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SpotlightUSICH Releases Strategic Plan to End Homelessness
USICH is releasing the first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness, Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to prevent and End Homelessness. Opening Doors will serve as a road map for joint action by Council agencies to guide the development of programs and budget proposals towards a set of measurable targets. The HEARTH Act, signed into law by President Obama in May 2009, mandated that USICH produce a "national strategic plan" to end homelessness to Congress. Opening Doors is available at www.usich.gov
Remembering Brian Reilly
 The first time I met Brian Reilly was at a packed meeting of social service providers, housing advocates and community leaders who sat upstairs in the meeting room at the United Way of Greater Waterbury to discuss the development of the Housing component of that city's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Brian introduced himself as a resident of the PILOTS Program. Warm, self-effacing, passionate with an impressive head of hair and equal dose of charm, I learned we are almost the same age. We shared insider jokes of the over 60 crowd and became instant friends. I asked if I could interview him for the Waterbury Ten Year Plan and he accepted.
At the many community meetings that I visit in my role as a community impact staff person at CCEH I am often struck by the challenge of connecting what we as housing advocates do with the people for whom we do it. How strangely challenging it is to incorporate the knowledge and wisdom of people who have experienced homelessness into the act of ending it. We recruit consumer voices to speak at critical meetings or to convince legislators but we rarely find the natural comfort zone the describes the mutual respect that we often share with our professional peers. In Waterbury, Brian Reilly did not allow that distance to exist He took his seat at the table with authority; he participated in the Waterbury CoC as a man who knew what he was talking about. People listened, learned, and appreciated his perspective and the grace with which it was delivered. In Waterbury Brian Reilly narrowed the invisible but persistent gap between those who suffer and those who wish to heal.
Brian's life ended bravely on June 11th. As he shared with me on many occasions, he had lived life hard, put some natural talents to poor use, and seen the underside of life at close range. In recent years he had lived successfully in a lovely apartment decorated with care and overseen with pride. He had also become an advocate for those who had experienced homelessness, sharing his story, including the details, to demonstrate that it is possible to land on one's own feet. He hoped that his family would come to know that his life had not, ultimately, been a failure, but, in fact, an inspiration to many, including his own. Brian Reilly was a man of stature, a man of courage, a true privilege to have known, and a mentor to all of us who feel strongly that as advocates for change we must keep Brian Reilly's voice in our heads and our hearts.
State Legislative/Budget Update
The housing and homeless line item was preserved with no cuts. Funding was added for 50 new certificates through the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) for supportive housing targeted to frequent users of state funded institutions and services. Service dollars were added to the DMHAS budget as well for this program.
There is also an increase of just under one million dollars to be directed to emergency shelters for intake, data collection and reporting and a $1.7 million to increase staffing at shelters for victims of domestic violence. CCEH will be working with DSS in hopes that these ESS funds are allocated quickly and seamlessly.
***Please thank your legislators for protecting services for our most vulnerable citizens and EXPANDING cost-effective supportive housing.***
 Enacted legislation
P.A. 10-185/H.B. 5413 An Act Concerning Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Emergency Contingency Funds. This law will bring in millions of federal dollars under the Temporary
Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund in the federal stimulus package. States are eligible for up to half of their annual TANF block grant which, in Connecticut is up to $133 million. States can apply for these funds for increased expenditures in cash assistance , subsidized employment, or non-recurring, short-term benefits. The law is a result of the work of a Governors' Task Force (which CCEH members were represented by Executive Director Carol Walter), allows the state to share a portion of the new federal revenues with nonprofit organizations that have received and/or will receive increased private-sector funding for TANF related purposes.
H.B. 5360 An act Concerning Children in the Recession. Among other provisions, the bill will require DSS in consultation with DCF, SDE, DHE and DECD, to "impede homelessness" and will make attending a two or four year degree program an approved work activity under the TANF program (after the unemployment rate exceeds 8% for the preceding three months-which it has in Connecticut in recent months).
P.A. 10-21/H.B. 5388 An Act Concerning Homeless Female Veterans and Bilingual Service officers. This bill requires the  State Department of Veterans' Affairs to conduct a study of homeless female veterans, including the number of such veterans and information on shelter options and resources available to them. Findings must be issued by January 1, 2011. The bill requires that at least two, instead of one, of the six veterans' service officers (VSO) in the Veterans' Advocacy and Assistance Unit be proficient in both English and Spanish. The requirement takes effect on the next opening of a VSO position after June 30, 2010.
(The Advocacy and Assistance Unit is responsible for helping veterans and their eligible spouses and dependents obtain veterans' benefits.)
