There can be no National Partnership to End Homelessness without the active participation of state governments. Over the past four years the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has worked with Governors across the nation to increase state focus on homelessness and to solidify state commitment through the creation by Governors of state interagency councils on homelessness and 10-Year Plans. Across the country, State Capitols are reverberating with inaugural speeches, state of the state addresses, and budget submissions by newly elected and re-elected Governors that are offering opportunities for innovation, enhanced performance standards, and new and realigned resources to reduce and end homelessness.

HONOLULU, HAWAII. In one of the earliest budget submissions, Hawaii Governor Lingle last month submitted a two-year $10.5 billion general fund operating budget and $2.1 billion capital budget, including $128 million for affordable housing and homeless programs that “would double what the state currently spends on homeless programs.” Governor Lingle noted the new shelter and transitional housing efforts already underway and stressed that “services need to also be available. We just can’t warehouse people. Our goal has never been just to house homeless people but regain the self sufficiency they need so they don’t have to live in a transitional or homeless shelter.”

The Governor’s budget includes $20 million for outpatient mental health services for more than 5000 adults, and $3.1 million for increased staffing at community mental health centers for counseling and treatment. Altogether the budget includes $56.8 million for developmental and mental health needs including increased staffing, early intervention and outpatient services designed to prevent and reduce the number of persons experiencing homelessness. The budget also includes $13 million in general funds for services at homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities, $10 million for maintenance and repair of vacant units in public housing projects, $40 million in general obligation bonds for repairs to public housing buildings, and $50 million for the Rental Housing Trust Fund. Governor Lingle's commitment to housing solutions for homeless people was recognized last May with A Home for Every American Award by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.

BOISE, IDAHO. This week newly elected Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter unveiled his first state budget at a State of the State address to the Idaho State Legislature. Highlighted in his remarks was a proposal for $865,000 in one time funding to help create a sobering and detoxification center in Boise to serve the Treasure Valley, the state’s largest population center. The state funding would be a matching contribution to a joint effort by cities, counties, hospitals, and the United Way of Treasure Valley. This project will create a 24-hour medically monitored alcohol and drug sobering detoxification center to provide substance abuse services such as assessments, detoxification, residential treatment, and outpatient services and is seen as an important homeless prevention effort. Governor Otter also highlighted a legislative proposal to increase the grocery sales tax credit for lower income families to as much as $90 per person.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA. This week Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, beginning her second four-year term, noted in her State of the State address that “ Last year, I asked all of you to join me in a simple vow, to say that here in Arizona, every person who seeks shelter will find a home. Let’s continue our work to guarantee that when someone is fleeing the terrible threat of a violent family hand, we offer nothing but open arms.” She noted that her FY 2008 budget, the details of which will be released on January 12, will call for increased funding to expand shelter for victims of domestic violence and also funding for additional Veterans Benefits Counselors.

The North Dakota Interagency Council on Homelessness, created by Executive Order of Governor John Hoeven (pictured far left) in 2004, is pursuing its mandate to create a state 10-Year Plan to End Long Term Homelessness by encouraging and working with local communities and reservations to develop local plans that would be “collectively rolled up” into a statewide plan.

In October 2006, Fargo became the first North Dakota city to develop a 10-Year Plan. Pictured here, bottom, is Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker (far right) at the plan’s unveiling, joined by deputy mayor Linda Coates, former mayor Bruce Furness and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who also had met with Governor Hoeven and addressed the inaugural meeting of the state interagency council.

