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Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness: Introduction

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Abstract

The Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness was a coordinated effort by the US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Veterans Affairs (VA), and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness to house and provide comprehensive supportive services to individuals with serious psychiatric, substance use, health, and related disabilities who were experiencing long-term chronic homelessness. Eleven communities received 3-year grants from HHS and VA (2003–2006) and up to 5-year grants from HUD (2003–2008) to implement the initiative. This article provides background on chronic homelessness, describes the federal collaboration to comprehensively address chronic homelessness, and introduces the seven articles in this special issue that describe the findings and lessons learned from the participating communities in addressing chronic homelessness. Collectively, these articles offer insight into the challenges and benefits of providing housing and services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

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Notes

  1. US Department of Health and Human Services (www.HHS.gov), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (www.HUD.gov), and US Department of Veterans Affairs (www.VA.gov) are cabinet departments of the US federal government.

  2. The Interagency Council on Homelessness (www.ICH.gov), authorized in the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, is responsible for providing federal leadership for activities to assist homeless families and individuals. The major activities of the council include: (1) planning and coordinating the federal government's activities and programs to assist homeless people and making or recommending policy changes to improve such assistance; (2) monitoring and evaluating assistance to homeless persons provided by all levels of government and the private sector; (3) ensuring that technical assistance is provided to help community and other organizations effectively assist homeless persons; and (4) disseminating information on Federal resources available to assist the homeless population.

  3. The HUD Shelter Plus Care Program provides rental assistance for hard-to-serve homeless persons with disabilities in connection with supportive services funded from sources outside the program. The program is designed to provide housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities (primarily those with serious mental illness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or related diseases) and their families who are living in places not intended for human habitation or in emergency shelters. The program allows for a variety of housing choices and a range of supportive services funded by other sources, in response to the needs of the hard-to-reach homeless population with disabilities.

    The HUD Supportive Housing Program is authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as amended. It is designed to promote, as part of a local Continuum of Care strategy, the development of supportive housing and supportive services to assist homeless persons in the transition from homelessness and to enable them to live as independently as possible. Assistance in the Supportive Housing Program is provided to help homeless persons meet three overall goals: achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or incomes, and obtain greater self-determination.

  4. The HRSA, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.

    The SAMHSA, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, was established by an act of Congress in 1992 under Public Law 102-321. SAMHSA was created as a services agency to focus attention, programs, and funding on improving the lives of people with or at risk for mental and substance abuse disorders.

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Acknowledgments

Recognition and appreciation to the members of the Policy Group that developed the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness: ICH: Philip F. Mangano and Mary Silveira; HHS: Walter Leginski, Jane Taylor, Michael J. English, Frances L. Randolph, Jean Hochron, and Lyman Van Nostrand; HUD: John Garrity, Mark Johnston, and Laura Hogshead; and VA: Pete Dougherty, Robert Rosenheck, and Al Taylor. Appreciation to Dr. James Herrell, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, for his contribution as editor for this special issue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1710 Hobart Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20009, USA

    Lawrence D. Rickards PhD

  2. Homeless Programs Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA

    Lawrence D. Rickards PhD

  3. Center for Qualitative Research, New England Research Institutes, 9 Galen Street, Watertown, MA, 02472, USA

    Sarah A. McGraw PhD

  4. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-49, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA

    Lynnette Araki MPH

  5. VA Homeless Providers, Homeless Grant/Per Diem Program, Office of Mental Health Services (116E), US Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20420, USA

    Roger J. Casey PhD, LCSW

  6. Special Needs Assistance Program, Office of Community Planning and Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7256, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

    Cynthia W. High MSW

  7. US Interagency Council on Homelessness, 409 Third Street, SW, Suite 310, Washington, DC, 20024, USA

    Mary Ellen Hombs MCP

  8. Special Needs Assistance Program, Office of Community Planning and Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7262, Washington, DC, 20041, USA

    Robyn S. Raysor MSW

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  1. Lawrence D. Rickards PhD
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  2. Sarah A. McGraw PhD
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  3. Lynnette Araki MPH
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  4. Roger J. Casey PhD, LCSW
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  5. Cynthia W. High MSW
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Correspondence to Sarah A. McGraw PhD.

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Rickards, L.D., McGraw, S.A., Araki, L. et al. Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness: Introduction. J Behav Health Serv Res 37, 149–166 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-009-9175-1

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