ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. A new Ten Year Plan commitment was made in Orange County, California last week, making the Southern California jurisdiction the newest among nearly 700 jurisdictional partners in more than 350 Ten Year Plans across the nation. County Supervisors Chair John Moorlach, who announced the jurisdictional commitment affirmed the value of existing county partnerships and the importance of moving forward with a plan: "Orange County has a strong network of public and private agencies addressing the issues of homelessness. The 10 Year Planning process is an opportunity to coordinate and build on these efforts." Andrew Do, Chief of Staff to Supervisor Janet Nguyen and recently elected as a City Councilor in Garden Grove, in also affirmed his support of planning and ending homelessness.

"In moving forward with a Ten Year Plan to end homelessness for those who are most vulnerable, disabled, and costly in health and community systems, Orange County joins a national partnership of more than 650 communities partnered in 350 Plans across our nation," indicated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Phillip Mangano who joined the county partners for the launch event. "Kudos to Orange County political leadership, Karen Roper of the County, and community stakeholders who will create jurisdictionally-led, community-based plans to move beyond managing the crisis to ending the disgrace in a compassionate, business informed cost effective strategy."

Orange County Community Services, in partnership with representatives from the Health Care Agency and the County Executive Office, are currently working with a group of public and private stakeholders in the development of Orange County's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. Once drafted, the 10 Year Plan will be submitted to the County Board of Supervisors for approval consideration.

The 10 Year Plan event followed the convening of the Southern California KEYS partners at the Orange County Rescue Mission. Following the press announcement, Mission president Jim Palmer and Orange County Community Services Director Karen Roper hosted a working lunch for partners to be briefed on the National Partnership by Director Mangano and to learn about best practices in 10 Year Plans. Council Regional Coordinator Eduardo Cabrera also took part.

Pictured here are (left to right): Chariman Moorlach, Orange County Community Services Director Karen Roper, Orange County Rescue Mission President Jim Palmer, and DIrector Mangano.

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. In Southern California last week, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano met with Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge, who has served his city in public office since 1979. Mayor Loveridge, first elected as Mayor in 1994, also served on the City Council from 1979-1994. He is currently First Vice President of the National League of Cities.

Following on discussions begun at the recent National League of Cities Congress in Orlando, Director Mangano and Mayor Loveridge met at City Hall and focused on the National Partnership constellated by the Council with jurisdictional officials and Riverside's Ten Year Plan. Joining the Mayor and Director Mangano for the meeting were Housing Services Director Eva Yakutis and Homeless Coordinator Don Smith. The Mayor agreed that the time is right to recalibrate the Plan with a focus on adopting innovations that are working around the country to end homelessness. Mayor Loveridge will lead the recalibration process himself, bringing his skills and experience of more than 40 years as a professor at the University of California, Riverside to the task. Pictured here are (left to right): Ms. Yakutis, Mr. Smith, Director Mangano, and Mayor Ronald Loveridge.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. In Northern California, Director Mangano met with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, to examine current issues and challenges in the Oakland and Alameda County Ten Year Plan. In 1980, then House Committee on the District of Columbia Chair and U.S. Representative Ron Dellums, now Mayor of Oakland, California, convened the House Committee for the first contemporary Congressional hearing to focus on homelessness, with specific attention to the District of Columbia.

Director Mangano and Mayor Dellums examined the street homelessness and encampment issues in the area, and also the important role being filled by the innovation of Community Champions for Ten Year Plans. Mayor Dellums, joined by Miguel Bustos, his director of intergovernmental affairs, is prepared to move ahead with recalibration of the Oakland plan, including business partners and identifying a Champion for the effort. He also will develop an action plan for street and encampment issues. During the meeting, Mayor Dellums became the latest signatory to the America's Road Home Statement of Principles and Actions now signed by more than 440 elected city and county officials.

While in Oakland, Director Mangano met with Eileen DeColigny, Executive Director of Everybody Home, the Alameda Ten Year Plan, and Linda Gardner of Alameda County government.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. An early concern about the development of a national partnership that focuses on jurisdictional officials from state, county, and city government was the issue of sustainability when leadership changes through election outcomes or term limits. Over the course of the more than six years since the revitalization of the Untied States Interagency Council on Homelessness and its constellation of the national partnership, there has been a steady pattern of deepened commitment - rather than abandonment of mission - through leadership changes at every level of government.

