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Alliance Early Conference Registration Closes Friday!
The Alliance's annual National Conference on Ending
Homelessness will be held July 29-31 at the
Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel. Please note
that early registration will close this Friday,
May 29. Take advantage of the reduced early
registration rate of $450 by registering for the
conference by midnight ET on May
29.
The conference will feature significant content about
utilizing the new Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds. HPRP
topics to be covered include:
- Creating a shelter diversion program;
- Creating and improving homelessness prevention
programs;
- Creating a rapid re-housing program;
- Using HPRP in rural areas;
- Homeless systems transformation;
- Contracts, oversight, and timeliness; and
- Coordinating with mainstream and Recovery Act
programs.
Speakers will present best practices in prevention and
re-housing and use training materials being
developed by technical assistance providers for
HPRP.
Alliance Co-Hosts Webinar on Harm Reduction in Health Centers
On Wednesday, June 3 at 2:00 pm ET, the Alliance
and the National Health Care for the Homeless
Council will co-host a webinar on harm reduction
strategies within Health Care for the Homeless
clinics. Adopting a harm reduction approach can be
controversial, but communities across the country
have found it to be an effective strategy to engage
vulnerable persons into primary care, behavioral
health, and other stabilizing services, including
housing.
Panelists will include Ed Stellon, Director of Resource
and Community Development for the Heartland
Alliance in Chicago, IL; Jan Caughlan, Director of
Mental Health and Social Work for the Health Care for
the Homeless in Baltimore, MD; and Miriam
Komaromy, Medical Director of Albuquerque Health
Care for the Homeless in Albuquerque, NM. The
discussion will be moderated by Adrienne
Breidenstine, Health Policy Organizer for the National
Health Care for the Homeless Council in Baltimore,
MD.
Webinar participants are eligible to receive one
Continuing Education (CE) credit. For more
information on how to do so and to register for this for
webinar, click here. Upon registering, you will be sent
an email with instructions for joining the webinar.
HRC Hosts Webinar on Working with LGBTQ Homeless Youth
Next Wednesday, May 27 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm ET,
the Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) will host
a free webcast entitled "The First Step is an Open
Mind: Best Practices for Working with Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning (LGBTQ)
Youth." Presenters will provide an overview of issues
facing LGBTQ homeless youth and discuss the
implementation of best practice recommendations
recently released by the Alliance. Speakers will
include Richard Hooks Wayman, Senior Youth Policy
Analyst for the Alliance, and Carl Siciliano, Executive
Director of the Ali Forney Center. The webcast is
geared toward direct service providers, outreach
workers, case managers, peer support specialists,
project directors, and team leaders.
Hill Update
President Signs Foreclosure Legislation into
Law
Last Wednesday, May 20, President Obama signed S.
896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of
2009, into law. Both chambers of Congress gave final
approval to S. 896 on May 19. In addition to the
inclusion of the HEARTH Act, S. 896 will also provide
protections to renters living in foreclosed homes.
Under the new law, renters with leases will be
permitted to remain in their homes. For renters with
month-to-month leases, banks are required to provide
at least 90 days notice prior to eviction. These
protections for renters go into effect immediately.
Donovan Testifies at SEVRA Hearing for
House Financial Services Committee
Last Thursday, May 21, HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan testified before the House Financial Services
Committee about the draft version of the Section 8
Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) that is being offered
by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) is currently
circulating among House Members. He discussed
the
draft SEVRA in relation to the Section 8 funding
formula, inspections, rent and income changes,
administrative fees, and the Moving-to-Work program.
To watch a recording of the hearing, read his written
testimony, and view a copy of the discussion draft of
SEVRA, click here.
Congress in Recess This
Week
Congress is out of session this week for the Memorial
Day holiday. Lawmakers will return on Monday, June
1.
Deadline Extended for Survey on SAMHSA Grant Application Experience
Recently, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) put out two
requests for applications for two targeted homeless
grant programs. The Alliance has created a brief
survey to solicit feedback on this process. Through the
survey, the Alliance hopes to gain insight from the
many homeless mental health and substance use
treatment service providers who applied for or
considered applying for these funds. Further, this
survey provides the opportunity to evaluate SAMSHA's
online resources and their usefulness. The Alliance
will compile this information and give it to SAMHSA
and the Department of Health and Human Services to
inform future grant opportunities and resource
development. The deadline for this survey has been
extended to Friday, June 5.
Street Soccer USA to Host 2009 Soccer Cup
This summer, Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) will host its
annual Street Soccer USA Cup on July 31 to August 2
at the Washington Kastles World Tennis Team
Stadium in Washington, D.C. SSUSA is a non-profit
organization that works with homeless services
providers to use the power of sports to enhance
existing services and to pioneer new opportunities
connecting homeless youth and adults. The SSUSA
Cup 2009 will occur the same week as the Alliance's
Annual Conference and will take place directly across
the street from the conference venue, the
Renaissance Hotel. This national event will feature
16 teams from across the country and will culminate
in the selection of the U.S. National Team to represent
the U.S. at the 56 Nation Homeless World Cup in
Milan, Italy in September.
Admission is free. To register to volunteer or to
attend, click here. For further
information, please contact Jeremy M. Goldberg, COO
of Street Soccer USA, at
jeremy@streetsoccerusa.org or 202-577-6322.
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