• Spotlight on budget: Permanent Supportive Housing!

  February 09, 2010

  Last week's budget recommendations included a pleasant surprise for permanent supportive housing advocates: 10,000 new homeless and special needs vouchers specifically focused on building collaboration between federal agencies. It's a welcome sign that the Obama administration is willing to invest in real, practical solutions to homelessness.Permanent supportive housing is a proven solution to chronic homelessness; it's a paradigm shift we've been working on here at the Alliance for years, so it's really exciting to hear the federal government speaking our language:Stable housing is the foundation upon which all else in a family’s or individual’s life is built--absent a safe, affordable place to live, it is next to impossible to achieve good health, positive educational outcomes, or reach one’s full economic potential.Here's what's special about this initiative:Targeting mainstream supports to homeless people: The program could be a catalyst for learning how to target programs like Medicaid and substance abuse treatment to homeless individuals. Since these systems are frequently used by chronically homeless individuals and permanent supportive housing cuts down on use of services, it just makes sense for these agencies to figure out how best to work together.A "silo-busting" alignment of resources: The program represents a move toward interagency collaboration. Take a child whose family is in shelter: not only would the program provide her family with a housing voucher, but it would also connect them with income support such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), funded by the Department of Health and Human Services. What's more, homeless liaisons from the Department of Education might help identify the family before they became homeless and work to keep them housed.As we blog, Congress is making its way through the budget and appropriations process (or at least, they would be if the District wasn't paralyzed by snow...). We think the initiative has enormous potential, so we'll keep you informed as the program makes it's way toward the final federal budget.... Read More »
• Friday News Roundup: Everybody's talking budget

  February 05, 2010

  This week, it's all about the budget. The president's recommendations for fiscal year 2011 came out on Monday, and bloggers and organizations have spent this week responding.On the HUD blog, Secretary Shaun Donovan summarizes what's in the president's proposed budget for housing. We're particularly excited about a new initiative that will provide 10,000 vouchers for supportive housing and encourage collaboration between departments. (Stay tuned for more on this program.) Plus, Secretary Donovan is talking about using "housing as a platform for improving quality of life"! That sounds like progress.Elsewhere in the blogosphere, the 13th juror points out that the budget includes some painful cuts in housing for the disabled and the elderly and Open House stresses the innovative affordable housing programs that are included.The National Low Income Housing Coalition's response to the proposed budget highlighted the $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, but there's more to it says President Sheila Crowley: "We are grateful that the HUD budget was spared the cuts to domestic discretionary programs that are included in the overall budget. Nonetheless, essentially flat funding for HUD this year is insufficient given the high demand for housing assistance as a result of the recession."Around here, we're also talking about how we can impact the budget process. Check out yesterday's post about how you can get involved in our McKinney-Vento Appropriations campaign, which will increase federal funding for homelessness services. And then do it!Life goes... Read More »
• Friday News Roundup: Family Homelessness

  December 04, 2009

  So today, the Alliance had a Congressional Briefing on Family Homelessness. I've never been to one of these myself (at least, not one hosted by the Alliance) so I wasn't sure what to expect - but things clarified about ten minutes into the briefing.It was a reasonably packed room - no place to sit for the whole staff, and we invited speakers from all over the country to discuss state, community, and local solutions to end homelessness among families.So here's where we start: family homelessness is a problem.That's been clear for a while now. News reports have (as of late) fixated on student homelessness - and while youth homelessness is nothing less than a critical problem - there's usually an entire family there that deserves our attention. Authors of the latest Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will argue that family homelessness is up 4 percent from 2007 - 2008 (that's the latest data we have).The numbers are fuzzy, but between unemployment and poverty rates, enrollment in social services, use of food stamps, and other indicators - it's pretty clear that need is up.At our briefing, I had the privilege to listen to three representatives from three states:Bob Pulster, of the MA Department of Housing and Community Development;Kay Moshier McDivitt of the Lancaster County Coalition to End Homelessness in PA;Kathy Wahto, of the Serenity House of... Read More »
• Roundup of Helpful HPRP Resources

