Addressing homelessness in the United States has been a federal policy priority for the past 16 years.  Beginning in 1987 with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the federal government has provided billions of dollars to fund an array of housing and service programs to help end homelessness.  The homeless population includes hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities.  Studies show that people with disabilities are over-represented within the homeless population.  They are more likely to have repeated episodes of homelessness and remain homeless for longer periods of time.

Recently, policy makers and advocates for homeless people have focused more attention to the needs of people who have been homeless for long periods of time.  The term chronic homelessness has been coined to help distinguish the needs of these individuals from others who may enter and exit the homeless system more quickly.  According to federal officials, this work is part of a larger federal effort to implement appropriate and effective housing and support services strategies for all homeless people.

Because so many people with disabilities experience chronic homelessness, it is important for the disability community to know more about these emerging federal policies, which are intended to end chronic homelessness in the United States in the next 10 years.

Funding Announcements and Notices
1/25/05 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $1.4 billion in homeless assistance funding. Click here to read more.

4/1/04 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued HOME funds targeted to housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness.  Read the press release.

4/1/04 – The Social Security Administration awarded $6.6 million to 34 sites to support enrollment of chronically homeless individuals who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Click here for the awards in PDF.

12/19/03 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced approximately $1.27 billion in homeless assistance funding. The awards will fund the Continuum of Care grants and Emergency Shelter Grants. Read more.

10/3/03 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  (HUD) issued PIH Notice 03-25,  which is a Homeless Initiative in Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs.  Click here to read it.

Click here to learn more about McKinney/Vento Homeless Assistance funding.

Publications and Resources
Opening Doors issue on Permanent Supportive Housing: A Proven Solution to Homelessness in HTML or PDF.

Interagency Council on Homelessness - The Council is responsible for providing Federal leadership for activities to assist homeless families and individuals

HUD issued a study titled, Strategies for Reducing Chronic Street Homelessness, that highlights the mechanisms and components of seven cities' efforts to address chronic homelessness. For more information, see HUD's summary.

National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) - The National Alliance to End Homelessness created the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, which identifies current weaknesses in addressing the problem of homelessness and lays out practical steps to end homelessness.
 
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) - The Corporation for Supportive Housing is leading the effort to develop a Compact to End Long-Term Homelessness. The compact commits those who endorse it to “a focused, committed national initiative to end long-term homelessness over the coming decade by creating 150,000 units of permanent supportive housing.”

One Family Inc.- One Famliy Inc. is devoted to ending family homelessness in Massachusetts and serves as a model nationwide. One Family Inc. brings together elected officials, faith and community organizations, and philanthropic and private leaders to design and implement effective, lasting solutions to family homelessness. One Family’s latest outreach initiative is called the Every Child Deserves a Home Campaign.   Visitors to the website can send an e-postcard asking for presidential leadership to help end family homelessness.