S.B. 292 An Act Concerning Homeless Youth failed as a stand alone measure, but it's provisions were rolled into S.B. 494, An Act Making Adjustments To State Expenditures For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2011 which was signed by the Governor. The measure requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to establish a program for homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless. The program may include (1) public outreach, (2) emergency shelter, and (3) transitional living services. DCF can contract with nonprofit organizations or towns to implement its program. The bill also establishes a non-lapsing "homeless youth account" within the General Fund and directs the DFC commissioner to administer the program. The account must contain any funds required by law to be deposited in it, including a transfer of $400,000 from FY 09 DCF's (1) emergency needs appropriation and (2) $600,00 from it's board and care for foster children.
The task force was charged with reviewing budget implications related to domestic violence; identifying trends and research pertaining to social conditions, support services, healthy relationships, education, early intervention, court procedures and advocacy.
Domestic Violence legislation enacted
H.B. 5315 An Act Concerning Education and The Reduction of Domestic Violence. Requires boards of education and the state Department of Education to add teen dating and domestic violence education to staff training programs.
H.B. 5246 An Act Concerning The Protection of, and Services For, Victims of Domestic Violence. Includes a requirement that funding from the state's marriage license surcharge is adequately distributed to domestic violence shelters in a timely manner and the loosening of penalties for survivors of domestic violence who need to terminate their housing leases.
H.B. 5497 An Act Concerning The Recommendations Of The Speaker Of The House Of Representatives' Task Force On Domestic Violence. Creates a pilot program for electronic monitoring for the highest risk domestic violence offenders; improves enforcement of protective orders; enhances information sharing in family violence cases among appropriate state agencies; eliminates the look-back period for persistent family violence offenders; implements employment protections for family vilolence victims; and creates three additional domestic violence court dockets. For more information on the task force, see http://www.housedems.ct.gov/dv/index.asp or contact CCADV at 860-282-7899, www.ctcadv.org.
Housing and Homelessness Program Updates
Summer Camp and Recreation Program. CCEH will begin providing summer camp, recreation and childcare scholarships to homeless or recently homeless children in Greater Hartford, Greater Bridgeport, Norwalk and Westport beginning in July through September through the ARRA funded TANF Emergency Contingency Fund. The project, supported by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County will make up to $4,000 available for eligible camp, childcare, recreation, special events, transportation, clothing and accessories for eligible children residing in area homeless shelters, transitional housing or relocated and receiving services through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (prevention with relocation and rapid re-housing only). Providers will be subsidized by $500 per child placed for case management and service coordination. Remaining funds will be used to purchase back to school supplies for participating children. For information contact Edward Lazu at CCEH, elazu@cceh.org.
Housing First for Families. Beginning this summer, the Housing First for Families (HFF) program will coordinate housing based interventions for families with children who are served by Connecticut's emergency shelters, shelters for victims of domestic violence, or are within 30 days of discharge from a transitional housing facility for homeless families. The program will also re-house families who are targeted for re-unification with their dependent child upon placement in housing.
The Department of Social Services seeks to expand services which engage currently homeless families and provide 'housing find' services, and, at the same time, create a sustainable foundation for ongoing rapid re-housing services once federal Homelessness prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) funds expire. The program will run for fourteen months. For more information contact Naomi Elliott-Gallagher at CCEH, nelliott@cceh.org.
Norwalk Community Plan to End Homelessness. On May 19th, 2010, the city of Norwalk kicked off their new community plan effort, becoming the twelfth community or region in Connecticut to develop a plan to end homelessness. Mayor Moscia and others were present.  Several subcommittees have been formed including, supportive services, prevention, intervention, and employment and income. The process of developing the city's comprehensive plan is expected to take place over the next eight months. Mayor Moscia will co-chair the Norwalk Community Plan to End Homelessness which will be overseen by a Leadership Council representing a broad group of stakeholders including: elected officials, private sector leaders, healthcare leadership, educational leadership, faith and community based leadership, among others.
There are 1,000 communities nationwide that have partnered to develop about 350 10-year Plans, including 30 in New England and 11 in Connecticut. Norwalk's final 10-Year Plan is expected to be aligned with the 2010 Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness presented to the President and Congress in May 2010.
Stanley Schuler, a formerly homeless individual spoke about his own experiences and successes. "If we are to end homelessness it will take courage as a community to look homelessness in the face and know that it could be you; it could be a child; it could be a neighbor,'' Schuler said "One unforeseen financial crisis, one job loss can, for people who do not have the luxury of a safety net system, mean homelessness. This a community issue and by creating a community plan to end homelessness is the only responsible thing to do. I am proud of Norwalk for taking this bold step." He added.