In November, the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) received approval from its oversight agency, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, to offer a technical assistance grant package to encourage and assist other communities and reservations to develop 10-Year Plans. In a letter to mayors and tribal chairmen jointly signed by NDHFA Executive Director Mike Anderson, North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People, Inc. President Susan Martin, and state ICH Chairman Duane Houdek, “homeless technical assistance funds” of up to $4000 per community were offered to help defray the costs of a facilitator for planning meetings, writing the plan, and for analysis of point in time survey data to be completed by the ND Coalition for Homeless People, Inc. The grants were offered to the communities having the largest concentrations of homeless in the state including Bismarck/Mandan, Grand Forks, Minot, Jamestown, Dickinson, Devils Lake, Williston, and the Turtle Mountain, Fort Berthold, Spirit Lake, and Standing Rock Indian Reservations and Trenton Indian Service Area. Of these, Bismarck/Mandan, Grand Forks, and Jamestown have signaled their intention to proceed with developing 10-Year Plans by applying for the technical assistance monies. Three others have also expressed interest.

North Dakota joins Washington State (see related story) and Michigan in providing state incentives for the development of local jurisdictional 10-Year Plans.

The Homeless Housing and Assistance Act passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2005 established a goal of reducing homelessness in the state by 50% by July 2015 and provided new resources through a $10 document recording fee to support the development and implementation of local jurisdictional 10-Year Plans. Pictured here at the unveiling of the Snohomish County 10-Year Plan in June are, l-r, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson, and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. Last month the Department of Community, Trade and Transportation announced nearly $11 million in state Homeless Grant Assistance Program (HGAP) awards to help fund model projects and programs in nine counties implementing 10-Year Plans for a three year project term. Of the $10.9 million awarded, over $7 million was generated from the state share of the document fee and $3 million is being made available from HOME funds to support capital funding of rental projects.

Projects in King, Benton-Franklin, Chelan-Douglas, Thurston, Walla Walla, and Whatcom will include a focus on jail diversion and re-entry. Pierce County will provide scattered site housing and case management for homeless families, while Snohomish will focus on youth aging out of foster care and homeless TANF families. Clallam, the only non-metro county to receive funding, will use its $1 million award to help support implementation of a countywide homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing effort including housing resource centers to identify private market housing and facilitate intake; improved discharge planning and short term rental and case management assistance; and permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness through renovations of existing housing units in Port Angeles, creation of additional units in Forks, and vouchers in other areas.

The Washington State Homeless Grant Assistance Program is intended to support projects consistent with the state and local 10-Year Plans that will meaningfully reduce homelessness; demonstrate government cost savings over time; employ evidence-based or promising approaches; are replicable; could be sustained after the HGAP funding ends using criminal justice, social services, health or other system resources; and include strong performance measurements.

The New Hampshire Interagency Council on Homelessness met this week to develop implementation strategies, including engaging the support of the state legislature, for the state’s 10-Year Plan to end homelessness, reports United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator John O’Brien who attended the meeting. It was the first meeting of the Council since Governor John Lynch signed an Executive Order in December formalizing the Council’s membership and responsibility to implement the statewide 10-Year Plan to end homelessness presented to the Governor last year. Pictured here at last year's press conference is Governor Lynch at the podium joined by, l-r, USICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, NHICH member and Executive Director of Harbor Homes Peter Kelleher, and HUD Regional Director Taylor Caswell.

The Governor’s Executive Order affirms his appointment of a broad and inclusive interagency council including state agency officials, the state legislature, and community stakeholders including representatives from the interfaith community, the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Health Care for the Homeless Program. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Homeless, Housing and Transportation Services is designated to assist the Council with its work.

