USICH Releases 2012 Amendment to Opening Doors, focusing on educational outcomes and youth
September 12, 2012
Today the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) officially submits the 2012 Amendment to Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. While we have been able to make progress in the fight to end homelessness, especially for our nation’s Veterans, we recognize that more work must be done across the board to provide support and stability for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This Amendment focuses on strengthening the objectives and strategies needed to end homelessness for families, youth and children by 2020. Specifically, this amendment addresses what is needed to improve the educational outcomes of children experiencing homelessness and adds specific steps that must be taken to prevent and end homelessness for unaccompanied youth.
The Amendment document is divided into two sections. The first is Improving Educational Outcomes for Children and Youth, which amends Objectives 5 and 2. The second is Meeting the Needs of Unaccompanied Youth, which amends Objective 8. Notably, this Amendment includes the work of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Homelessness and the preliminary research-based intervention model for unaccompanied youth, part of the new youth framework presented at the June 2012 Council Meeting. This Amendment will be formally presented to the Council at today's meeting, where it will be discussed along with the topic of family homelessness.
This Amendment should be viewed as part of a larger 2012 Update to Congress, which will also include the 2012 Annual Report. This Annual Report will include information on the progress made in the first two years implementing the objectives in Opening Doors, information on the nature and extent of homelessness, and federal resources needed to continue progress. This document will also include an Appendix detailing all Federal Government programs that serve those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The 2012 Annual Report to Congress will be submitted later this year.
