Assistance (BJA), is seeking applications for funding for the Second ChanceAct Two-Phase 

Adult Reentry Demonstration Program: Planning andImplementation. This program furthers the

Department’s commitment to providing services and programs to help facilitate the successful

reintegration of offenders returning to their communities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a second round of grants for more than 500 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S, provided through HUD’s Continuum of Care Program.  This year, HUD challenged local communities to reexamine their response to homelessness and give greater weight to proven strategies, from providing ‘rapid re-housing’ for homeless families to permanent supportive housing for those experiencing chronic homelessness (see chart on HUD.gov press release).

The $72 million in grants announced today support a wide range of programs including street outreach, client assessment, and direct housing assistance.  In March, HUD awarded more than $1.5 billion in a first round of grant funding to renew support for more than 7,000 other local programs.  HUD will make a third round of funding to support selected new projects later this year. View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding.

“We know these modest investments in housing and serving our homeless neighbors not only saves money, but saves lives,” said Donovan.  “These local programs are on the front lines of the Obama Administration’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness as we know it once and for all.”

Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local projects to meet the needs of their homeless clients. The grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families.  HUD funds are a critical part of the Obama Administration’s strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

While the Fiscal Year 2012 funds awarded today are not impacted by the automatic across-the-board budget cuts under sequestration that began March 1st, Donovan cautioned that future budget cuts may reverse significant reported declines in homelessness: “During this challenging budget climate, we must make certain that we don’t balance our books on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.  When we make event modest investments in these programs, we see a measureable decline in homelessness.”

HUD recently announced its 2012 “point in time” estimate of the number of homeless persons in America.  Approximately 3,000 cities and counties reported 633,782 homeless persons on a single night in January of 2012, largely unchanged from the year before.  While HUD found significant declines among the long-term homeless and veterans, local communities reported an increase in the number of sheltered and unsheltered families with children.

HUD’s Continuum of Care grants announced today will continue offering permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients.

In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015 and to ending homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020.

Access HUD press releases

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Justice, (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) recently announced the availability of funds under its FY 2013 Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders. This grant program is designed to improve outcomes for adults with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders through the provision of appropriate evidence-based services and treatment during and after incarceration in prison or jail. 

This year’s competition encourages collaboration between state and community reentry efforts and efforts to end chronic homelessness. Applicants are urged to propose programs that can serve offenders with co-occurring disorders who are also experiencing chronic homelessness. This includes services that support housing stability in permanent supportive housing to end homelessness, reduce recidivism, and promote public safety. 

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 16, 2013.

Learn more and apply.

“The President’s Budget reflects a strong commitment to interventions that solve homelessness,” said USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe. “Together we have demonstrated that increased investment combined with strong collaboration and improved targeting leads to reductions in homelessness.”

The President’s FY 2014 Budget Proposal is the third budget developed by USICH member agencies since the release of Opening Doors and is a statement of the Administration’s commitment to preventing and ending homelessness as a national priority.

HUD’s Budget requests $2.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, $480 million above the 2012 enacted level and provides 10,000 new vouchers targeted to homeless veterans in addition to the 45,905 veterans already served under HUD-VASH.

The increase in targeted homeless assistance funding between FY 2012 enacted and FY 2014 proposed includes the following:

• Increased strategic investments to implement the HEARTH Act. $480 million increase for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homeless Assistance Grants.
• Continued commitment to ending homelessness among Veterans and their families.$75 million proposed funding for the HUD-VASH program. $300 million proposed funding for Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families program—built on best practices developed across the country.
• Expansion of health care. $87 million increasefor the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Care for the Homeless Program to provide primary health care, substance use treatment, emergency care with referrals to hospitals for in-patient care services and/or other needed services, outreach services to assist difficult-to-reach people experiencing homelessness in accessing care, and assistance in establishing eligibility for entitlement programs and housing.   

This fact sheet serves as an overview of the targeted homeless assistance programs across the government.

COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE

HUD - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH) combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance for Veterans experiencing homelessness with case management and clinical services provided by VA. VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA Medical Centers and community-based outreach clinics. To date, approximately 48,400 of these vouchers have been awarded to public housing agencies nationwide. HUD is requesting an additional $75 million (10,000 vouchers) for HUD-VASH in 2014.