  October 26, 2009

  HUD has recently posted several resources to help communities implement their HPRP programs. The resources include: Case studies of seven communities that have implemented homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing programs similar to those that can be funded through HPRP: The HomeBase prevention program in New York City The Ohio Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot Chicago's Housing Locator program The Family Housing Collaborative and rapid re-housing program in Columbus, OH Hennepin County's rapid re-housing program, Rapid Exit Shelter to Independent Living, a prevention program in Lancaster, PA The Rural Homeless Initiative of Southeast and Central Ohio A guide to designing and delivering financial assistance, including rental assistance A description of the role of case management in preventing homelessness and in rapidly returning homeless individuals and families to housing stability, including specific information about case management within HPRP and useful information for system planners Strategies for connecting HPRP with mainstream workforce programs A presentation of HUD's vision for HPRP Several resources to assist with documentation and certification, including a Habitability Standards Checklist and description of HPRP unit inspection requirements, and tools to assist with income and housing status determination A sample sub-recipient agreement These resources and others can be found in the HPRP Resource Library on HUD's Homelessness Resource Exchange. Please note that these resources are posted to HUD's Homelessness Resource Exchange, and they come with the following disclaimer: All peer-to-peer resources shared on www.HUDHRE.info have been provided by the community... Read More »
• Notes from Nan: The Healthcare-Homelessness Connection

  October 19, 2009

  Happy Monday, everyone! In case you didn't catch it, we're posting Nan Roman's Huffington Post blog on here, entitled "the Healthcare-Homelessness Connection," - a look into how the current health care debate is affected by homelessness, and vice versa. The Healthcare-Homelessness Connection While health care reform is being hotly debated across the nation, one of the groups most likely to be affected by reform has been characteristically silent: people who are homeless. It's a common misconception that everybody living in poverty is eligible for Medicaid -- in truth, there are many poor people who are not currently eligible for Medicaid. Non-disabled, childless adults -- even those with health problems -- are often not eligible. The same applies to mothers with health conditions whose children have been placed in foster care, and young adults aging out of the foster care system. In fact, a 1996 nationwide study of homelessness found that only 25 percent of homeless single adults were enrolled in Medicaid. It's not always easy to see, but homelessness and health care have a clear -- and cyclical -- relationship: poor health can lead to homelessness, and homelessness can aggravate poor health. And both can be a burden on our health care system. Many people become homeless due to a lack of health care. Untreated illnesses can lead to disability and job loss -- and unemployment remains one of the leading causes of homelessness. It's worth noting here that the leading cause... Read More »
• Data + Research: Video Fact Sheet

  October 06, 2009

  Hello, everyone! Apologies for the hiatus over the last week. But today, we make it up to you by launching our very first video fact sheet. A lot of times, we get asked this question: How many homeless people are there? And while that may seem like a simple question to answer, it’s actually more complicated than it seems. It’s not easy to count homeless people, so there are a lot of estimates. It depends on how you define “homelessness”. It depends on the groups you’re interested in – most people think of single adult men when they picture homelessness, but there are also families and children and veterans. There’s also different methodology – the Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that all communities count homeless persons in their area every other year, but people count in different ways, so the number should account for that. And we get variations of the question, too. How many people are homeless in a specific community? How many people who are homeless have a serious disorder? How many people are disabled? How many are youth? How many qualify for federal assistance – and of those, who’s accessing federal assistance? So it’s actually a pretty complicated answer – and sometimes it can be hard to understand. But luckily for you, the director of the Homelessness Research Institute – M William Sermons – put together this great video fact sheet explaining the numbers in an easy, understandable way... Read More »
• HMIS Data in Minnesota

  September 28, 2009

  Today, we have a great guest post from our friends in Minnesota. It discusses data, and the importance of that data in approaching homelessness effectively and responsibly. As a member of our own Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the importance of good, solid data is something I’ve learned very, very well. Hope you get the message too. Between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008, nearly 13,000 people stayed in the emergency shelter and transitional housing programs that participate in Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), according to a recent report from Wilder Research. HMIS participating organizations have about 3,400 beds per night designated for people experiencing homelessness, about 57 percent of the state’s total capacity. The report, Homeless Service Use in Minnesota: Emergency shelter and transitional housing, federal fiscal year 2008 provides numbers and characteristics of people who reside in HMIS-participating emergency and transition housing. It uses aggregated data submitted annually to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. A companion report presents detailed tables for each of Minnesota’s 13 HUD-related ‘Continuum of Care’(CoC) regions. (As we’ve discussed on this blog before, a CoC is the administrative unit in charge homeless programs.) Minnesota has among the highest AHAR participation rates in the county. In addition to strengthening HUD’s report and providing useful information at the local level, high AHAR participation helps secure funding for homeless programs throug... Read More »
• Friday: News Roundup! the NOFA