A Home for Everyone: New Hampshire’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness calls for the development of permanent supportive housing units and includes an emphasis on prevention, wraparound health and human services, consumer outreach and advocacy, and service integration to eliminate duplication and close service loopholes. Last month, the city of Nashua, which unveiled a 10-Year Plan in 2004, was one of 39 cities and counties nationwide to participate in 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week. In March, the 20-unit Buckingham Place (shown here), one of the first projects in the nation to provide transitional housing for homeless single female veterans as well as male veterans and homeless veteran families, will be dedicated in downtown Nashua. The project was developed by Harbor Homes and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Two recent announcements by the Council of State Governments regarding the creation of a “Justice Center” and the availability of an interactive web-based re-entry housing options chart will be of interest to state and community 10-Year Plan efforts.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is an association of legislative and executive branch elected state officials established in 1933 to facilitate the exchange of creative approaches to state issues and promote regional problem solving. The creation of a “Justice Center” evolves from CSG’s criminal justice research and policy activities which include creation of the Re-Entry Policy Council in 2001. In announcing creation of the Justice Center last month, CSG President and Vermont Governor Jim Douglas said the Center will be particularly helpful to “states seeking effective data driven policies and programs at the intersection of the criminal justice system and other disciplines, such as public health.” The new Justice Center will continue to coordinate projects relating to jail diversion efforts for people with mental illness but will also “explore such issues as alcohol-related emergency room admissions and housing concerns as they relate to the justice system.” The Center will have offices in New York City and Bethesda, Maryland.

Also announced is the availability of an interactive web-based re-entry housing option chart that compares housing types on several dimensions including potential funding sources, level of availability in the community, typical length of stay, and potential barriers to accessing a particular option. The chart also includes descriptions of programs that have successfully housed individuals returning to the community from prison or jail, and provides links to the program websites when available.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. Calling permanent supportive housing the “cornerstone of our strategy to end homelessness in San Francisco” Mayor Gavin Newsom outlined his city’s advances and next steps in ending homelessness during his third annual “State of the City’s Homelessness Address.” The San Francisco 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, Changing Direction, was unveiled by Mayor Newson and Plan Co-Chair Angela Alioto in 2004 (pictured here).

Among the city’s accomplishments:

• 1,798 units of permanent supportive housing created for homeless single adults, a 130% increase in 3 years bringing the total number of units to nearly 3,200.
• 1,207 additional units of non-profit owned supportive housing are currently under construction or in pre-construction planning.
• Only 333 homeless individuals are currently receiving cash welfare payments, an 87% reduction from May 2004 when the City began implementation of the Care Not Cash program. The nearly $15 million savings was redirected by the city to support housing for 1,726 individuals. 417 other Care Not Cash clients secured housing on their own. 95% of those who secured housing through the Care Not Cash program have either retained their housing or have moved on to other housing with income from employment or SSI.
• Homeless Outreach Teams (“HOT”) have engaged more than 500 homeless individuals since 2004, assisting 420 of them off the streets and into services with the end goal of being able to sustain permanent housing.
• In 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city’s Department of Public Health was able to open 62 units of permanent supportive housing for chronic alcoholics. The effort targeted chronic alcoholics who had been cycling in and out of the city’s Sobering Center and other systems of care at an annual cost of tens of thousands of dollars. The housing effort has significantly reduced costs to the city from the overuse of public services and has improved clients' health outcomes.
• Through the city’s Homeward Bound initiative, 1,788 individuals have been reunited to family and friends at an average cost of $147 per client.

Not to mention Project Homeless Connect, initiated by Mayor Newson in October 2004, through which more than 1500 homeless individuals in the city have been helped off the street into stabilization units or shelter, and which has become a national phenomenom embraced by 70 cities across the country.

Next steps identified by the Mayor during his address included:

• Continuing to move forward with implementation of the city’s 10-Year Plan to meet the goal of creating 1500 non-profit owned supportive housing units by 2014
• Developing 166 units of permanent supportive housing over the next three years for seniors experiencing chronic homelessness
• Continuing the $3 million annual investment begun in 2006 for a Housing First for Families initiative, a comprehensive eviction prevention and rental assistance effort
• Developing 138 units of housing over the next three years for chronically homeless families.

“A life in the community for everyone” is the vision behind the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). To realize this vision, SAMHSA focuses on “building resilience and facilitating recovery for people with or at risk for mental or substance use disorders.” With disabling mental health and substance use disorders identified as among the major causes of chronic homelessness, recently announced financial and technical assistance resources from SAMHSA may be of interest to state and local 10-Year Plan efforts. Pictured here is new SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline.

