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 "It's a question of whether we believe in our ability as Americans to do great and important things," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan as he addressed the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington DC on Thursday. Pointing to the success of reducing the number of chronically ill, long term homeless by nearly a third in three years through the delivery of permanent supportive housing via a targeted pipeline of resources, Secretary Donovan said, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness."
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HUD AWARDS HUD-VASH PROGRAM VOUCHERS THAT WILL PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO 10,000 HOMELESS VETERANS, INCLUDING WOMEN VETERANS AND VETERANS WITH FAMILIES
July 16. When the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness met on June 18 for the first time under the Obama Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, elected at the meeting as Chair of the Council, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that $75 million would soon be going to public housing authorities in the states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans under the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) which combines housing resources from HUD with dedicated case management and clinical services from the VA. This week HUD announced the specific allocations to individual housing authorities of the more than 10,000 housing choice vouchers (also known as Section 8 vouchers).
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CONTINUING PREPARATIONS FOR FY 2009 HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS COMPETITION, HUD ISSUES NOTICE ON ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS
July 16. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week continued preparations for the FY 2009 Homeless Assistance Grants competition with the publication of a Notice for Continuums of Care on electronic registration procedures and also outlining some important changes from previous competitions. This follows HUD’s December 29 publication, which was later amended on April 16, of its General Section providing policy requirements applicable to all HUD FY 2009 discretionary program applications. Still to come is the actual Homeless Assistance Grants Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) which HUD states will not be published before August 15. HUD will announce the release of this year’s NOFA via its Homeless Assistance listserv. To join HUD’s listserv, go to http://www.hud.gov/subscribe/mailinglist.cfm and click on Homeless Assistance Program. Again this year, HUD is using the e-snaps electronic registration and submission system rather than grants.gov for the Homeless Assistance Grants Program.
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HUD RELEASES 2008 ANNUAL HOMELESS ASSESSMENT REPORT TO CONGRESS; OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM AWARDS ALSO ANNOUNCED
 July 10. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued its 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, a national study that explores changes in homelessness nationwide. HUD's assessment concludes that while overall homelessness in America held fairly steady from 2007 to 2008, the number of homeless families, particularly those living in suburban and rural areas, increased.
HUD measures homelessness through the Annual Homeless Assessment Report in two ways: Point-In-Time 'Snapshots’- this data accounts for sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night, usually at the end of January. Homeless Management Information Systems - this data provides more detailed information on persons who access a shelter over the course of a full year. In the 2008 AHAR, 222 local communities contributed HMIS data to produce national estimates of sheltered homeless. HUD estimates that approximately 1.6 million persons experienced homelessness and found shelter between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008. HUD notes that the 2008 Report "is the fourth Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) and the first to provide year-to-year trend information on the prevalence of homelessness nationwide, the demographic characteristics of homeless people, and the way homeless people use the residential services system."
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"THE YEAR OF COMMUNITY LIVING"
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C., and seeking to further the goal of that decision that persons with disabilities have meaningful choices to live and participate in the community, President Barack Obama this week launched "The Year of Community Living."
"The Olmstead ruling was a critical step forward for our nation, articulating one of the most fundamental rights of Americans with disabilities: having the choice to live independently," said President Obama. "I am proud to launch this initiative to reaffirm my Administration's commitment to vigorous enforcement of civil rights for Americans with disabilities and to ensuring the fullest inclusion of all people in the life of our nation."
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UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS CONVENES FOR FIRST FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
 June 19. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) yesterday convened for the first Full Council meeting of the Obama Administration, under the leadership of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and Council Chairperson Eric Shinseki. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was elected Chairperson for the upcoming year, and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chairperson. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, also participated in the meeting.
In a statement released for the meeting, President Obama said: "It is simply unacceptable for individuals, children, families, and our nation's Veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country. I am confident that the Interagency Council on Homelessness, under Secretary Donovan's leadership, will have a renewed focus on coordinating efforts across federal agencies and working closely with our state, local, community-based, and faith-based partners to address these serious issues."