Bridgeport Mayor Reconvenes Leadership Group. On Wednesday, May 19th, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, in collaboration with United Way President and CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel, reconvened the original Leadership group which guides the progress of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Mayor Finch was please to highlight the progress achieved to date and anticipates further partnership with the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County in reinvigorating a stronger leadership advisory group.
Policy and Advocacy Updates
Proposed rule on the definition of homelessness. HUD has published the proposed rule for the definition of homelessness. The publication of the proposed rule begins HUD's regulatory process of the implementation of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009. This proposed rule only addresses definitions of the following terms; "homeless", "homeless individual", "homeless person", and "homeless individual with a disability". The proposed rule clarifies that individuals and families may qualify as homeless under four possible categories, corresponding to the broad categories established by the statutory language of the definition in section 103 of the Mckinney-Vento Act as amended by the HEARTH Act. The proposed rule and the McKinney-Vento Act as amended by HEARTH are available on the HRE at www.hudhre.info/hearth.
Resources on Housing and Homelessness
Homelessness: Information on Administrative Costs for HUD"s Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act directed GAO to study the appropriate administrative costs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Emergency Shelter Grants Program. This report discusses administrative costs might be different under changes Congress made to the ESG program in the HEARTH Act that expand the types of activities that may be funded.
Life after Transitional Housing for Homeless Families. This report addresses what happens to homeless families who "graduate" from HUD funded transitional housing and what factors affect housing, employment, and children's' well-being after transitional housing (TH). Project sites included Cleveland/Cuyahoga County, Detroit, Houston/Harris County, San Diego City and County, and Seattle/King County. 195 families were interviewed as they left TH. Certain aspects of TH programs and the way that mothers used them affected mothers' education immediately after TH and employment 12 months later. Having a housing voucher at TH exit was the strongest predictor of stable housing during the year following TH, but had no effect on employment outcomes. http://www.urban.org/publications/1001375.html
Incarceration and Homelessness. The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare has published an article on incarceration and the homeless by Andy McMahon of the Corporation fort Supportive Housing, on a Frequent Users Service Enhancement (FUSE) Initiative in New York. Every year, U.S. prisons and jails release almost 10 million people. Many return to impoverished neighborhoods and are trapped in a cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and health and mental health crises. More often than not, these people find themselves back in prison or jail for parole violations and quality of life crimes. Taxpayer dollars are wasted as the cycle continues and people's lives spiral out of control.
FUSE has placed more than 150 people with long histories in incarceration and homelessness into permanent supportive housing in NYC. Eligible participants identified through an administrative data match between the Department of Corrections and New York City Homeless Services, and recruitment and enrollment often begin while people are still incarcerated. Participants are provided with an initial burst of services as outreach is done, housing is secured, and they begin to stabilize in the community. A similar pilot program has begun in Connecticut, with support from CCEH's Homeless Management Information System.
http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/galleries/NCMagazine-gallery/NC%20Mag%20Criminal%20justice%20Web-Email.pdf
We call These Projects Home. Over the past few decades, the availability of affordable housing for low-income people has been diminishing at alarming rates. The Right to the City (RTTC) Alliance is a grassroots coalition that emerged in 2007 as a unified response to gentrification, calling for a halt to displacement of low-income people. In this report RTTC is focused on the effects of these policies on public housing and it's residents. One of the findings is that residents do not feel that they have adequate input into decisions that are made about public housing and have difficulty holding HUD and Public Housing Authorities accountable for their actions. Read more at http://www.advancementproject.org/sites/default/files/publications/righttocitycolor.pdf
Supportive Housing Report. The Corporation for Supportive housing (CSH) has released Forging Ahead: The State of the Supportive Housing Industry in 2010. In January 2010, CSH released a survey for individuals who are part of the supportive housing industry that attempted to better understand the challenges, opportunities, trends and issues in the current climate. The goal of the report is to create a better, collective understanding of the challenges, opportunities and trends facing government, non-profits and funders engaged in ending homelessness via supportive housing.
Calendar and Events
 Three Weekends, Six Parks. in 2006, CCEH sponsored the HartBeat Ensemble to create two original plays about homelessness in Connecticut. Plays in the Parks used comedy and music to reveal serious subjects in a way that makes them available to a broad spectrum of audiences. Plays in the Parks will be returning this July for the fifth year. From July 10th to July 26th Plays in the Parks will be staged at Pope Park, Elizabeth Park, Goodwin Park Keeney Park and Sigourney Square Park. www.hartbeatensemble.org
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