Homelessness Update

Alliance Online News View in browser www.endhomelessness.org March 2, 2016 spotlight on... HUD Secretary Supports Proposed Budget Increase Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro defended the proposed FY2017 budget increase for his department before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies this week. He cited substantial proposed increases in funding for programs to end homelessness, including $11 billion in mandatory spending for homeless families. Read Secretary Castro's full testimony » Access the Alliance website for a full rundown of the President’s budget proposals for programs related to homelessness. Eight states selected for intensive Medicaid Housing Partnership State Medicaid agencies in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, Nevada and Oregon have been chosen by The Centers for Medicare and Medicare (CMS) to receive targeted program support for the purpose of promoting State Medicaid-Housing Agency Partnerships. This six-month training, which begins in May, will be an intensive and hands-on program aimed at building collaborative relationships with key housing partners. The National Alliance to End Homelessness and many other national organizations and federal partners are contributing to this opportunity. Learn more about this program» Funding Opportunity for RE-LINK The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the United States Department of Health and Human Services has announced the availability $2 million in grant awards toward the Re-Entry Community Linkages (RE-LINK) program for FY 2016. The purpose of the RE-LINK program is to improve the health outcomes for minority and/or disadvantaged re-entrants, ages 18-26, in transition from jail to their communities. Grant applications are due Thursday, April 21, 2016 by 5 p.m. EST. If you'd like more information, OMH will host a Technical Assistance Webinar on this topic on Thursday, March 10 at 3 p.m. EST. Learn more» Training Opportunity: Rapid Re-Housing Performance Benchmarks and Standards Are you looking for additional guidance on how to incorporate the new guidelines or a good, simple breakdown of what they mean? If so, this webinar is for you. Join Alliance staff Samantha Batko, Director of the Homelessness Research Institute and Cynthia Nagendra, Director for the Center for Capacity Building on Thursday, March 24 at 1 p.m. EST as they walk through the three core components of rapid re-housing and the most promising practices for building an effective program. Register today » Be sure to check out our blog series for more insight from the Alliance on the new benchmarks and standards. Conference Presentations Now Online Workshop presentations and resources from the 2016 National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness are now available. Head to the Alliance website, where you will find dozens of downloads ready for you to use and share.  Access resources » upcoming webinars not to be missed Transforming Homeless Services in Jacksonville, Florida Tuesday, March 8 at 1 p.m. EST There's still time to register for this informative webinar, designed for anyone interested in reallocating transitional housing to rapid re-housing. The hour will focus on the transformation of the homeless system in Jacksonville, Florida and how community leaders made the shift. Homelessness as a State of Emergency Wednesday, March 9 at 1 p.m. EST Join the Alliance, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness as they lead a discussion about Homelessness as a State of Emergency (SOE). Local decision makers and service providers will talk about how they implemented SOE declarations in their communities and what, if any, impact those declarations have had on local policies and service delivery. Upcoming events» from the blog Ending Homelessness Today the official blog of the national alliance to end homelessness Changes to VA Grant and Per Diem Program by Kathryn Monet The Alliance works with partners across the country to develop and implement strategies that end homelessness. Together, these strategies are resulting in significant progress toward reaching this goal. Prevent homelessness before it occurs Focus on timely returns to Permanent housing Implement evidence based strategies at the community level Strengthen the support system for vulnerable. Read more » comments » | New Guidance for Improving and Evaluating Rapid Re-Housing Practice by Jen Saunders Whether you are a funder or state leader looking to increase effective implementation of rapid re-housing in your community, a provider interested in learning about how to improve your rapid re-housing program, or a Continuum of Care (CoC) wanting more information about how assess programs, the Alliance has released new guidelines that can help: Rapid Re-Housing Performance Benchmarks and Program Standards.  Read more » comments » | Donors Go Above and Beyond in 2015 by Michelle Fantone 2015 was a milestone year as far as new and current donors stepping up to support solutions to end homelessness. Read more » comments » | About Us The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the problem of homelessness and preventing its continued growth. Join Us The Alliance is online: on Facebook, on Twitter, on our blog, and on our website! Join the Alliance's online community, and stay up-to-date with homelessness and housing information. www.endhomelessness.org Forward to a Friend Need Technical Assistance? Visit the Center for Capacity Building to learn more about the ways the Center can help your community end homelessness. Sign The Statement Sign the Never Another Homeless Veteran Statement! » National Alliance to End Homelessness 1518 K Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20005 (Tel) 202.638.1526 (Fax) 202.638.4664 © Copyright 2015 All rights reserved.