In FY 2014, VA will also provide $278 million in case management funding, a 37.7 percent increase over FY 2012.

TARGETED HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BY DEPARTMENT

Department of Education

Education for Homeless Children and Youth

To ensure that all homeless children and youth experiencing homelessness have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education available to other children, the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program provides assistance to States to (1) establish or designate an Office of Coordinator of Education of Homeless Children and Youths; (2) develop and carry out a State plan for the education of homeless children; and (3) make sub-grants to local educational agencies to support the education of children experiencing homelessness.

FY 2010 - $65.4 million

FY 2011 - $65 million

FY 2012 - $65 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $65 million

Department of Health and Human Services

Health Care for the Homeless

The purpose of the Health Care for the Homeless Program is to provide primary health care, substance use treatment, emergency care with referrals to hospitals for in-patient care services and/or other needed services, outreach services to assist difficult-to-reach people experiencing homelessness in accessing care, and assistance in establishing eligibility for entitlement programs and housing.   

FY 2010 - $171 million

FY 2011 - $215 million

FY 2012 - $231 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $319 million

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness is a formula grant program that provides financial assistance to states to support services for homeless individuals who have serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

FY 2010 - $65 million

FY 2011 - $65 million

FY 2012 - $65 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $65 million

Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals

The Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals Program in SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment enables communities to expand and strengthen their treatment services for individuals experiencing homelessness with substance abuse disorders, mental illness, or co-occurring substance abuse disorders and mental illness. HHS can award grants of up to five years duration to community-based public or nonprofit entities to provide addiction and mental health services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

FY 2010 - $43 million

FY 2011 - $42 million

FY 2012 - $42 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $42 million

Services in Supportive Housing Grants

The Services in Supportive Housing Program in SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services was created to help prevent or reduce chronic homelessness by funding services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness while living with severe mental illness or co-occurring mental and substance disorders. The program addresses the need for treatment and support service provision to individuals and families.

FY 2010 - $32 million

FY 2011 - $33 million

FY 2012 - $33 million

FY 2014 (proposed) $33 million

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Program funds over 740 public, community and faith-based organizations through three grant programs that serve the runaway and homeless youth population:

Basic Center Program

The Basic Center Program establishes or strengthens locally controlled, community and faith-based programs that address the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Basic Centers provide youth with temporary emergency shelter, food, clothing and referrals for health care.  Other types of assistance provided to youth and their families may include individual, group, and family counseling, recreation programs, and aftercare services for youth once they leave the shelter.  Grants can also be used for outreach activities targeting youth who may need assistance.

Transitional Living Program

The Transitional Living Program provides shelter, skills training and support services to homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 22 for a continuous period generally not exceeding 540 days, or in exceptional circumstances 635 days. Youth are provided with stable, safe living accommodations and services that help them develop the skills necessary to move to independence.  Living accommodations may be host family homes, group homes or supervised apartments.

Street Outreach Program

The Street Outreach Program provides educational and prevention services to runaway and street youth who have been subject to, or are at risk of, sexual exploitation or abuse.  The program works to establish and build relationships between street youth and program outreach staff in order to help youth leave the streets. 

FY 2010 - $115.6 million

FY 2011 - $115 million

FY 2012 - $115 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $118 million

Department of Homeland Security

Emergency Food and Shelter Program

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program helps meet the needs of people experiencing hunger or homelessness throughout the United States and its territories by allocating funds for the provision of food, shelter as well as homelessness prevention through the administration of rent, utilities and mortgage assistance. The program is governed by a National Board, chaired by FEMA, and comprised of representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, Jewish Federations of North America, Salvation Army, and United Way Worldwide. 

FY 2010 - $200 million

FY 2011 - $120 million

FY 2012 - $120 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $100 million

Department of Housing and Urban Development

In 2014, HUD requests $2.456 billion to support programs designed to prevent and end homelessness. This represents an increase of $480 million over the FY 12 enacted amount, which will fund the increased competitive renewal demand in 2014 in addition to the funding necessary to meet the new HEARTH requirements and to continue implementation of Opening Doors.

