Meeting in Miami this week at the United States Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting, the nation's Mayors, with the leadership of new USCM President and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, passed unanimously resolutions affirming and supporting the National Partnership constellated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, stating: "Mayors in partnership with the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness are committed to ending chronic homelessness in our nation's cities." Stated the Mayors' resolution: "The National Partnership with Mayors has brought innovation and results in ending homelessness to the lives of people experiencing homelessness."

The Mayors also unanimously supported a resolution affirming the initiatives and "inspiration" providing through the Council's partnership in more than 335 jurisdictionally-led, community-based, business-oriented 10 Year Plans across the country.

Read on to learn more about the Mayors' resolutions . . .

"An expansive national partnership is now, for the first time in 25 years, reporting results on the streets of this country, reporting decreased homelessness for our most vulnerable and disabled neighbors living long term on the streets and languishing is shelters," reported United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano this week to Mayors from across the country. "Results are being achieved by a partnership of every level of government, community stakeholders, the private and non-profit sectors, and consumers - all with one goal, one objective, one mission: to end the moral and spiritual and human and economic disgrace of homelessness." Pictured here is Council Director Mangano briefing Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Task Force members on results from the National Partnership.

Mayors gathered for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting unanimously supported a resolution affirming the National Partnership constellated by the Council through 20 Federal agencies and departments, 49 Governors, more than 335 jurisdictionally-based, community-led, business- oriented 10 Year Plans of Mayors and County officials, and the private sector.

The Mayors in their resolution recognized the importance of the initiatives and "inspiration" of the Council's work across the country, as well as the important technical assistance and support provided by the Council that has brought innovation and results in ending homelessness.

The resolution called on Mayors to create new partnerships to further the development and implementation of local 10 Year Plans.

Read on to see the full text of the National Partnership resolution . . .

Following is the full text of the Mayors' resolution No. 33, Endorsing the National Partnership to End Homelessness. Pictured here is the Mayors Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness during its briefing on the National Partnership.

The resolution was sponsored by Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, Dallas Mayor Thomas C. Leppert, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden. Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy, Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Sacramento Heather Fargo, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, Santa Monica Mayor Herb Katz, San Rafael Mayor Albert J. Boro, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, and Fort Myers Mayor James T. Humphrey were also sponsors.

The USCM Community Development and Housing Committee is shown here during its meeting at the Conference, when it met and discussed the resolutions to be presented to the Plenary Session. Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt (at left) chaired the session with USCM Assistant Director Eugene Lowe (second from left) and sponsor and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton are shown during the committee meeting.

WHEREAS, mayors in partnership with the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness are committed to ending chronic homelessness in our nation's cities; and

WHEREAS, mayors acknowledge the importance of the initiatives and inspiration furthered in cities across the country by the work of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the National Partnership with Mayors, County Executives, the private sector and other stakeholders has resulted in more than 335 cities committed to implementing jurisdictionally based, business oriented 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities have benefited by and recognize the importance of the direct assistance provided by the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness through access to experts, innovations, and new strategies; and

WHEREAS, the National Partnership with Mayors has brought innovation and results in ending homelessness to the lives of people experiencing homelessness; and

WHEREAS, dozens of jurisdictional partnerships have yielded reductions in the number of chronically homeless people living on the streets and long-term in shelters, the first such reductions communities have seen in over 20 years; and

WHEREAS, the results realized through the National Partnership are improving the quality of life of all citizens, housed and homeless alike,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the National Partnership to End Homelessness constellated by the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors encourages mayors to affirm the National Partnership by committing to creating new partnerships that further the development and implementation of local 10 Year Plans to end chronic homelessness in their communities.

As the nation's Mayors met in Miami this week, they recognized and affirmed the more than 5-year partnership with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness that has resulted in more than 335 communities partnered through their jurisdictional CEO's in cities and counties to develop and implement jurisdictionally- led, community-based, business-oriented 10 Year Plans.

Council Director Mangano, more than five years ago, spoke at the Plenary Session of the Mayors' Conference and challenged Mayors to join a national partnership to reduce and end the homelessness of those who are the most disabled and vulnerable homeless people. Director Mangano at that event asked that by mid-2004 100 mayors develop plans to accomplish that mission in their cities. By that date 127 mayors had committed.

This week, Mayors unanimously passed Resolution No. 29, Endorsing 10 Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness, noting that "10 Year Plans have identified innovations, such as assertive community treatment, housing first and rapid rehousing, private sector community champions, cost benefit analysis, and Project Homeless Connect, that have been adopted by communities across the country" and are achieving results. The Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Task Force meeting, with Co-chair San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom presiding, is shown here.

Read on to see the full text of the resolution . . .

Following is the full text of Resolution No. 29, unanimously passed by the Mayors, Endorsing 10 Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness.

The resolution was sponsored by Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, Dallas Mayor Thomas C. Leppert, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, and Sacramento Heather Fargo.

WHEREAS, mayors in partnership with the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness are committed to ending chronic homelessness in our nation's cities; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the response to chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the abolition of chronic homelessness requires a partnership at all levels of government, the private sector, and all other community stakeholders, and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness have been partnered for more than 5 years to prevent and end homelessness in our nation's cities, a partnership of accountability and results; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the partnership with Mayors and County Executives, the private sector, and all other stakeholders, more than 335 cities have committed to create jurisdictionally led, community based, business oriented 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness; and

WHEREAS, 10 Year Plans have identified innovations, such as assertive community treatment, housing first and rapid rehousing, private sector community champions, cost benefit analysis, and Project Homeless Connect, that have been adopted by communities across the country; and

WHEREAS, a number of communities implementing 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness, and adopting these innovations, are seeing reductions in the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness living on their streets and languishing in emergency shelters, the first such reductions communities have seen in over 20 years; and

WHEREAS, these reductions in chronic and street homelessness are improving the quality of life for all members of the community, housed and homeless alike,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses and encourage Mayors to develop and implement 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness for their communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors encourages Mayors to adopt the national innovations identified through 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness that are leading to reductions in chronic and street homelessness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the targeting of federal resources to housing first and rapid re-housing strategies and other innovations in 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness that have demonstrated the result of reducing and ending the homelessness of our poorest neighbors.

Innovation in leadership, consumer-centric solutions, and results-oriented engagement have changed the way that communities are doing business when it comes to ending homelessness. Mayors meeting this week in Miami affirmed the role of innovation in their initiatives.

Tomorrow, we'll report on Resolutions # 27, #30, #31, and #34 which secured unanimous Mayoral support for Community 10 Year Plan Champions, Housing First, and Project Homelessness Connect.

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