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS HOLDS HEARING ON ENDING VETERANS' HOMELESSNESS
“. . . until we reach a day when not a single Veteran sleeps on the street, our business is unfinished.” -- President Obama remarks during a March 26, 2009 online town hall meeting.
June 5. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by Congressman Bob Filner, held a hearing this week on “A National Commitment to End Veterans’ Homelessness.” In opening remarks at Wednesday’s hearing, Chairman Filner noted that the Committee and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who is also the current chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, have made ending Veterans homelessness a priority and encouraged the four panels of witnesses to tell the Committee “what’s working, what’s not, and what you need” to accomplish this goal.
The Committee received testimony from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor officials, national and community based organizations, and researchers on the effectiveness of service and treatment programs being provided to homeless Veterans directly by the VA and in partnership with other federal agencies, local governments, and community based organizations. During the hearing, attention was also focused on the special needs of homeless and at risk women Veterans and on expanding outreach/marketing and early intervention efforts to prevent homelessness. Witnesses widely praised the VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program, the VA’s largest collaborative effort with local communities that has resulted in the development of nearly 14,000 supportive transitional housing beds for homeless Veterans with funding for another 1000 beds due to be awarded later this summer. Several recommendations were made for improving administration of the program, including the calculation and payment of the per diem rate, and increasing the program funding level to $200 million a year.
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FEMA 2009 HURRICANE SEASON PREPAREDNESS MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE
 2009 Hurricane Season began June 1. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has developed a number of resources to help citizens, local governments, and community organizations better prepare for responding to a disaster:
VA STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PROMOTING RECOVERY ORIENTED CARE FOR HOMELESS AND AT RISK VETERANS WITH NEW NATIONAL CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS
 May 23, 2009. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and current Interagency Council Chair Eric Shinseki announced on Wednesday the creation of a National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. The announcement was made by the Secretary during remarks at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) National Conference. “President Obama has made it clear that homelessness among Veterans is unacceptable,” Secretary Shinseki said. “We have a moral duty to prevent and eliminate homelessness among Veterans.” The Center will be an opportunity to “develop, promote, and enhance policy, clinical care, research and education to improve homeless services, so that Veterans may live as independently as possible in a community of their choosing.” The VA estimates there are 131,000 homeless veterans on any given night.
The Center is designed to be a national resource for both VA and community partners, improving the quality and timeliness of services delivered to homeless or at-risk Veterans and their dependents. The Center will be co-located with the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and the Tampa VAMC with the support of host-site academic affiliates, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of South Florida. Initial research studies include Evaluating Housing Programs for Homeless Veterans (in conjunction with the University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute) and Applying Administrative Data to Estimate the Prevalence of Veterans Among Homelessness Program Users and their use of VA-Funded Health Services (in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania). Both research efforts will be rolled out first in VISNs 4 and 8. The VA provides services to veterans through 21 VA Service Networks (VISN). VISN 4 covers 104 counties in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. VISN 8 includes Florida, Southern Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Learn more about the Center.
Read about President Obama’s FY 2010 budget request for VA homeless programs.
Note: On June 3rd, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans Affairs will hold a hearing on “A National Commitment to End Veterans’ Homelessness.”
NEW DATA SHOW JURISDICTIONAL EFFORTS TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS THROUGH 10 YEAR PLAN STRATEGIES ARE PROVIDING HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND DEMONSTRATING COST SAVINGS
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Massachusetts statewide pilot Housing First program for chronically homeless individuals data show a 67% decrease in annual health care costs per person after housing placement.
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Data from Seattle/ King County's WA 1811 Eastlake Housing First initiative demonstrates $4 million in savings.
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Sioux Falls/Minnehaha County, SD permanent supportive housing pilot for 20 individuals documents 50% decrease in per person costs for health care, detox, law enforcement, and other county services.