The requested funds can be categorized via the HEARTH Act authorized programs and eligible activities as follows:

Emergency Solutions Grants: $346 million, of which $60 million will be set aside specifically for rapid re-housing projects in high-need communities.

The Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) includes funds for a variety of life-saving activities in addition to newer interventions like rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention that have proven to be successful in many communities at preventing and ending homelessness.  ESG is an essential component of continuing the program infrastructure that was started via the Recovery Act Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) and has proven an efficient and effective way of quickly transitioning people from homelessness to permanent housing. 

Continuum of Care Program: $2.027 billion

The Continuum of Care Program (CoC) is HUD’s largest and broadest targeted program to serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. It also provides the infrastructure for the implementation of a comprehensive planning approach, data collection and analysis, and performance measurement. CoCs have the dual role of planning and operating programs, and using data collected through Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) to inform planning decisions and track performance at both the project and systems levels. Eligible activities include CoC planning; acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction for capital projects; leasing; rental assistance; housing operations; HMIS; supportive services; and administration.

FY 2010 - $1.865 billion

FY 2011 - $1.901 billion

FY 2012 - $1.901 billion

FY 2014 (proposed) - $2.456 billion

Department of Justice

Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for the Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence or Stalking Program

The Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, or Stalking Program focuses on a holistic, victim-centered approach to providing transitional housing services that move individuals into permanent housing. These grants support programs that provide assistance to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking who are in need of transitional housing, short-term housing assistance, and related support services. Transitional housing programs may offer individualized services such as counseling, support groups, safety planning, and advocacy services as well as practical services such as licensed child care, employment services, transportation vouchers, telephones, and referrals to other agencies.

FY 2010 - $18 million

FY 2011 - $18 million

FY 2012 - $25 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $22 million

Department of Labor

Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program

The Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program provides services to help Veterans experiencing homelessness obtain meaningful employment and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems to address the complex problems facing Veterans experiencing homelessness. It is the only nationwide program exclusively focused on helping Veterans experiencing homelessness reintegrate into the workforce. Funds are awarded through competitive grants. The program also includes funds specifically for grantees providing specialized services to female Veterans experiencing homelessness and Veterans with families experiencing homelessness. This specialized funding was initiated in FY 2010 in recognition of the special needs of these subgroups.

FY 2010 - $36.3 million

FY 2011 - $36 million

FY 2012 - $38 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $38 million

Department of Veterans Affairs

The proposed VA budget for FY 2014 contains nearly $1.4 billion for programs that prevent or end homelessness among Veterans. This includes an increase of 36.5 percent, or $373 million, over the 2012 level, continuing VA’s steady progress toward ending Veteran homelessness by 2015. 

In the past two years, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness on a given night has declined 18 percent from 76,329 in 2010 to 62,619 in 2012.  

Supportive Services for Veteran Families

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) provides supportive services to very low-income Veteran families in or transitioning to permanent housing.  Funds are provided through grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that will assist very low-income Veterans’ families by providing a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability.  Through the SSVF Program, VA aims to rapidly re-house Veterans’ families who become homeless thereby improving housing stability for very low-income Veterans’ families.

FY 2010 - $20 million

FY 2011 - $61 million

FY 2012 - $100 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $300 million

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program

VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program funds community agencies providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. The purpose is to promote the development and provision of supportive housing and/or supportive services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination.

FY 2010 - $175.3 million

FY 2011 - $172 million       

FY 2012 - $224 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $250 million

The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program

The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program provides 24-hours-per-day, 7 days-per-week structured and supportive residential rehabilitation and treatment services for economically disadvantaged Veterans and Veterans experiencing homelessness.  The program provides rehabilitation and treatment to approximately 6,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness with health problems each year.

FY 2010 - $119 million

FY 2011 - $219 million          

FY 2012 - $201 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $219 million

Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program

The core mission of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV) is primarily to perform outreach, provide by VA social workers and other mental health clinicians, to identify Veterans experiencing homelessness who are eligible for VA services and assist these Veterans in accessing appropriate health care and benefits. The main goal of outreach is to connect Veterans experiencing homelessness with needed services that will end their homelessness.  HCHV also provides residential treatment through contracts with community providers and longer-term case management through the HCHV- Supported Housing program.

