Homelessness Update

Alliance Online News View in browser www.endhomelessness.org Wednesday, April 6, 2016 spotlight on... Are Homeless Families Connected to the Social Safety Net? A new paper issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that families entering shelter are just as likely as other families living in deep poverty to receive income from TANF cash assistance, health care, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The findings suggest that, while additional efforts to connect families with poverty-level incomes to benefits may be appropriate, they are not likely to be sufficient to prevent homelessness. Read the paper >> rapid re-housing Know How Series kicks off next week, sign up now Sign up for our rapid re-housing newsletter to get updates on our month-long Rapid Re-Housing Know How Series starting next week. We will release new resources focusing on how to implement the three core components of rapid re-housing: housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and rapid re-housing case management and services. Sign up for the newsletter >> news alert HUD: use of criminal records to deny housing violates fair housing act The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released guidance to landlords and other housing providers clarifying that the use of criminal records to deny housing violates the Fair Housing Act when their use has a disproportionate affect on persons based on their race or national origin. Having a criminal record is too often a barrier to housing and puts many people, and disproportionately African Americans, at risk of homelessness. Read the guidance » SNAP time limits take effect As the U.S. economy improves, some states are putting time limits on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.  Starting in 2016 single, “able-bodied” adults age 18-49 without dependents will be limited in some states to receiving SNAP benefits for 3 months in any 36-month period. The time limit will be in effect in more than 40 states, and in 22 of thos, it will be the first time since before the recession.  Read the blog >> Upcoming Webinars April 7: Housing Access and Stability with SOAR For individuals with disabilities who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, lack of stable income can mean the difference between housing and living on the streets. You will hear from providers and learn how their programs obtained funding, engaged housing providers and created an effective and lasting SOAR initiative. >> Register: Thursday, April 7, 3 p.m. EST April 12: Addressing Family Homelessness in Cleveland Register for an informative webinar on how the City of Cleveland is working to address family homelessness. Speakers will provide an overview the homeless system, including its diversion program, how coordinated entry works with rapid re-housing, progressive engagement and the process of housing families. >> Register: Tuesday, April 12, 1 p.m. EST April 19: Best Practices to Support Homeless Youth on College Campuses What happens to homeless youth who wish to pursue higher education, but no longer have access to a K-12 McKinney-Vento homeless liaison? A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is designed to help unaccompanied homeless youth successfully navigate the college-going process. Register for the webinar and learn more from The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. >> Register: Tuesday, April 19, 2 p.m. EST April 27: Closing a Case: Knowing When to End Rapid Re-Housing Assistance Determining the right time to end assistance and close a case is one of the hardest decisions a service provider must make. Ben Noll from Friendship Place will present on tools and strategies providers can use to help prepare both themselves and consumers for the transition away from financial and/or case management assistance. >> Register:Wednesday, April 27, 1 p.m. EST from the blog Ending Homelessness Today the official blog of the national alliance to end homelessness SNAP time limits take effect by Sharon McDonald As the U.S. economy improves, some states are putting time limits on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Starting in 2016, in 22 additional states, single “able-bodied” adults age 18-49 without dependents will be limited to receiving SNAP benefits for 3 months in any 36 months period. Read more » comments » | How Program Philosophy and Design Standards Contribute to a Stronger Rapid Re-Housing Program by Jen Saunders A look at how the program philosophy and design standards of the new Rapid Re-Housing Performance Benchmarks and Program Standards provide guidance on the broader role of rapid re-housing when it comes to ending homelessness. Read more » comments » | How to make shelter safe for transgender individuals by Anna Blasco The shelter system as a whole is “utterly failing to provide safety or relief for transgender and gender non-conforming people facing a housing crisis,” according to a 2011 report by the National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Use these HUD tools to make shelter safer to transgender individuals. 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.