Targeted Capacity Grants for Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services.

On January 4, SAMHSA announced its FY 2007 Request for Applications for this program. Pending final congressional approval of the FY 2007 budget, SAMHSA expects to have available approximately $32.1 million to support an estimated 65 awards of up to $500,000 in 5 year grants for treatment services and up to $400,000 for outreach and pre-treatment services. Applications are due February 28.

Center for Mental Health Services Technical Assistance Opportunities.

CMHS has released two new publications in its Building Bridges Series and three new fact sheets dealing with mental health and consumer choice. The Building Bridges: Mental Health Consumers and Primary Health Care Representatives in Dialogue reports on the findings of a two day dialogue between mental health consumers and primary care representatives and includes discussions of the interaction between primary and mental health care and opportunities for cross training. The Building Bridges: Consumers and Representatives of the Mental Health and Criminal Justice Systems in Dialogue discusses issues that mental health consumers experience in the criminal justice system including diversion and re-entry efforts. The Mental Health and Self Direction Fact Sheets provide an overview of “the principles that focus on promoting consumer choice and control of services and supports that foster recovery.” Copies of the fact sheets will be available from SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center at 1-800-789-2647 or 1-866-889-2647 (TDD).

The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC).

Among identified contributing factors to family and veteran homelessness are domestic violence and post traumatic stress disorder. The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care is funded by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) to offer educational materials, free and low cost technical assistance and training to publicly funded health and human services systems and programs to foster a deeper understanding of the impact of trauma and effective interactions to improve client outcomes.

Since October, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors has been collaborating under subcontract with NCTIC to provide technical assistance and training to a variety of publicly funded programs such as the Southeast Louisiana State Hospital System and City of Baltimore Juvenile Services. Trauma-Informed Care training has also been held for PATH programs, and in cooperation with the National Homeless Resource Center will be provided to providers in the Gulf Coast recovery area. Publicly funded organizations, including non profit programs receiving federal funding, interested in receiving technical assistance should contact jenny.howes@nasmhpd.org. The non-profit organization Witness Justice also is collaborating in the NCTIC effort providing education and outreach. More information about the National Center for Trauma Informed Care, including education materials and information on their speaker’s bureau, can be found on their website.

Washington State homeless and at risk families will benefit from $6 million in year-end grant funding announced by the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation. $3.66 million will be distributed through the Sound Families Initiative to six organizations in King and Pierce Counties to support the development of 140 service enriched apartments. The Sound Families Initiative, established with a $40 million Gates Foundation grant in 2000, has created more than 1200 units of “service enriched” housing for at risk and homeless families in the Puget Sound area in collaboration with the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett and housing authorities in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.

A separate grant of $2 million was made to the Washington Families Fund, a public private partnership that works with organizations statewide to help move families from homelessness to stable housing and self sufficiency. With this latest grant, the Fund has grown to $11 million, including $ 6 million in state funding.

An ongoing evaluation of the Sound Families Initiative by the University of Washington School of Social Work is tracking outcomes at three levels—client progress toward self sufficiency, organization, and system. The evaluation is also examining the initiative’s impact on regional strategies to end homelessness. The latest reported evaluation data shows that:

• Ninety-four percent of families were stably housed one year after exit from their transitional program.
• Fewer than 10% returned to transitional housing, shelter or non-habitable spaces.
• Three-fourths of families had higher household incomes one year after exit compared to when they entered transitional housing.
• Employment levels are higher, median wages are higher and more families are receiving benefits for which they are eligible. TANF rates declined by 50%.
• Fewer children are attending more than one school in a given year, absenteeism has declined significantly, and parents report improvements in their children’s grades and behavior.

The final funding round under the Sound Families Initiative will be in the spring.

email: usich@usich.gov

web: http://www.usich.gov