FY 2010 - $83 million

FY 2011 - $140 million

FY 2012 - $135 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $137 million

The Justice Outreach, Homelessness Prevention:  Healthcare for Reentry Veterans (HCRV, prison outreach) and Veteran’s JusticeOutreach (VJO, law enforcement, jail and court outreach)

Justice Outreach addresses the justice involvement continuum from first contact with law enforcement through release from prison or jail.  Veterans Justice Outreach is designed to help justice-involved Veterans avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration by ensuring that eligible Veterans have timely access to Veterans Health Administration mental health and substance abuse services when clinically indicated, and other VA services and benefits as appropriate.  Health Care for Reentry Veterans assists Veterans released from prison to readjust to community life through access to community reintegration, health, and social services provided through VA and community services. 

FY 2010 - $6 million

FY 2011 - $14 million

FY 2012 - $22 million

FY 2014 (proposed) - $34 million

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

USICH ensures interagency collaboration and local engagement, helping to guide homelessness funds into evidence-based solutions that are measurably reducing homelessness in America.  The Council performs this work through support to Federal council members and partners in the field. 

President’s FY 2014 Budget Proposal includes an increase in funding for USICH to accelerate progress toward the Opening Doors Goals by funding staff to continue and accelerate the ambitious collaboration, focus on data and performance measurement, emphasis on evidence–informed practice and policy, coordination among federal agencies, innovation, disciplined place-based work, and above all, an aggressive commitment to getting to the finish line of ending homelessness. 

FY 2010 - $2.5 million

FY 2011 - $2.7 million

FY 2012 - $3.3 million  

FY 2014 (proposed) - $3.6 million

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $5 million to fund 16 or more Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program grants. Approximately 2,600 veterans will receive job training and related services to help them succeed in civilian careers.

“Every day, our service members and their families make tremendous sacrifices for their country. Although homelessness among veterans has fallen, too many of our heroes still are without jobs or homes,” said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. “Through these grants, the Labor Department will provide those who have served our nation with the opportunity for a fresh start and a good job.”

Funds for the grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and faith-based and community organizations. Because these groups are intimately connected with their local economies and the needs of homeless veterans, they can offer occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services. Awards will range from $100,000 to $300,000 each.

HVRP is recognized as extraordinarily efficient and effective, and is the only federal program that focuses exclusively on the employment of homeless veterans.

The solicitation for grant applications is available at http://www.grants.gov. For more information, visit that site and http://www.dol.gov/vets, or contact grants officer Cassandra Mitchell at 202-693-4570. 

SAMHSA, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2013 Cooperative Agreements to Benefit Homeless Individuals for States (CABHI-States) grants. The purpose of this jointly funded program is to enhance or develop the infrastructure of states and their treatment service systems to increase capacity to provide accessible, effective, comprehensive, coordinated/integrated, and evidence-based treatment services; permanent supportive housing; peer supports; CMHS-funded peer navigator(s); and other critical services to persons who experience chronic homelessness with substance use disorders or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. The outcomes will include: 1) assisting states to develop strategies associated with addressing the needs of individuals who experience chronic homelessness; and 2) increasing the number of individuals placed in permanent supportive housing and enrolled in Medicaid and other mainstream benefits (e.g., SSI/SSDI, TANF, SNAP).The major goal of the CABHI-States program is to ensure, through state and local planning and service delivery, that the most vulnerable individuals who experience chronic homelessness receive access to sustainable permanent housing, treatment, recovery supports, and Medicaid and other mainstream benefits.

Eligible applicants are the single state agencies for substance abuse in the District of Columbia (D.C.) and the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. SAMHSA believes the most effective way to accomplish the goals of this three year state-based grant program is to limit eligibility to these 17 states and D.C., due to the high concentration of individuals who experience chronic homelessness that reside in these states. In 2010, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) approved Opening Doors, a Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. One of the goals of this Strategic Plan is to achieve the goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2015. SAMHSA is committed in the effort to achieve this and other goals in the Federal Strategic Plan.

Deadline to apply for these grants is May 28, 2013.

