USICH Blog
December 2012 Archive
21/12/2012 - Social Media Wrap up December 21, 2012
Social Media Wrap up
Today is National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Each year since 1990, on or near the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB), and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) has co-sponsored National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who have paid the ultimate price. Events will occur all over the country.
Learn more about this day and how you can get involved here.
17/12/2012 - Integration of Services and Housing: an International Perspective
I recently participated in an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consultation on the topic of Integrated Services 
and Housing Consultation.
Participants came from across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and the US.
US participants included:
Dennis Culhane University of Pennsylvania
Deborah Desantis Corporation for Supportive Housing
Richard Frank Harvard University
Jennifer Harwood U.S. Department of State
Donald Moulds U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Debra Rog WESTAT
Nan Roman National Alliance to End Homelessness
Robyn Stone Leading Age
Roseanne Haggerty Community Solutions
David Wertheimer Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
While homelessness wasn't the sole focus, a substantial part of the two day meeting focused on research, policy, and practices related to homelessness. In addition to those issues, there was discussion around the importance of the integration of services and housing for the aging population, those with mental health and substance abuse disorders, and families with children.
14/12/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - December 10 - 14
Today, we released the latest USICH newsletter coveringthe December Council meeting that took place this past Tuesday at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Housing & Urban Development’s 2012 PIT Count release, our Youth Count! Initiative, HEARTH resources, and 2013 PIT guidance and resources.
In addition to our newsletter, we put out quite a few resources and information through our social media this week. Here are a few of them.
HUD releases 2012 PIT Count Estimates
On Monday, HUD released the 2012 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count estimates of homelessness. The numbers show that homelessness remained steady this past year, but the numbers also document a 7% decrease in Veterans and chronic homelessness.
11/12/2012 - An Important Message from HUD: Recruiting Volunteers for your PIT Data Collection
The 2013 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count at the end of January is an important time for communities across the country to collect the most accurate data on those of all ages experiencing homelessness in America.
Accurately collecting data and using it to drive performace is a critical component to a community's progress in their plans to end homelessness. Below is a message from HUD on the 2013 PIT Count:
via HUD's OneCPD
As we get closer to the 2013 Point-in-Time (PIT) count HUD wanted to inform communities that we are reaching out to several Federal partners and other organizations to encourage greater coordination and involvement. HUD is encouraging volunteers to contact their CoC Primary Contacts to learn how to assist with the PIT and other opportunities in their communities. CoCs should take the time to ensure that their contact information on HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE) is current. If the CoC contact information needs to be updated, please submit a Virtual Help Desk question on the HRE to make the appropriate change. HUD asks that each CoC prepare ahead of time to know how to utilize the services of volunteers.
07/12/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - December 3 - 7
FY2012 CoC Competition moving forward
The FY2012 CoC Competition is on many of our minds. With the recently released NOFA, changes made to the HEARTH Act, and navigating the first competition under the Interim Rule, the environment surrounding the FY2012 CoC Competition is dynamic. To help FY2012 CoC Competition applicants navigate the environment and competition, here are a few resources we have compiled and put out through social media this week:
HUD resources on the FY2012 Coc Competition, including an Interim Rule Guide and Fact Sheet & webinars. Check them out here.
Join USICH for a webinar on Monday, December 10 from 2-3PM (EST) that will include additional information for communities as they think strategically through their CoC application. Register here.
Join HUD for its webinar, CoC Program: Understanding the Role of the Collaborative Applicant on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Register here.
05/12/2012 - All About HEARTH: A Webinar from USICH December 10 and more resources
The HEARTH Act enacted by Congress in 2009 is, in many ways, a game changer. It gave the federal government the charge to create the first federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, setting
forth the vision that no one in this country should be without a safe and stable place to call home. Perhaps most importantly, HEARTH moves governments and local stakeholders from a focus on individual program outcomes to a focus on how all programs work as a system to achieve results for an entire community. This strong statement made by the federal government foregrounds the work of implementing the HEARTH Act in communities across the country.
The HEARTH Act and the ways it seeks to improve a community’s response to homelessness has come into an even sharper focus in the recent weeks, as the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for FY 2012 Continuum of Care (CoC) program was released and communities are working on their CoC program applications. In an effort to assist these communities,our most recent newsletter released in November focused on the HEARTH Act; specifically, what the HEARTH Act means for communities, important things to know about the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program NOFA and federal resources to help communities navigate new elements of the HEARTH Act.