  September 25, 2009

  Today, a post from Amanda Krusemark, assistant to the President and a jane-of-all-trades member of the staff. The news: HUD released the NOFA today, which may seem insignificant to many, but often represents a large percentage of homeless assistance funding for many communities. The big news today is that Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) finally released the 2009 CoC NOFA. In homeless industry talk a NOFA is a Notice of Funding Availability. It let folks across the country know that the application for federal funds is available. Specifically, the NOFA explains the pertinent details, including how much money is available, who is eligible, what the funds can be used for, and how to complete an application for funding. In essence, the NOFA is the siren call for service providers to apply for federal funding. This particular NOFA is a pretty big deal for homeless service providers, because it covers the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance programs. As we’ve discussed before, the McKinney-Vento programs represent the largest chunk of federal funds dedicated solely to homeless programs. Applying for these funds is one of the biggest jobs that Continuums of Care (CoC) – the official administrative unit in charge of homeless programs - do all year, because these funds will be often be the biggest single funding sources for homeless programs for the year. We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) and other stimu... Read More »
• New Rules for Homeless Assistance Programs

  September 22, 2009

  We're heard though the grapevine that some people are a little confused - and a little worried - by the new Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act, a.k.a. the HEARTH Act. There seem to be some question about what, exactly, this legislation will do and how it will affect local direct service providers. Below, our senior policy analyst Norm Suchar has some answers. Take it away, Norm! One of the major homelessness policy debates over the past 2 decades has been about updating the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) homeless assistance programs. After years of debates and several false starts, Congress passed a bill called the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act, a.k.a. the HEARTH Act. It was signed by President Obama on May 20, 2009. The HEARTH Act makes mostly evolutionary changes to homeless assistance, although some of the changes are more substantial. The changes go into effect in about two years. Here are some of the highlights. 1. The HEARTH Act focuses much more on preventing homelessness. Currently federal homeless assistance programs don't fund many prevention programs. Because of the HEARTH Act, there will be a lot more homelessness prevention, particularly for helping people when they get behind on the rent or when they have a dispute with a landlord. 2. There is a greater focus on helping families with children move into their own housing. Families are typically homeless for... Read More »
• Data + Research: Geography of Homelessness, Part Two

  September 11, 2009

  This month, we continue to the ongoing Geography of Homelessness series with an issue about the prevalence of homelessness in rural and urban areas. The Alliance began the Geography of Homelessness series to investigate the popular concept of urban homelessness (and to make use of new homeless information collected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development). The Alliance began be defining all existing Continuums of Care (CoC) into one of five categories: rural, mostly rural, mixed, mostly urban, and urban. After defining each of the CoCs, we counted up how many were rural, how many were urban, how many were mixed, etc. Ultimately, we concluded - as is explained by the first issue of the Geography series - that 77 percent of those people who were experiencing homelessness were doing so in an urban environment. In this second issue, we look into the prevalence of homelessness in each of these area types. While it is popularly accepted homelessness tends to be an urban phenomenon, it is also widely known that rural areas have higher rates of poverty, deep poverty, and other characteristics that are commonly associated with homelessness. We try to reconcile these two ideas in this second issue of the Geography series. The Alliance calculated the rate of homelessness in all the CoCs, counting the number of people experiencing homelessness per 10,000 people in the community. The Alliance found while the two communities with the highest rates of homelessness were... Read More »
• Secretary Donovan video - Annual Conference remarks

  September 08, 2009

  At long last, the video of Secretary Donovan at the Alliance's Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness. Below, please find the text of the remarks below. More videos from the conference are forthcoming! Thank you, Nan - for that introduction, for your remarkable leadership with the Alliance, and, above all, for the bedrock commitment to end homelessness you have impressed upon five different HUD Secretaries. I look forward to continuing our work together. I want to also thank your board, particularly Co-Chairs Susan Baker and Mike Lowry. And I want to note the HUD team here helping us address homelessness - Mark Johnston, our Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs, and Ann Oliva, who heads up our Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs. And of course, many of you know Fred Karnas - Fred is a senior adviser and has been critical in our Recovery Act efforts, including working with Mark and Ann quickly distributing the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing funds that so many of you made possible. Will all of you stand up? I want to also acknowledge the work of the Pete Dougherty, the interim executive director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the USICH staff, many of whom are here today. But most of all, I want to thank everyone in this room who labor day in and day out to help the millions of men, women, and children in our nation who experience homelessness. In... Read More »
• A little clarification re: Michael German

