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Spotlight On...
Alliance Publishes Its First Video Fact Sheet
Today, the Alliance released its first video fact sheet, "Understanding the Data." This video tutorial provides an overview of homelessness data and statistics. In the video, M William Sermons, Director of Research for the Homelessness Research Institute at the Alliance, reviews the answers to many of the most common questions on data. These include how many total people are homeless, how many families are homeless, how homelessness rates have changed over recent years, and other common questions about homelessness statistics. The video fact sheet also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the data, where it originates, and how the Alliance utilizes this information.
Watch "Understanding the Data"
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Alliance to Host Webinar on HPRP in Rural Areas, Requests Community Stories
On Friday, November 13 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm ET, the Alliance's Center for Capacity Building (the Center) will host a webinar on the implementation of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) in rural areas. Rural areas face unique challenges in ending homelessness, including lack of transportation, emergency shelter, and employment options. Because of these constraints, many rural communities have developed unique ways of designing programs to still provide clients with stable, permanent housing. This webinar will feature a conversation with communities and programs that have overcome some challenges and are continuing to work on others. The Center is looking for stories from communities dealing with challenges specific to rural areas while implementing HPRP. To contribute such a story, please contact Samantha Batko at
sbatko@naeh.org with your community's story.
Hill Update:
Congress Passes Stopgap FY 2010 Funding Measure
Last Wednesday, September 30, the Senate approved a continuing resolution (CR) to provide fiscal year (FY) 2010 stopgap funding. FY 2010 began on Thursday, October 1, but Congress has not yet passed all twelve appropriations bills. In order to prevent a government shutdown, Congress passed a CR to provide stopgap funding until the remaining appropriations bills can be passed. The House passed the CR on September 25. The CR will fund most government programs at FY 2009 levels through October 31, when the CR will expire. This will give Congress an additional month to pass the remaining FY 2010 appropriations bills.
SELHA Introduced in House
Last month, the Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act (SELHA), H.R. 3636, was re-introduced into the House by Representative Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. SELHA would create a new grant program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fund an array of services in permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families. The legislation currently has 13 co-sponsors. H.R. 3636 is identical to S. 1523, which was introduced into the Senate in July by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Jack Reed (D-RI). For more information on SELHA,
House Veterans' Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Homelessness
On October 1, the House Veterans' Affairs (VA) Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on several pieces of legislation related to homelessness among veterans. Those testifying included several members of the VA committee who discussed recently-introduced legislation focused on a range of topics, including homelessness prevention, comprehensive services for homeless veterans, and connecting veterans who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness to VA medical and supportive service programs. Representatives from several national advocacy organizations spoke in support of the legislation. Also speaking were staff from the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA), including Pete Dougherty, Director of Homeless Veterans Programs for the VA. Mr. Dougherty reiterated the VA's goal of ending homelessness among veterans within five years. He stated that the VA's plan "will require close partnerships with federal and state agencies [and] local, nonprofit, and private groups; outreach and education to veterans, [to] people and organizations providing services to veterans, and [to] the general public; universal and targeted prevention; treatment focused on recovery and tailored to individual veterans' needs; housing and supportive services; and income, employment benefits assistance."
CMHS awarded grants totaling $81.5 million over five years to local organizations throughout the country to provide intensive services to chronically homeless individuals and families. CSAT awarded 25 grants, totaling $43 million, to community-based organization to deliver comprehensive treatment services for homeless people with substance use and/or mental health disorders. Because of funding limitations, many qualified candidates were unable to receive grants. If you applied for a grant and have questions concerning the review or scoring of your application, please contact SAMHSA via Abigail Taylor (abigail.taylor@samhsa.hhs.gov / 240-276-1102) for information regarding the CMHS grant program or via Evan Arrindell (Evan.Arrindell@SAMHSA.hhs.gov / 240-276-1081) regarding the CSAT grant program.
HUD Announces 2008 HMIS and AHAR Awards, Launch of 2009 AHAR Data Collection Period
On September 30, HUD announced the 2009 winners of the Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) Achievement Awards and of the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) Awards. HMIS Achievement Awards are given to Continuums of Care (CoCs) for improving their data quality, discovering innovative uses of HMIS, and using HMIS to improve service delivery. The AHAR awards based on participation by CoCs in the annual AHAR and on the quality of the data they provide.
On the following day, October 1, HUD announced that data collection for the 2009 AHAR had officially begun. The AHAR team will soon begin contacting communities that have participated in past AHARs or that have expressed an interest in submitting data for the 2009 AHAR. For the 2009 AHAR, draft data on all sheltered persons will be due on November 15, 2009, with final data being due on December 15. Draft data on veterans will be due on February 1, 2010, with final data being due on March 1. For more information on the AHAR,
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| ABOUT US |
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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
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| Expert Q & A |
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Take a five minute break from whatever you are doing to read our interview with this month's featured expert, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
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February 11-12, 2010
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