2014 National Family and Youth Conference Materials Available Online
| February 25, 2014 | ||||||
ISSUES | POLICY | SOLUTIONS | NEWS & EVENTS Forward Editor: Emanuel Cavallaro | ||||||
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The Senate returned from its President's Day recess yesterday, while the House returned today.
Tomorrow, Wednesday February 26, at 2 p.m. ET, the Alliance will host a webinar on the Department of Veterans' Affairs' (VA) recently released Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. This NOFA is for $300 million in funding for renewing existing grants and for new grantees. It also includes an additional, one-time "surge" funding, which will provide an additional $300 million in funding to 78 communities over the next three years.
This webinar is designed to inform Continuum of Care (CoC) leaders about their role in the SSVF NOFA. Speakers will address how "surge" funding represents a huge opportunity for the 78 communities. Speakers will also discuss the current state of the national push to end veteran homelessness and look at good rapid re-housing models.
President's Budget Proposal - Overview and Impact on Homelessness
On Thursday, March 6, at 1:30 pm ET, the Alliance will host a webinar on the President's fiscal year (FY) 2015 Budget Proposal. The President's Budget, which reflects the Administration's funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and is meant to guide Congress as it moves through the federal appropriations process, is expected to be released on Tuesday, March 4.
The webinar will provide an overview of the federal budget process and an analysis of the Administration's proposed funding levels for federal affordable housing and homeless programs. Presenters will provide a rundown of the President's FY 2015 budget requests, along with information on this year's opportunities to advocate for protecting and expanding critical housing and homeless assistance programs.
The Alliance has published "Core Components of Rapid Re-Housing," a resource that identifies the core components of rapid re-housing as an intervention. The Alliance developed it in collaboration with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and VA. This document is meant to guide the efforts of the Alliance, USICH, and other federal agencies to expand the implementation of rapid re-housing to address homelessness.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced that it will award $10 million for services in supportive housing to local governments, nonprofits, and other groups demonstrating capacity to house homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals. The agency will make up to 25 awards for projects up to three years in length. Funds cannot be used to pay for housing. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 25.
SAMHSA will also be offering training to Continuums of Care (CoC) under its SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) program. The training is designed to improve access to federal disability programs for people with behavioral health problems and will only be available to CoCs who have not already participated in the program. Applications to participate in SOAR are due March 10.
For more information contact the SOAR Technical Assistance Center
The Alliance just wrapped up our 2014 National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness last week. It was a fantastic learning experience for everyone involved. If you weren't there, or if you would just like a handy summary, here is a quick look at the main points that emerged during the two-day conference.