  September 01, 2009

  It seems that there was a bit of a flurry yesterday in response to a Washington Post article profiling Michael German, a long-time employee of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). So, responsible community members that we are, we poked around a bit and talked tthe Partnership for Public Service (co-authors of the article in question), as well as the press office at HUD to verify the facts. Turns out, there's no news to report. Michael German is NOT the new Director of ICH but remains a steadfast and valuable employee. So we continue to wait for an announcement...... Read More »
• Ending Homelessness with HPRP: An Introduction

  August 26, 2009

  It's an interesting time to be working on ending homelessness. The economy is terrible and creating havoc for a lot of people. Rising unemployment tends to lead to more homelessness – and this recession has had a lot of unemployment. At the same time, there are some opportunities to make progress. Congress passed an almost $800 billion economic stimulus bill in the spring: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It includes $1.5 billion Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). This summer, HUD gave HPRP grants to all 50 states and about 500 cities, counties, and territories. The three-year grants ranged from about $500,000 for smaller cities to $74 million for New York City. These local governments will pass on most of their funds to nonprofit organizations to provide several types of financial assistance and services with the goal of preventing homelessness or helping somebody who has become homeless move into an apartment. Here are some examples of what HPRP will be funding: Financial Assistance: Up to 18 months of rental assistance, including up to six months of overdue rent; Up to 18 months of utility assistance; Moving costs; and Rental or utility deposits; Services: Housing search assistance including help finding apartments and negotiating with landlords; Case management; Help applying for and coordinating other services such as employment, child care, etc. Legal services; and Credit repair services. There is strong evidence that when done smartly, these kinds of programs can reduce homelessness. You can see some examples in this n... Read More »
• Five Things I Learned at the Annual Conference

  August 03, 2009

  It's August 3, 2009 - the Monday after the National Conference on Ending Homelessness in Washington, D.C. The staff is back, almost recharged (Mondays are hard), and going over the last few days. Here's how it broke down: 1200+ participants from across the country; Almost 250 speakers sharing about housing strategies, best practices, and the newest data; 62 workshops about matters ranging from housing, federal policy, best practices, and communications; Six remarkable keynote speakers, including HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, White House Director of Urban Affairs Policy Adolfo Carrion, Jr., Senator Jack Reed, and a very boisterous account from Congressman Al Green. This was my first conference - and I was overwhelmed with the response of the attendees. I learned a lot, but highlights included: 1. There are a LOT of us! The fervor and passion and drive of service providers, policymakers, and advocates from far and wide was a moving testament to the goodwill that still exists in all of us - even in these trying economic times. More than once I heard of organizations "breaking the bank" so that their partners could benefit from our conference. We're very touched - and much obliged. 2. We're making some noise. This was my first opportunity to see the new HUD Secretary live and in-person, and his carefully thought-out address may not have alleviated all my worries - but it did let me know that the federal government hasn't turned a deaf ear to those most in need.... Read More »
• Annual Conference - Secretary Donovan's remarks

  July 30, 2009

  Prepared Remarks for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Annual Conference Renaissance Hotel Washington, D.C. Thursday, July 30th, 2009 Thank you, Nan - for that introduction, for your remarkable leadership with the Alliance, and, above all, for the bedrock commitment to end homelessness you have impressed upon five different HUD Secretaries. I look forward to continuing our work together. I want to also thank your board, particularly Co-Chairs Susan Baker and Mike Lowry. And I want to note the HUD team here helping us address homelessness - Mark Johnston, our Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs, and Ann Oliva, who heads up our Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs. And of course, many of you know Fred Karnas - Fred is a senior adviser and has been critical in our Recovery Act efforts, including working with Mark and Ann quickly distributing the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing funds that so many of you made possible. Will all of you stand up? I want to also acknowledge the work of the Pete Dougherty, the interim executive director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the USICH staff, many of whom are here today. But most of all, I want to thank everyone in this room who labor day in and day out to help the millions of men, women, and children in our nation who experience homelessness. In the best of times,... Read More »
• Annual Conference - Day Two