This new vernacular of consistent commitment was in evidence last week as Council Director Mangano met with Sacramento, California Mayor Heather Fargo, whose city has partnered for results in ending homelessness. In September California's state capital announced its first-ever decrease of 5 percent in chronic homelessness as it has moved forward with the implementation of its city- county 10 Year Plan. Mayor Fargo and county officials welcomed Director Mangano for the announcement and a briefing of the Ten Year Plan Policy Board and Planning Council. Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Director Bruce Wagstaff and Cortez Quinn, Chief of Staff for Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson also participated.

This week, Mayor Fargo, who will shortly leave office, updated Director Mangano and invited him to the League of California Municipalities meeting. Mayor Fargo is currently President of the League, which is affiliated with the National League of Cities. Mayor Fargo also previously served on the Sacramento City Council. In Newport Beach, Mayor Fargo acknowledged the Council's work and Director Mangano urging her colleagues to partner with the Council. Mayor Fargo is pictured here receiving a recognition at the League event.

While in Sacramento, Director Mangano also met with incoming Mayor-elect Kevin Johnson, who will take office in the capital city in December. In May of 2000, Mayor elect Johnson retired from the NBA after 12 seasons with the Phoenix Suns. He returned to his hometown of Sacramento, California to serve as the CEO of St. HOPE, a non-profit community development corporation he founded in 1989 designed to revitalize inner-city communities through public education, economic development, civic leadership and arts enrichment. He serves on the Board of Directors for LISC National, the CA Charter School Association, the UC Berkeley Foundation, the Institute of Governmental Studies National Advisory Council and the Harvard Divinity School SLI Advisory Board. He was honored by President George Bush with the Point of Light award and was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Director Mangano and Mayor elect Johnson (pictured here) agreed to meet after the mayor takes office, and the Mayor pledged to sustain both the role of Sacramento's Policy Board guiding its Plan and the staff commitment the City currently has to plan implementation.

TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA. Jurisdictional 10 Year Plan leaders from fifteen cities and counties across Southern California - part of California KEYS - gathered last week at the invitation of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which took responsibility to re- convene KEYS after a period of dormancy. The event at the Village of Hope development of the Orange County Rescue Mission was designed for 10 Year Plan leaders to strengthen their partnership and share their innovations and challenges with peers. California KEYS is the collaboration of 10 Year Plan leaders from across California. Mission President Jim Palmer and Orange County Community Services Director Karen Roper welcomed the partners.

A key focus of the meeting, which followed on the Northern California KEYS meeting in October, was results-oriented, multi-jurisdictional 10 Year Planning. Orange County's Karen Roper has played a key role in supporting KEYS and in creation of the Orange County Plan. During the KEYS meeting, Orange County committed to move ahead with a Plan (see related story).

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano updated the jurisdictional partners on the research, resources, and results at work across the country. Director Mangano briefed partners on the progress of the National Partnership constellated by the Council and new innovations and results from across the country, as well as challenges and opportunities.

Urging the partners to adopt innovations that are working to end homelessness, Director Mangano indicated, "If after 25 years of response to homelessness, with innovations touching almost everything else in our lives, if we're still doing the same thing for our poorest neighbors, warehousing them in shelters and feeding them ad hoc-ly with drive- by meal programs and bread lines, then shame on us. If that's the best we can do, if that's the best we have decades after our first response, we need to re- think what we're doing."

Challenges identified by partners included building momentum to implement 10 Year Plans with the changing political leadership, creating strong city and county relationships for day to day collaboration, increasing jurisdictional commitment within counties, cost benefit analysis for jurisdictions, Housing First and other housing development, and encampments and street homelessness. Opportunities identified included cross-jurisdictional collaboration to seek regional solutions, regional replication of successful local interventions, emerging cost benefit analysis, new expanded inclusion of consumers in planning processes, plan recalibration initiatives, and sharing of best practices.

Council Regional Coordinator Ed Cabrera organized the KEYS meeting which took place at the 4,400 square-foot kitchen, dining and service area at that was donated, designed and built by Irvine-based business The Cheesecake Factory. The Village of Hope can serve up to 600 formerly homeless residents daily. The center is supported by private donations and includes 192 beds, a child development center, playground, parent education center, vocational training classrooms, health care facility, donation warehouse, the kitchen and dining facility and support offices. HomeAid Orange County has led the Village of Hope partnership.