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RECOVERY ACT INCLUDES RESOURCES TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS
 On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This wide-ranging legislation included a number of provisions providing additional assistance and resources to states and communities to prevent and end homelessness. Key provisions are listed below:
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT:
Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Grants, $1.5 billion
Neighborhood Stabilization Program, $2 billion
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $1 billion
HOME, $2.250 billion to coordinate with Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Public Housing Capital Fund, $4 billion
Promoting HUD Assisted Housing Stability and Increased Energy Efficiency, $2.250 billion
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES:
Community Health Centers, $2 billion
Community Services Block Grant, $1 billion
Child Care and Development Block Grant, $2 billion
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
Education for Homeless Children and Youth, $70 million
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
Weatherization Assistance Program, $5 billion
FEMA:
Emergency Food and Shelter Program, $100 million
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE:
Violence Against Women Transitional Housing, $50 million
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR:
Employment and Training. $2.95 billion for WIA formula grants; $50 million for YouthBuild
Jobs Corps, $250 million
USDA (Department of Agriculture):
Rural Housing, $200 million will support over $11 billion in single family loans
Rural Community Facilities, $130 million to support over $1.2 billion in loans and grants
Emergency Food Assistance (Commodity), $150 million
SNAP (Food Stamps), 13.6% increase in benefits
TAX PROVISIONS INCLUDE:
"Making work Pay" Tax Credit
For 2009 and 2010, a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for working families. This tax credit is calculated at a rate of 6.2% of earned income, and phases out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly).
Economic Recovery Payment of $250 for social security, SSI, railroad retirement and disabled veteran compensation recipients
Unemployment Compensation Benefits
$25 weekly increase in unemployment benefits through 2009 and the up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for workers who've exhausted their regular 26 weeks of benefits will continue through December 31, 2009.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
For married couples filing a joint return, raises the beginning of the phase-out threshold by $1880 and also increases the value of the credit for working families with three or more children
Tax Incentive for hiring unemployed veterans and disconnected youth
Under current law, businesses are allowed to claim a work opportunity tax credit equal to 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages paid to employees of one of nine targeted groups. The new law creates two new targeted groups of prospective employees: (1) unemployed veterans; and (2) disconnected youth. An individual would qualify as an unemployed veteran if they were discharged or released from active duty from the Armed Forces during the five-year period prior to hiring and received unemployment compensation for more than four weeks during the year before being hired. An individual qualifies as a disconnected youth if they are between the ages of 16 and 25 and have not been regularly employed or attended school in the past 6 months.
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CREATING RESULTS THROUGH INNOVATION
Are you eager to learn how communities are achieving results in preventing and ending homelessness? The Council’s Innovation Series has answers for you! In 2008, our three-part Innovation Series put the spotlight on 33 far-ranging replicable efforts focused on our common mission to end homelessness. Beginning with our “20 innovations in 20 days” series in May, followed by the July “5 in 5” series, and concluding with our holiday “08 in 08” series, each innovation was profiled in a special edition of our e-newsletter
that identified the innovation and the innovator, how it works, who benefits, the results being achieved, and who to contact for more information.
Interested in learning how communities have created successful dedicated revenue streams?
You’ll want to read the five innovations we profiled in our July “5 in 5” series.
Interested in learning about successful veterans housing and reintegration strategies?
You’ll want to read Innovations 11, 13, and 20 in our May “20 in 20” series.
Are your homeless consumers challenged in their efforts to access programs and benefits by lack of identification?
You’ll want to read Innovation 7 from our “08 in 08” series and Innovation 3 in our “20 in 20” series.
Want to enhance the effectiveness of your downtown engagement and housing strategies?
Innovations 14 and 17 from our “20 in 20” series and Innovations 2, 4, and 6 in our latest “08 in 08” series will help you.
These are just a few of the subject areas covered in our 2008 Innovation Series, which together with other innovative ideas, can be found on our Innovations web page
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