Alliance Online News: Geography of Homelessness

Newsletters | 21 Jul 2009

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

July 21, 2009

POLICY | DATA + RESEARCH | TOOL + TRAINING | NEWS + MEDIA

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Editor: Amanda Krusemark

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Alliance Publishes Geography of Homelessness Brief

Last week, the Homelessness Research Institute, the research and communications arm of the Alliance, released the first in a series of briefs analyzing the geography of homelessness. This first brief looks at the extent to which homelessness exists in urban or rural areas. The administrative geography units that collect data on homelessness, Continua of Care (CoCs), were analyzed and classified into one of five categories on a spectrum ranging from completely rural to completely urban. The brief includes a breakdown of CoCs by category, as well as information on the extent to which homelessness exists in each category nationally. The brief also includes a link to an interactive map with information on homelessness by geographic type across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Next month, the Alliance will release Part II of the series, which will examine the differences in rates of homelessness by geography type.

Geography of Homelessness, Part I: Defining the Spectrum

Appropriations: House Committee Approves FY 2010 T-HUD Bill

On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee passed draft fiscal year (FY) 2010 legislation. The bill included a total of $47 billion for HUD. The full House may consider the legislation this week. The legislation approved by the committee included:

$1.85 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, $56 million above the President's request and $173 million above the FY 2009 level (an increase of 10.3 percent);
$18.2 billion for tenant-based rental assistance, $1.2 billion above FY 2009 and $406 million above President Obama's request;
$75 million for HUD-VASH vouchers, which would be $75 million above the Administration's request and level funding from FY 2009;
$8.7 billion for project-based rental assistance, an increase of $1.6 billion over FY 2009 and $600 million above the Administration's request;
$350 million for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), $40 million above both the President's request and the FY 2009 level;
$1 billion for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, which represents $235 million above FY 2009 and above the Administration's FY 2010 request;
$350 million for Section 811 Housing for People with a Disability, $100 million above both the Administration's request and the FY 2009 level;
$250 million for HOPE VI, $130 million above FY 2009 levels and equal to the amount requested by President Obama for a new Choice Neighborhood Initiative to replace and expand the HOPE VI program;
$4.6 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program, $700 million above the FY 2009 level;
$2.5 billion for the public housing Capital Fund, $256 million above the President's request and $50 million above FY 2009; and
$4.8 billion for the public housing Operating Fund, which is $200 million above the request and $345 million above the FY 2009 level.

More Information

WA State Releases Study on Adults Receiving Mental Health Services

A new study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy follows a cohort of adults receiving public mental health services in Washington State over a five-year period. The study found that only 6 percent received services monthly, 15 percent quarterly, 11 percent intermittently, and 69 percent exited care. During the study period, 13 percent of adults receiving mental health care experienced homelessness. This likely underestimates homeless episodes among the cohort because it does not capture homeless episodes among those who exited the mental health care system and did not return. The study also found that among intermittent mental health service users, 62 percent who had a prior conviction re-offended during the study period, 45 percent had a hospital admission, and 50 percent used emergency room for care. More than a quarter of those receiving intermittent mental health care had five or more emergency room visits during the study period. The report concludes that only one in five of those receiving intermittent mental health care reported living in private housing, an institution, or a residential setting throughout the duration of the study period.

Read the Full Report

Hill Update

House Debates Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act
Yesterday, July 20, the House debated H.R. 1675, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009. After debate, the vote on the legislation was postponed. The bill would reform the Section 811 program and help to address the enormous housing crisis faced by millions of extremely low-income people with disabilities. H.R. 1675 would also spur the creation of new Section 811 units. The legislation was introduced in March by Representative Chris Murphy (D-CT). The House may vote on the legislation under suspension of the rules today.

Appropriations: House Committee Approves FY 2010 Labor-HHS-Education Bill
Last Friday, July 17, the House Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year (FY) 2010 legislation. Among other allocations, the legislation included $68 million for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program as requested by the Administration, which represents $8 million above the FY 2009 level. It also included $2.2 billion for Community Health Centers, resulting in $191 million for Health Care for the Homeless program. It also included $15 million for the Second Chance Act to provide ex-offenders with substance abuse treatment services. The House legislation also provides $5.1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which represents level funding from FY 2009 but $1.9 billion more than the Administration requested. The full House may consider the legislation this week.

More Information

Appropriations: House Approves $19 M for PSH for DC
On July 16, the House passed the FY 2010 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill. This bill includes appropriations for the District of Columbia. The House approved $19.2 million for a new Housing First initiative to support permanent supportive housing programs in DC, as requested by President Obama. The legislation also met the Administration's request to include $5 million to help disconnected DC youth connect to positive school- and work-related activities.

National Conference on Ending Homelessness

The Alliance's annual National Conference on Ending Homelessness will be held July 29-31 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel. Please note that registration will close tonight, July 21, at midnight ET. During the conference, the Alliance will host a workshop entitled "Evaluating Your Advocacy and Communications Efforts." As public perception and the understanding of policy and direct service work become more and more relevant to the national discourse, so do the communications and advocacy efforts of our organizations. This workshop is an introductory session for those who would like to learn more about evaluating these critical elements of an organization's mission. Leslie Kerns of M+R Strategic Services and Ehren Reed of Innovation Network will be key speakers at this workshop.

Conference Website

HRC Hosts Webcast on Consumer Integration

On Thursday, July 23 at 12:00 pm ET, the Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) will host a free webcast focusing on next steps to recovery-oriented environments entitled, "Consumer Integration: Everyone is Talking about It, But How Do We Get It Done?" The webcast will highlight principles of recovery, as well as benefits and barriers to participating in consumer integration. Presenters will discuss how to create an agency plan for integration and how to take concrete steps toward it. Presenters will include Laura Prescott of Sister Witness International Inc.; Leah Harris, an author and national consultant; and Steven Samra with Operation Standdown.

HUD Posts FY 2009 HUD-VASH Allocations

On July 15, HUD announced the final allocations for more than 10,000 HUD-Veterans' Affairs (VA) Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers. The HUD-VASH program provides rental assistance vouchers to public housing agencies across the country. The public housing agencies work closely with VA Medical Centers to provide rent assistance, supportive services, and case management to homeless veterans. Under the FY 2009 allocation for HUD-VASH, HUD was able to provide 10,290 vouchers to public housing agencies.

View FY 2009 Allocations

ABOUT US
	The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, non profit organization dedicated to solving the problem of homelessness and preventing its continued growth. www.endhomelessness.org
Expert Q & A
	Take a five minute break from whatever you are doing to hear about emerging issues, new research, and personal stories from experts and leaders in homelessness and housing policy. This month's featured expert is Steve Hilton, President and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Take Five!
UPCOMING EVENTS
	July 29 - 31 \| Annual Conference

QUICK LINKS
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Alliance Online News: Geography of Homelessness

Newsletters | 21 Jul 2009

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

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