EUGENE, OREGON. A major partner in Oregon's initiatives to end homelessness is the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC). Fifteen Oregon counties have officially endorsed development of 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness. Five of those Plans are complete with their strategies being implemented. Plans from Yamhill, Marion, and Linn Counties, are just reaching completion. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has been an active partner to their commitments, and OAC was a co-sponsor with the State of Oregon and the Interagency Council of the successful Oregon Leadership Summit on Ending Chronic Homelessness in 2006.

The Association of Oregon Counties, under the leadership of Executive Director Mike McArthur, Deputy Director Cara Fischer and Policy Director Gordon Fultz, last week convened their annual conference in Eugene, Oregon, and Council Executive Director Philip Mangano delivered welcome remarks to the two hundred county elected officials by audio link. "The commitment and partnership we see in Oregon, from the state, from the counties across the state, and from the cities partnered with counties is a model for the nation. You have not let turf or borders or party affiliation deter you from a focus on our most vulnerable neighbors." Pictured here is Marion County Commissioner Janet Carlson, Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall, and Council Coordinator Carlson.

Council Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson reported to the participants on the progress of Ten year Plans in Oregon, the region, and across the country. "Communities large and small, urban and rural, are achieving results across the country in reducing the numbers of people on the streets," he noted. " This progress is not among communities that share similarities, for these communities are as different in character as Seattle is from Port Angeles, Washington, as different from Portland to Newport, Oregon. Rather the similarity that has brought success has been each community's commitment to the common goal of achieving visible and measurable results on the streets of their communities through the use of proven practices such as Housing First and Project Homeless Connect."

County leadership is an asset in Oregon, where mainstream state and federal funds for general health care, community mental health, and for low income housing predominantly flow through county government. The members of the Association of Oregon Counties have championed local 10 Year Plans, including Commissioner Bill Hall of Lincoln County, Marion County Commissioner Janet Carlson, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler, Washington County Chair Tom Brian, Yamhill County Commissioner Kathy George, Deschutes County Commissioner Tammy Melton, Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader, Jackson County Commissioner David Gilmour, Coos County Commissioner Kevin Stufflebean, Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist, and Benton County Commissioner Jay Dixon. These local elected leaders have become champions for their respective county homelessness plans.

HONOLULU, HAWAII. "Hawaii United to End Homelessness - Coming Together, Moving Forward" was the theme of the statewide summit on homelessness convened last week by the office of Governor Linda Lingle and Lieutenant Governor James Aiona. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to keynote the conference, spoke to attendees by audio link.

"You are blessed in Hawaii by public officials - your Governor and your Lieutenant Governor - who are partnered to forward your Ten Year Plan to end homelessness, who have put their political will and business expertise behind the business oriented effort," indicated Director Mangano. "We know from plans across the country that the single most important factor in implementing plans and getting results is the political will of the jurisdictional CEO's. With Sandy Miyoshi and Kaulana Park in the Governor's office, with Holly Hollowach of Partners in Care, you are well positioned for the recalibration of your Plan that is underway."

Director Mangano thanked the Hawaii leaders for their commitment to end homelessness in the state. "But as we've all learned, if good intentions and well meaning programs could end homelessness, it would have been history decades ago. Our big heart now needs to be connected to a smart mind to reduce and end homelessness. That's why recalibration of the plan is so important. I remember Governor Lingle launching the Plan and observing that 'we have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem we just can't solve.' Now, initiative after initiative from the Governor, focused on housing, income, foster care and prevention, reentry, partnership with business, is creating a better Hawaii for every citizen, housed and homeless alike." Governor Lingle was recognized in 2006 with the Council's "Home for Every American" Governor's Award.

Governor Lingle, whose Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Hawaii was unveiled in 2004, last year signed legislation that provided $6 million for homeless programs, and extends conveyance tax deposits into a fund meant to increase the stock of affordable housing units and starts a registry that will give the state an inventory of existing affordable housing units. Earlier efforts by the Governor and State Legislature culminated in the enactment of three bills that together dedicated $40 million to homeless and housing programs.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Federal, state, and local government partners joined the faith community and other volunteer partners this week for a "Day of Thanks" at the historic Boston Rescue Mission in downtown Boston, where government leaders and volunteers gathered to serve about 500 Thanksgiving dinners. Mission President Reverent John Samaan was joined by Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano for the event, which highlighted BRM's Women's Parole Re-Entry Program.

