The McKinney-Vento Homelessness Act

(a) In general

For purposes of this chapter, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual or homeless person" includes-

• an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and
• an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is: a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

(b) Income eligibility

In general, a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under any program provided by this chapter, only if the individual complies with the income eligibility requirements otherwise applicable to such program.

Exception

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.].

(c) Exclusion

For purposes of this chapter, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual" does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of the Congress or a State law.

The McKinney-Vento

Homelessness Act

Persons leaving the corrections system

Homelessness in the US

Victims of Domestic Violence

Industrial Revolution

The Civil War

Laws against panhandling

Episodic Homelessness

Pregnant Youth

Original 13 Colonies

Hobo

Tramp

Rejection from Settlements

Persons who go in and out of homelessness

Disabled Persons

Bum

Trail of Tears

The Great Depression

Homeless Sub-populations

The Federal Definition

of Homelessness

Transitional Homelessness

Federal Transient Service

Persons who are "getting back on their feet"

Persons with Mental Illness

Vietnam Era

Homeless Veterans

World War II

Increased homelessness

Time of lowered homelessness

Chronic Homelessness

Persons with Substance Abuse Issues

Persons who are homeless for a year or longer

OR, who have been homeless four or more times within 3 years

LGBTQ persons who have lost family support

How Many Homeless People are there in Chicago?

5,170 individuals were counted on one day living in either a shelter or on the street

It's not that simple...

Homelessness Today

On any given night:

750,000 men, women & children

98,452 families

Continuum of Care

Political Feasibility

Competitive programs

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

(recent)

Public Support

History of Homelessness Policymaking

Supportive Housing Program

The Shelter Plus Care Program

The Single Room Occupancy Program

The Emergency Shelter Grant Program

1987

2000

1986

1983

Bipartisan Support

Subtitle C - Supportive Housing Program

Advocacy Groups

Federal Task Force

Homeless Persons' Survival Act - renamed

Homeless Eligibility Clarification Act

Homeless Persons'

Survival Act Introduced

President Clinton renames the act, adding Bruce Vento's name

Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act Signed by President Ronald Regan

Title I: Federal Definition of Homelessness

Removed residency requirement barriers to existing services:

• SSI
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children
• Veterans Benefits
• Food Stamps
• Medicaid

Title 2: Interagency Council on the Homeless

Title 3: Emergency Food and Shelter Program through FEMA

Purpose

Promote the development of supportive housing and supportive services,including innovative approaches to assist homeless persons in the transition from homelessness, and to promote the provision of supportive housing to homeless persons to enable them to live as independently as possible.

Title 4: Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing

Title 5: Identify Federal Property Available

Strong Advocacy

Title 6: Health Care for the Homeless

Title 7: Education for Homeless Adults and Children

Title 8: SNAP and TANF collaboration

The Chicago Continuum of Care

Title 9: Veteran Job Training

Network of nearly 200 agencies

NOFA

Title 4: Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing

Opponents

Supporters

Subtitle A - Comprehensive Homeless Assistance Plan

Subtitle B - Emergency Shelter Grants Program

City of Chicago Plan to End Homelessness

Subtitle C - Supportive Housing Program

Smallest Government Possible

Priorities for programs and services:

Interconnectedness with other social programs

Subtitle D - Safe Havens for Homeless Individuals Demonstration Program

Removing "Incentives" for Homelessness

prevention through direct financial assistance

Subtitle E - Miscellaneous Programs

Subtitle F - Shelter Plus Care Program

discharge planning from corrections, hospital and child welfare institutions

Subtitle G - Rural Homeless Housing Assistance

Housing as a basic human right

and landlord/tenant mediation

Why Chicago’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness Will Not Work

Housing First

Wraparound Services

The plan:

• is underfunded
• underestimates the extent of the home stability problem in chicago
• does not actually become implemented through programming

System Infrastructure

Suggestions for change:

• include more services to provide for more affordable permanent housing
• increase services for special populations
• increase overall funding to match actual need

Economic Feasibility

Think Tanks

Effectiveness...

Media Coverage

is based on the likelihood that the policy will accomplish what its designers intended

Comorbidity

Homelessness reduction is not likely to cause other social problems

Focuses on Emotional Impact of Homelessness

Subpopulations

More housing stability is good for the economy

Visibility

Usually specifies "Homeless Children" or "Homeless Veterans"

Crime reduction

Lower drop-out rates

National Symposium on Homelessness Research

2007

Block Grant Funding

Contributing to the tax pool

Education

Steady Growth

The emergence and strengthening of new and existing collaborative efforts to address homelessness at all levels of government and among local providers and consumers.

Vulnerable to bias manipulation

funding has grown from $350 million to $1.9 billion

Competitive Funding

Slow to respond to changes in need-level

The Hearth Act

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009.

HUD will begin implementation of the HEARTH Act in 2011.

The HEARTH Act, during fund appropriations in 2011 and 2012, will increase assistance.

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