A new policy brief on youth homelessness has been published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The brief provides data on homeless youth, estimates of the number of homeless youth across a typology, and lays out strategies to more effectively end homelessness for unaccompanied youth.

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The President has proposed that Congress provide $2.23 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants – a 17 percent increase over FY 2012. Now, it’s up to us to ensure Congress follows through on the recommendation.  Please join CCEH in writing letters to Senators Blumenthal and Lieberman and Representatives DeLauro, Murphy, Larson, Himes and Courtney to ask them to support a funding level of $2.23 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento programs.

Representatives have until March 20 (and Senators until March 23) to submit a list of their official funding priorities to the HUD Appropriations Subcommittee. So, we need YOUR help to convince them to include a request for $2.23 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento programs.

Write a letter!  (Samples letters for advocates and consumers) Email/fax letters to the following:

Sherri Vogt
Housing Staff, Congressman Joe Courtney
Phone: (202) 886-0139
Sherri.vogt@mail.house.gov

Paul Kidwell
Legislative Director, Congressman Christopher Murphy
Phone: (202) 225-4476
Fax: (202) 225-5933
Paul.kidwell@mail.house.gov

Brian Kelly
Housing Staff, Congressman Jim Himes
Phone: (202) 225-5541
Fax: (202) 225-9629
Brian.kelly2@mail.house.gov

David Sitcovsky
Legislative Assistant, Congressman John Larson
Phone: (202) 225-2265
Fax: (202) 225-1031
David.sitcovsky@mail.house.gov

Eric Anthony
Legislative Assistant, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Phone: (202) 225-3661
Fax: (202) 225-4890
Eric.anthony@mail.house.gov

Gregory Zagorski
Legislative Assistant, Senator Joseph Lieberman
Phone: (202) 224-9271
Fax: (202) 224-9750
Greg_zagorski@lieberman.senate.gov

Jillian Martin
Legislative Assistant, Senator Richard Blumenthal
Phone: (202) 224-2823
Jillian_Martin@blumenthal.senate.gov

Rich Kehoe
State Director, Senator Richard Blumenthal
Rich_kehoe@blumenthal.senate.gov

To have the greatest impact, we want everyone to send letters at the same time, from now through March 20. The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) made a HUGE difference in Connecticut. But with HPRP set to expire and the effects of the recession still lingering, we need further federal investment to keep homelessness from rising, to continue funding existing ESG and CoC activities, and to implement the HEARTH Act, with its focus on proven solutions like homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing.

Want more information? Have questions? Contact Lisa Sementilli at lsementilli@cceh.org or Kate Seif at the National Alliance to End Homelessness at cseif@naeh.org.

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Today CSH announced the recipients of our Social Innovation Fund grants. The four teams of organizations will work with CSH to create solutions that link supportive housing and healthcare. Together, we’ll build integrated models that improve the health of the vulnerable men and women who are caught in a revolving door of hospitals, emergency rooms, detox and other crisis health services—while also reducing costs to public systems. 

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One way of looking at the business of state government -- especially human services -- is through numbers.

The state's population of about 3.5 million breaks down into about 1.3 million households, according to the U.S. Census.

Of those, more than 190,000 households last year claimed the federal EITC -- earned income tax credit -- a good indicator of families living on the financial edge.

But Friday afternoon, in a room in the state Legislative Office Building, a single, small number seemed to stand out and tell its own story.

The number was 83, and it referred to the number of children who are in state custody for only one reason: their families have no home.

Read the full story, from the CT Mirror

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Federal agencies lack adequate data on the characteristics and needs of homeless women veterans on a national, state, and local level. VA does not have the information needed to plan services effectively, allocate grants to providers, and track progress toward its overall goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

Findings:

• The number of women veterans identified as homeless more than doubled, from 1,380 in fiscal year 2006 to 3,328 in fiscal year 2010. Although these data are not generalizable to all homeless women veterans, the General Accounting Office identified that almost two-thirds were between 40 and 59 years old;  more than one-third had disabilities; and many resided with their minor children.
• Homeless women veterans were not always aware of veteran housing services, which posed a significant barrier to access. Women veterans waited an average of 4 months before securing HUD-VASH housing. Without referrals for shelter or temporary housing during these waits, homeless women veterans may be at risk of physical harm and further trauma on the streets or in other unsafe places.
• Lack of housing for women with children is a significant barrier to accessing veteran housing.
• Homeless women veterans also cited safety concerns about housing, and some programs indicated incidents of sexual harassment or assault on women residents in the past 5 years.  To ensure that women veterans are safely housed, the Secretary of VA should determine what gender-specific safety and security standards are needed, especially for those serving both women and men.

For more information, contact Daniel Bertoni at (202) 512-7215 or bertonid@gao.gov.

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-182

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