"I am very glad to be here with Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino, strong jurisdictional partners to our common mission to end homelessness," indicated Director Mangano. "I was appreciative of the invitation from Reverend John Samaan, who has brought the community of Boston Rescue Mission to a different mission, that of partner. And thankful to be here with Michelle and J.T., who spoke to us about their experiences of homelessness and recovery. They embody what Scripture tells us of faith - that it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. They offer a living testimony that our goal to overcome homelessness is achievable."

"It's important for people that are struggling that we understand their struggles, and we're doing absolutely everything we can to make a better way," Governor Patrick told the partners. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts currently has underway an $8 million competition through the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness (ICHH) to invest in performance- based contracts with six new Regional Network Innovations to End Homelessness across the state as an action step of its state plan to end homelessness.

"That's why we're here today," Mayor Menino told the volunteers and business and civic partners. "To give people hope when they have no hope." Other speakers included Commissioner Harold W. Clarke, Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Jo Jo White, Director of Special Projects and Community Relation for the Boston Celtics, and James Westra, Board Chair of Boston Rescue Mission and Partner in the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Also attending from state and city government were Dr. Judy Ann Bigby, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, Leslie A. Kirwin, Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance, the state's budget office, State Representative Brian Wallace, Commissioner Jim Greene, Boston Emergency Shelter Commission, and Eliza Greenberg, Director of Elder Services for the City of Boston. Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also participated.

Pictured here are (left to right): Mayor Menino, Michelle, a consumer from Boston Rescue Mission, and Governor Patrick. Reverend John Samaan of Boston Rescue Mission is at right.

More than 25 communities are making final preparations to open doors to welcome homeless neighbors into the life of the community during the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness' Fourth Annual National Project Homeless Connect Week, which starts December 1. Over 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia have adopted the innovation of Project Homeless Connect developed in San Francisco four years ago.

The planning and preparation for Project Homeless Connect are challenging and rewarding. Project Homeless Connect communities can anticipate results from their partnership that also support their jurisdictional 10 Year Plan strategies. According to Cindy Pasko, Director of Community Development in Redmond, Oregon, which hosted its second Connect in October, "Without the success of the first Project Homeless Connect we could not have gotten the 10 Year Plan strategy endorsed. We were told that because the entire community had worked together and had proven "community will" the elected officials felt that they could make the endorsement so we could move ahead with integrated solutions."

"Project Homeless Connect has galvanized our region," she added. "The first event created so much dialogue. We leveraged that to educate the community on the real face of homelessness and the potential solutions. The partnerships that have been created through working on Project Homeless Connect have also created a new energy and hope for making real changes. A lot of the prior silos are breaking down, and the power of partnerships is being recognized. The faith-based and business communities are excited to be included in efforts that both "give fish" and "teach fishing".

The Fourth Annual National Project Homeless Connect Week will start as San Francisco, the historic home of the innovation of Connect hosts its 25th Connect event during National Week. Other National Week Project Homeless Connect events are scheduled in Concord, NH, Phoenix, Danbury, CT, Miami, FL, Nashville, TN, Madison County, IL, Nashua, NH, Springfield, IL, St. Louis, MO, New York City, Pomona, CA, Springfield, MO, St. Clair County, IL, Hartford, CT, Los Angeles County, Morristown, NJ, Clarksville, TN, San Diego, Manchester, NH, Huntington, WV, San Antonio, and Minneapolis.

The Council will bring you continuing coverage of the National Week, its results, and innovations. If your community is planning a Project Homeless Connect, be sure to visit the Council's new on-line resources to guide your results-oriented use of best practices and consumer focus. The Council has recently posted all 2007 and 2008 e-news profiles of local Project Homeless Connect events, describing partnerships, on-site innovation, resources, and results.

You can also visit web sites of local Project Homeless Connect event to read more about local planning and partnership and view short videos and other features about events. And you can download sample forms and tools for planning and debriefing your event.

Planning a Project Homeless Connect event? Write to us at: nphc@usich.go

email: ichnews@setechnology.com

web: http://www.usich.gov