Philip Mangano,
Director
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
451 7th St. SW, Suite 2100
Washington, D.C. 20410
Dear Mr.
Mangano:
We are writing
to express our concerns about the Administration's
"chronic homelessness" initiative, and to ask for
your support for measures to end homelessness for all
Americans.
First, the
"chronic homelessness" initiative does not address
the reality of homelessness in our states and communities. We
have witnessed growth in the scale and severity of
homelessness among families with children, unaccompanied
youth, and other populations who do not fit neatly into the
"chronic homeless" paradigm. Yet current federal
mandates are forcing our communities to overlook these gaps
and needs in favor of a narrowly-constructed national
priority. Non-disabled populations in our communities face
service gaps that, if left unaddressed, have the potential to
cause irreparable harm. For example, children who experience
homelessness are at a much higher risk of developing
disabilities, suffer from increased rates of illness, and
encounter numerous academic difficulties. By ignoring their
plight now, under the questionable assumption that families
move through homelessness more quickly and are therefore
unaffected, the Administration is all but guaranteeing the
perpetuation of "chronic" homelessness into the
foreseeable future.
We are also
concerned that the "chronic homelessness"
initiative, as currently envisioned, fails to end
homelessness even for those individuals who fit the
initiative's priorities. While supportive housing is a
critical component of ending homelessness for many
individuals with disabilities, by itself it cannot prevent
people with disabilities from becoming homeless. Similarly,
"discharge planning" is a laudable goal, but when
no affordable housing exists to which people can be
discharged, it becomes merely an exercise in problem
management. Only a sustained effort to address the systemic
causes of homelessness, including lack of adequate health
care, affordable housing, and livable incomes, will prevent
and end homelessness for people with and without
disabilities. This is perhaps the most perplexing aspect of
the "chronic homelessness" initiative: the
complete absence of any discussion of poverty. To separate
homelessness from poverty is to fundamentally distort its
causes -- which is precisely what the chronic homelessness
dialogue appears to have accomplished.
Finally, we are
troubled by the Administration's reliance on a single
research focus to formulate federal homeless policy.[1] While this research is
certainly informative, it is limited by its focus on
publicly-funded, centrally-administered shelters and major
metropolitan areas. Federal policy should not be based on
research that excludes the data and experiences of suburban,
rural, and smaller metropolitan areas, as well as less
traditional arenas of service delivery (public schools,
motels, community action agencies, etc). Nor should
definitive conclusions be drawn from this research -- namely,
that targeting resources toward a population that "uses
up" a greater percentage of federal resources will
"free up" more for other populations. In the
absence of any meaningful expansion of resources, or in the
absence of consideration of research that examines the impact
of homelessness on the populations assumed to be unharmed by
their relatively shorter shelter stays, such a conclusion is
unwarranted. In sum, we request that the Administration look
more carefully at existing research that is inclusive of all
geographic areas and populations.
In response to
our concerns, we are asking for the Administration's support
for measures to end homelessness for everyone.
Legislation such as the National Housing Trust Fund and the
Bringing America Home Act are based on the experiences of
front line providers and advocates, diverse geographic areas,
and wide-ranging service experiences. By addressing the
causes of homelessness -- not merely its symptoms -- they
offer real promise for abolishing homelessness from our
nation's history. We urge your support and request a
response.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National
Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National Center
on Family Homelessness
National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National
Coalition for the Homeless
National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans
National Policy
and Advocacy Council on Homelessness
National Human
Services Data Consortium
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National
Organization for Women
National
Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness Volunteers
of America
Colorado
Coalition for the Homeless
Illinois
Coalition to End Homelessness
Iowa Coalition
for Housing and the Homeless
Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Massachusetts
Coalition for the Homeless
Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Coalition on
Homelessness, San Francisco
Broward
Coalition for the Homeless
Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless
People's Emergency Center of Philadelphia
Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless
Missouri
Association for Social Welfare
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
Northern Kentucky Housing & Homeless Coalition
Upstate
Homeless Coalition of South Carolina
[1] Culhane, D.P. & Kuhn, R. (1997). Patterns and determinants of shelter utilization among single homeless adults in New York City and Philadelphia: A longitudinal analysis of homelessness. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 17 (1) 23-43.