  July 30, 2009

  The Secretary's entourage and his security detail came by at 7 a.m. today. Herds of the 1200+ attendees of the conference mingled around the doors of the ballroom for a half hour to get a peek of the Secretary. The day began in a VERY exciting way! And just after 8 a.m. - Secretary Shaun Donovan himself. His remarks were inspiring and thoughtful: an emphasis on creating more affordable housing, the relationship between health care reform and the homeless, a persistent theme of the moral responsibility of our country to care for the least among us. The necessity of cooperation between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's Department of Health and Human Services in providing services + housing for the homeless. It was everything that the audience needed to hear: a federal promise to keep investing in preventing and ending homelessness. It's no wonder he got a standing ovation. We'll be posting the Secretary's remarks shortly, keep an eye out on our blog and website. But for the time being, a few pics. Next up - in under an hour! - new White House Director of Urban Affairs Policy: Adolfo Carrion. ... Read More »
• Annual Conference - End of Day One

  July 29, 2009

  Whew! That was an incredible day - opening session with Nan Roman, followed by roughly 25 different workshops until about 5 p.m. We're just about to start the fun part - reception! - after a very productive day of presentations, panels, and exchanging ideas. I personally attended a workshop about data (with Dennis Culhane!) and one about prevention techniques (with VERY engaging speakers Matt White of Ohio and Mellisa Mowery of New York). HPRP must've been the word of the day, cuz that second workshop had about 150 people in with seats filled and people standing around the edges! Tomorrow features Secretary Donovan, new White House Director on Urban Affairs Policy Adolfo Carrion, 75 more workshops, and a ton of other information. I'll post reception pictures later! Until then, some workshop pics. ... Read More »
• Annual Conference - Day One

  July 29, 2009

  It's a rushed, wonderful blur! Usability testing was a pretty good success - almost met our goal of 12 tests. Gave away starbucks and free t-shirts - gotta keep people motivated! Met Ms. Florida - rachael todd - at the conference! She wants to be the public face of ending homelessness. Was TOTALLY sweet and very very beautiful. Just got off the phone with c-span, who might come to carry Secretary Donovan's remarks and also remarks by Adolfo Carrion. Cross your fingers - that would be awesome! Took a few initial pics - will share shortly!... Read More »
• Data + Research: Geography of Homelessness

  July 16, 2009

  There's been a lot - a pretty hefty amount - of data collected about the size of the homeless population. I mean, we really have to had it to HUD; there's been a concerted effort to make sure we have as much information as possible about this social problem. Less is known, however, about where that population is. Where are they? Where do they sleep? Are they able to access services? Do we really have an accurate count? So here, at the Alliance, we've been taking a good, hard look at geography. Geography is important. Just ask people about redlining and redistricting and public school systems. It’s why people look for apartments and houses in particular neighborhoods. It’s one reason there are so many people in NYC and SF and LA. And it’s no less important to the homeless. Homelessness is often painted as an urban phenomenon, but we know there are homeless people in suburban and rural areas – and we’re fairly sure that they’re experience is different than that of their big city counterparts because of their geography. But just to be super-sure, we’ve launched: the Geography of Homelessness! In this monthly series, we’re answering the following questions (not necessarily in this order): Do rural areas have different rates of homelessness than other areas? How do aspects of homeless systems assistance (e.g. funding, beds) vary by geography? Have certain geographic types (e.g. rural, sub... Read More »
• Understanding the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs

  July 15, 2009

  So last week I did something new – the release of the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), so I thought this week I’d do something old: the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistant Act. The LAWMAKERS The McKinney-Vento Act was authored by Stewart Brett McKinney – a Republican Congressman from Connecticut – and Bruce Frank Vento – a Democratic-Farm-Labor Congressman from Minnesota, both of whom were known to their peers as advocates of those less fortunate, and dedicated to finding supportive programs and solutions to homelessness. The bill was signed by President Ronald Reagan, who – ironically - is often accused of contributing to modern-day homelessness by deinstitutionalizing mental health facilities in the 1980s. The POLICY The McKinney-Vento Act was a comprehensive, multi-faceted bill that: Established the Interagency Council on Homelessness, a group of representatives from 15 federal agencies charged to design a comprehensive approach to reduce, prevent, and end homelessness in the country, and Created 20 assistance programs administered by nine federal agencies providing a spectrum of services to homeless people, including supportive housing, emergency shelter, emergency food and shelter grants, rental assistance, job training and education, etc. The original text of the bill firmly establishes that homelessness is a growing social problem that can be addressed by the federal assistance. I found it particularly interesting that they wrote, “the problem of homelessness has become more severe and, in the absence of more effective efforts, is expected to become dramatically worse, endangering the lives and safety of the homeless; the... Read More »

‹ First  < 2 3 4 5 >