Read the full detailed announcement of this RFA on SAMHSA's website

Definition of Chronically Homeless

The RHSP proposed rule includes a new proposed definition of “chronically homeless” which specifically defines what is meant by an occasion of homelessness in order to better target persons with the longest histories of homelessness and the highest level of need. HUD is seeking public comment on this new definition.

This proposed rule establishes a definition of “chronically homeless” that aids HUD and local jurisdictions to better estimate the number of chronically homeless, and will aid HUD and local jurisdictions in targeting resources to strategies designed to reduce the number of chronically homeless. HUD is publishing this definition again to provide the public an additional opportunity to comment based on the changes HUD made resulting from the previous public comments. The definition of "chronically homeless" will apply to all of HUD's programs. 

Read the full news item from HUD's OneCPD Resource Exchange

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today renewed support for 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S.  Provided through HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, the funding announced today will ensure these local projects remain operating in the coming year.  This year, HUD challenged local communities to reexamine their response to homelessness and give greater weight to proven strategies, from providing ‘rapid re-housing’ for homeless families to permanent supportive housing for those experiencing chronic homelessness (see attached chart).

The $1.5 billion in grants announced today support a wide range of programs including street outreach, client assessment, and direct housing assistance. Later this year, HUD will award additional grant funding to support hundreds of other local programs.  View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding.

“The evidence is clear that every dollar we spend on those programs that help find a stable home for our homeless neighbors not only saves money but quite literally saves lives,” said Donovan.  “We know these programs work and we know these grants can mean the difference between homeless persons and families finding stable housing or living on our streets.”

Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local projects to meet the needs of their homeless clients. The grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families.  HUD funds are a critical part of the Obama Administration’s strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

While the Fiscal Year 2012 funds awarded today are not impacted by the automatic across-the-board budget cuts under sequestration that began March 1st, Donovan cautioned that future budget cuts may reverse significant reported declines in homelessness: “During this challenging budget climate, we must make certain that we don’t balance our books on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.  When we make event modest investments in these programs, we see a measureable decline in homelessness.”

HUD recently announced its 2012 “point in time” estimate of the number of homeless persons in America.  Approximately 3,000 cities and counties reported 633,782 homeless persons on a single night in January of 2012, largely unchanged from the year before.  While HUD found significant declines among the long-term homeless and veterans, local communities reported an increase in the number of sheltered and unsheltered families with children.

HUD’s Continuum of Care grants announced today will continue offering permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients.

In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015 and to ending homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020.

Access HUD Press Releases

Go to the USICH Framework to End Youth Homelessness page

When Opening Doors was launched it set the ambitious goal to prevent and end youth homelessness by 2020, a goal that was strengthened with clearer strategies outlined in the 2012 Amendment to Opening Doors. The Amendment outlined that in order to meet this goal, we must gain a better understanding of the nature and extent of youth homelessness and build our homeless services system to better meet the needs of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness. Introduced to the Council in June 2012 and available today to the public in greater detail, the youth framework sets a path for states, communities, and public and private stakeholders to work together on a strategic approach to getting to better youth outcomes in stable housing, permanent connections, education/employment, and well being.

The youth framework outlines strategies to improve our understanding of youth homelessness by getting better data and building the capacity of programs to effectively serve youth experiencing homelessness. The framework also includes a preliminary intervention model that looks at youth through the lens of risk and protective factors, focusing particularly on high-risk populations such as youth involved in the foster care or juvenile justice systems, LGBTQ youth, and pregnant and parenting youth. Ultimately, ending youth homelessness requires a collaborative, systemic approach-federally and locally-that includes targeted homeless assistance and mainstream systems. This framework is a positive step forward in our collaborative work to understand the scope and interventions necessary to end youth homelessness. USICH and our federal partners hope that this document continues the rich dialogue about what we all must do to meet the needs of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness.

Read the youth framework

Notably, the practice of using TANF funds to provide one-time or short-term assistance consistent with rapid re-housing programs is an encouraged use of TANF funds. The IM also encourages these funds to be used in coordination with HUD’s targeted homeless assistance programs. The IM also details the ways in which TANF agencies can assist in coordinating their program with other federal or state programs that can assist families in need. Key state examples are given to illustrate innovative ways State and local leaders have worked with TANF agencies to help families rapidly exit or avoid homelessness. 

Read HHS’ information memorandum