2012 NCHV Annual Conference: Call for Abstracts
Presentations sought for premier event, May 30 - June 1, 2012

The 2012 NCHV Annual Conference will be held May 30 through June 1, 2012, in Washington, D.C. We are now accepting abstracts from those interested in presenting at next year's conference. The theme for the 2012 conference will be "Halfway Home: The Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness."

In order to be considered, all abstract submissions must be emailed to NCHV Technical Assistance Director Baylee Crone at bcrone@nchv.org by Jan. 16, 2012.

To download the abstract submission form, click here. Stay tuned to the NCHV website for registration information and more details about the 2012 conference as they become available.

Homelessness among Veterans Declines 12 Percent in 2011
67,495 veterans were homeless on a single night in January 2011

WASHINGTON – The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development today announced that a new national report shows that homelessness among veterans has been reduced by nearly 12 percent between January 2010 and January 2011. The 12 percent decline keeps the Obama Administration on track to meet the goal of ending veteran homelessness in 2015.

“This new report is good news for the tens of thousands of veterans we have helped find a home. Our progress in the fight against homelessness has been significant, but our work is not complete until no veteran has to sleep on the street,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. “We have been successful in achieving this milestone due to strong leadership from the president and hard work by countless community organizations and our federal, state, and local partners who are committed to helping veterans and their families get back on their feet.”

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan added, “We’re absolutely headed in the right direction as we work to end homelessness amongst those who have served our nation. This significant decline tells us that the Obama Administration is on the right path, working together across agencies to target federal resources to produce a sharp and measureable reduction in veteran homelessness. As we put forth in the first federal plan to prevent and end homelessness, there’s plenty of work ahead to reach our goal, but these numbers validate the work done by both HUD and VA to reach our nation’s homeless veterans and get them into permanent housing.”

According to the 2011 supplement to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) released today, 67,495 veterans were homeless in the United States on a single night in January 2011 -– a significant reduction from last year’s single night count of 76,329.

For more information on these new figures, click here.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families Grant Application Workshops
Workshops taking place in December and January

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that $100 million has been made available to community agencies to assist very low-income veterans and families facing homelessness. These funds are offered through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, a homeless-prevention and rapid re-housing program. The “Notice of Funding Availability” and applications are available on the VA website at www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.

Conference Description: In December and January, VA is sponsoring free workshops to review grant applications for community organizations interested in applying for funds under this program. The workshops will be held in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Oakland, and Kansas City.

For more information: Click here for locations, dates, and the registration form, and click here to download presentation materials.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Requirements Proposed Rule
Comments due by Feb. 7, 2012

On Dec. 9, 2011, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continued its process of implementing the HEARTH Act by publishing the proposed rule for HMIS Requirements. Interested parties should submit comments to www.regulations.gov by Feb. 7, 2012.

The HEARTH Act required HUD to establish standards related to HMIS, including standards related to encryption of the data collected and the rights of persons receiving services under the McKinney-Vento Act.

This proposed rule provides for:

 - Uniform technical requirements of HMIS,
 - Proper collection of data and maintenance of the database, and
 - Confidentiality of the information in the database.

This proposed rule will apply to recipients of financial assistance under the following programs:

 - Emergency Solutions Grants,
 - Continuum of Care,
 - Rural Housing Stability Assistance,
 - Supportive Housing Program,
 - Shelter Plus Care, and
 - Section 8 Single Room Occupancy Moderate Rehabilitation.

HUD published the HMIS rule separate from these program rules in part to avoid repetition in these rules. Please note: This rule is being published for public comment, and not for effect. HMIS systems that are currently in operation must continue to use the standards currently in place (the 2004 Technical Standards and the 2010 Data Standards) until the HMIS rule is published as final. 

Funding Opportunities

The Andrews Foundation makes contributions only to nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the Andrews Foundation is to offer philanthropic support and development in the following areas: child and family welfare, disaster response and relief, higher education, physical and mental health, and religious and spiritual growth. Applications are reviewed throughout the year. For more information, click here.

The Northwestern Mutual Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that meet the Foundation’s focus areas. The Foundation gives in the following areas: Arts education, special needs, healthy habits, literacy, basic needs, self sufficiency, and quality of life. Deadlines for applications vary based on location and focus area. For more information, click here.