USICH Blog
September 2012 Archive
28/09/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - September 24-27
Unaccompanied Youth and the 2013 Point in Time Count
Communities are now beginning to think about their January 2013 Point in Time Count, especially as it relates to unaccompanied youth. For the first time as part of the new Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act guidelines, unaccompanied youth will be counted in the Point-in- Time count in every community across the country. To kick off this process, The National Alliance to End Homelessness will host a webinar on including Youth in the “Point-In-Time” (P.I.T.) Count on Thursday, October 4 from 1:30-3:00PM (EST).
Also discussing both the full Point in Time count as well as the upcoming Housing Inventory Count, HUD is putting on a webinar on Tuesday, October 2 from 3:30-4:30 EDT. This will cover all the new requirements for communities conducting these counts, which includes information on ensuring more youth are counted in January 2013.
25/09/2012 - NLIHC Releases New Report on Renters in Foreclosure
Today, NLIHC (National Low Income Housing Coalition) released the report Renters in Foreclosure: A Fresh Look at an Ongoing Problem. The report builds 
on its 2009 report Renters in Foreclosure: Defining the Problem, Identifying Solutions,which found that renters comprised 40 percent of the families facing foreclosures of their homes. This number remains the same in 2012, representing a three-fold increase in the number of American renters who are affected by foreclosure. Specifically, the report also takes a historical look at the ways the early stages of the foreclosure crisis disproportionately affected high-poverty areas. African-American neighborhoods still experience a disproportionate number of foreclosures, especially in the multi-family sector.
20/09/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - September 17-21
VA Announces Awards for GPD Programs, Highlighting Programs Using the Transition in Place Model 
The Department of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs announced awardees of funds to implement transitional housing programs through VA's Grant and Per Diem program. $28.4 million was awarded to fund 38 projects in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Notably, 31 of 38 awardees committed to using the "Transition in Place" model, which allows Veterans to take over the lease of their unit instead of moving out when they have gained stability. This model creates continuity for Veterans as they stabilize their lives and ensures they have a permanent residence after receiving VA services in substance use disorder and mental health treatment. Traditional transitional housing programs require Veterans to move out of their unit after 24 months. Once the lease transitions to the Veterans name, the Veteran stays connected to VA support services to ensure ongoing needs are met to sustain a healthy lifestyle and benefit receipt when they take over the lease.
17/09/2012 - Helping PHAs End Homelessness through Supportive Housing
Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer powerful resources for very vulnerable populations, making them critical partners for ending(1).jpg)
homelessness. That’s why CSH is proud to present a great new resource for PHAs and other stakeholders interested in pursuing supportive housing in their communities. Online now at csh.org/phatoolkit, this new resource provides tools, examples and advice for PHAs venturing into or expanding work in supportive housing.
14/09/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - September 10-14
The biggest event of this week was our quarterly Council meeting, which was held on Wednesday at the Department of Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD). The focus of this meeting was on the ways states and communities can best use mainstream resources, like school programs, public housing resources, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), woven with targeted homelessness resources to make progress. USICH Chair and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was joined by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service Wendy Spencer, Luke Tate from the Domestic Policy Council, and key representatives from 18 member agencies.
Learn more about what we heard at the meeting
10/09/2012 - Medicaid: Ensuring Full Expansion & Assertive Outreach in all States
Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act allows states to expand Medicaid to most people earning at or below 133% of the federal poverty
level (FPL), which is about $14,856 a year for an individual and $25,390 for a family of three in 2012. (To their credit, some states have gone ahead and expanded early.) This provision helps unify the current “categories” of Medicaid, where very low income children, pregnant women, adults who can prove a permanent disability, and parents in some states are eligible for Medicaid, but those without a proven disability or dependent children are not—creating a significant disparity in access to care among those at the lowest income levels. A recent Urban Institute analysis found 15 million uninsured adults will now be eligible for Medicaid, which would allow them access to the health care services needed in order to treat and manage chronic illnesses, prevent new health conditions from developing, and protect against financial ruin due to inability to pay medical bills.
07/09/2012 - What We’re Talking About: The Week at USICH - September 4-7
What We're Talking About is a weekly column from USICH Communications on the topics and issues in the news and on our minds. Topics range from international and national conferences, news from around 
the country, innovative work to highlight, and more. We look forward to catching you up news you may have missed and connect you to articles and resources.
Family Homelessness, Children and Educational Challenges
For many children across the United States this week marked the first week back to school. For children experiencing homelessness, the first week back to school could be filled with hope for a new beginning and certainly many challenges. This week the People’s Emergency Center in West Philadelphia was highlighted in their local media, one of the many organizations across the country serving children headed back to school who do not have a stable home.
06/09/2012 - A New Way to Invest in Solutions: Social impact bonds and Homelessness
Several pilot programs in the United States have recently begun using social impact bonds, or Pay-For-Success bonds, to finance 
initiatives aimed at solving entrenched social problems like homelessness. First implemented in the United Kingdom, social impact bonds are an innovative way that some American cities can work with established private and non-profit partners to create real change. So what are social impact bonds and what are the new projects in the United States that use this model of financing?
Social impact bonds (SIBs), or pay-for-success bonds, are a new financial instrument that utilizes the typical structure of a municipal bond, where bonds are used to procure funds from private sector investors who are then paid back with interest if the project can achieve required outcome targets. As distinct from municipal bonds, SIBs invest in social innovation programs that range in focus from the justice system to homelessness and can therefore be used to incentivize change in both public and nonprofit systems working on these issues.
04/09/2012 - New Research on Who Applies for and Receives Mainstream Rental Assistance
The Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs are the largest sources of rental assistance for low-income households in the U.S. Unfortunately, these programs are not funded adequately to serve all, or even most, eligible applicants. As a result, families often spend years waiting to be offered assistance. New research provides a more detailed picture of who applies for and receives rental assistance, and their housing conditions while waiting to receive assistance.
