging Mayors to become Signatories to America’s Road Home Statement of Principles and Actions.

Read NACo 2008 Policy Resolution on America’s   Road Home and Endorsing 10 Year Plans

AMERICA'S ROAD HOME, AN UNPRECEDENTED AGREEMENT TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

November 2007. Twenty-two Mayors and County officials representing jurisdictional leadership on homelessness across the nation signed an unprecedented 12-point Statement of Principles and Actions to end chronic homelessness on November 16 at the Under One Roof Summit convened by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, Melville Charitable Trust President Robert Hohler, and sponsored by Fannie Mae. National and regional philanthropies participated in the Summit and had opportunity to engage jurisdictional leaders and review the Statement. The jurisdictional leaders who signed the agreement are pictured here.

The elected officials' agreement, America's Road Home Statement of Principles and Actions, affirms the roles of the U.S. Interagency Council, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Counties in providing jurisdictional leadership through 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness, adoption of innovations such as Housing First, ACT teams, and Project Homeless Connect, and the involvement of the philanthropic community in investing in results with a focus on permanent housing.

"This historic agreement partnering Mayors, County officials, foundations, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness brings us another step closer to realizing the vision of a home for every American," said Director Mangano. "The announcement made just one week ago by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of the first national documented decrease in chronic homelessness in our country in 25 years affirms the direction of our America's Road Home Statement of Principles and Actions. The momentum continues to build to end the homelessness of the most vulnerable and disabled citizens of our country." Pictured here are Denver Mayor Hickenlooper and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin with Director Mangano as they signed the Statement.

Summit convener and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said, "These action principles will allow all of us to move forward and build on the success we've had in our own cities and counties as well as work with others throughout the country to end homelessness in every city and state. It was just a few short years ago that the prevailing public sentiment was that homelessness was an intractable problem, something that couldn't be solved."

"Today we're seeing in Denver and communities across the country that we can help people live lives off the streets. Denver is proud to have hosted a summit that will have such long-lasting positive impact on the lives of our most vulnerable citizens," he added. Mayor Hickenlooper is shown here at podium.

Atlanta Mayor Franklin, noted, "With agreement on these action principles we can accelerate our efforts to end homelessness and give vital help to our colleagues across the country. We can do - in fact we are doing - what many thought was impossible. We can renew hope for those people who face some of the harshest and most difficult times that any can imagine.”

Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, who co-chairs the United States Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Task Force and recently convened city and county officials from across Iowa to discuss 10-Year Plan best practices, said he will bring the Statement to the U.S. Conference of Mayors for support.

At the press conference on Friday, every Mayor and County leader from the largest cities - Mayor Mike Moncrief of Fort Worth, Mayor Francis Slay of St. Louis as well as Mayors Hickenlooper and Franklin - to the smaller communities - St. Louis County, MN Commissioner Steve O'Neil and Lincoln County, OR Commissioner Bill Hall - affirmed the Statement and their commitment to 10-Year Plans to reduce and end chronic homelessness.

Mayors Affirm Principles. The Denver Summit opened on Thursday, November 15 with a welcome from Mayor Hickenlooper, Director Mangano, and Melville Charitable Trust President Hohler. Elected City and County officials met together in executive session on Friday to review and discuss the Statement of Principles and Actions while 10-Year Plan Champions, city representatives, and philanthropies met to discuss local results and new opportunities related to the Summit. Pictured here is Summit co-host and President of Melville Charitable Trust Robert Hohler at podium.

In the Friday morning plenary session, Council Director Mangano moderated a discussion with Atlanta Mayor Franklin and Des Moines Mayor Cownie on jurisdictional 10-Year Plan leadership, public-private investment partnerships, and innovations that achieve results in ending homelessness. Mayor Hickenlooper moderated the closing plenary which focused on public-private partnerships between elected officials and philanthropy. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, who is about to release a 10-Year Plan, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam whose city-county plan is in implementation, and St. Louis Mayor Slay whose city has experienced a decrease in chronic homelessness in the implementation of their 10-Year Plan, addressed the partners, along with Fannie Mae Director of Homeless Initiatives Joe Weisbord, Melville President Hohler, Annie E. Casey Foundation's Scot Spencer, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Nancy Barrand. Pictured here, l-r, Mayor Slay, Director Mangano, Mayor Hickenlooper, and Mayor Dixon.

At the press conference announcing the signing of the Statement, participating Mayors declared their intent to promote America's Road Home with their fellow Mayors and County officials. The Statement will be made available to other Mayors and County officials to sign. Mayors and County officials who are interested in becoming partners to the agreement can download the Principles and guidelines for signing from the Council's web site.

The DenverSummit was modeled on a successful bipartisan summit of 15 Mayors on illegal guns convened in April 2006 by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. The representative sample of Mayors met to discuss strategies and create a mayoral action plan that could be advanced with other cities, as well as with other levels of government and the private sector. Since then more than 200 Mayors from over 40 states have signed onto the principles focused on federal, state, and local action, as well as research and legislation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AMERICA’S ROAD HOME STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ACTIONS WITH UPDATED LIST OF SIGNATORIES AND GUIDELINES (on last page) FOR HOW ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN SIGN ONTO THE AGREEMENT.