Homelessness

Organizations

American Public Health Association
http://www.apha.org
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world, representing more than 50,000 members from over 50 occupations of public health.
Center for Housing Policy
http://www.nhc.org
The Center for Housing Policy is the non-profit research affiliate of the National Housing Conference. NHC is the nation’s oldest non-profit, bipartisan organization working toward the provision of decent affordable housing and a sustainable living environment for every American.
Center for Urban Community Services
http://www.cucs.org/
Provides supportive services for homeless and formerly homeless people—street outreach, a drop-in center, transitional and permanent housing programs, and vocational and employment programs, with a special focus on specialized services for people with mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and chemical dependency.
Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, American Bar Association
http://www.abanet.org/homeless
This commission helps state and local bar associations and other organizations start pro bono programs that meet the legal needs and concerns of people who are poor and/or homeless.
Community Connections
http://www.common.org
Community Connections, the information center of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Community Planning and Development, serves state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, public interest and intermediary groups, and other groups interested in housing and community development.
Corporation for Supportive Housing
http://www.csh.org
The Corporation for Supportive Housing is the only National intermediary that strives to ensure the expansion of permanent housing linked to services for persons with chronic medical, mental health, and other disabilities, who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www.va.gov/
Federal agency responsible for administering veterans’ benefits and services, including the special Homeless Veterans Program.
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program
http://www.efsp.unitedway.org
This Federal emergency program provides funds for basic food and shelter, including rent, mortgage payments, and utilities.
Homes for Homeless
http://www.homesforthehomeless.com
Homes for the Homeless works to reduce homelessness and poverty by providing families who are homeless with the education, employment training, and support services that will enable them to gain and retain permanent housing.
HUD USER
http://www.huduser.org
HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research sponsors HUD USER, an information service that provides ready access to research information and publishes the free newsletter, Recent Research Results.
Interagency Council on Homelessness
http://www.ich.gov
The Interagency Council on Homelessness provides Federal leadership for activities to assist families and individuals who are homeless.
Mercy Housing, Inc.
http://www.mercyhousing.org/
Mercy Housing is a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating and strengthening healthy communities by developing affordable housing for families, seniors, formerly homeless persons, people with HIV/AIDS, and individuals with chronic mental illnesses and physical impairments.
National Alliance to End Homelessness
http://www.endhomelessness.org
This alliance is a national membership organization and is rooted in the belief that all sectors of society need to mobilize to end homelessness. Its membership consists of leaders in the financial community, non-profit agencies, grassroots providers, political leaders, and private citizens.
National Association of Community Health Centers
http://www.nachc.com
The National Association of Community Health Centers is a national resource for public policy information on primary health care for the homeless and other medically underserved populations.
National Center for Homeless Education
http://www.serve.org/nche
This is a national resource center of research and information enabling communities to successfully address the needs of homeless children and youth and their families.
National Center on Family Homelessness
http://www.familyhomelessness.org
The National Center on Family Homelessness is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of homeless families through informing public policy and public education. It broadly disseminates knowledge gained from its research and program activities to policy makers, providers, funders, advocates, and media across the country.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
http://www.nchv.org
This coalition’s mission is to end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and building the capacity of service providers.
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
The mission of the National Coalition for the Homeless is to end homelessness. Their work is focused in four areas: housing, economics, health care, and civil rights. The site has updates on pending policy and legislation, updates on coalition projects, and a calendar of events.
National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness
http://www.nrchmi.samhsa.gov
Develops papers, workshops, and training programs on service delivery to homeless persons with serious mental illnesses. Maintains a database of over 4,000 articles.
National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness
http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org
This campaign, a non-profit network of colleges, universities, and high schools, is a project of the Public Research Interest Research Groups and recognizes the need to address issues of hunger and homelessness.
Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, Office of Community Planning and Development, HUD
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/index.cfm
This program provides funding to programs that provide housing and services for various segments of the homeless population
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
http://www.pathprogram.samhsa.gov
Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming home-less.
Steuben Churchpeople Against Poverty, Inc.
http://www.scapinc.org/aboutus.htm
Steuben Churchpeople Against Poverty, Inc., is a licensed not-for-profit, non-religious housing agency founded in 1969 that works to reduce homelessness, violence and substandard housing while improving the quality of life in Steuben, Allegany and Livingston Counties. This includes hundreds of clients every year who are domestic violence victims, people with mental illnesses and/or low-income home owners and renters. 24 hour domestic violence hotline: (800) 286-3407
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
http://www.hud.gov/
Federal agency responsible for national housing programs, fair housing opportunities, and improvement and development of the Nations' communities.

Online Resources

Office of Community Planning and Development
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/index.cfm
The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) seeks to develop viable communities by promoting integrated approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons.
Office of Public and Indian Housing
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/index.cfm
The Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) ensures safe, decent, and affordable housing, creates opportunities for residents' self-sufficiency and economic independence, and assures the fiscal integrity of all program participants.
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health Subcommittee on Housing and Homelessness.
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/papers/Homeless_ADA_Compliant.pdf
Background Paper
Housing Choice Vouchers
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.cfm
Housing choice vouchers allow very low-income families to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing.
Housing Counseling List of Agencies
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hccprof14.cfm
This page provides a listing of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies! HUD funds housing counseling agencies throughout the country who can give you advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues and reverse mortgages.
Housing Discrimination Complaints
http://www.hud.gov/complaints/housediscrim.cfm
This page contains information on how to file a housing discrimination complaint, provides contact information to the correct department, and information on proper procedure.
Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/aidshousing/programs/index.cfm
The HOPWA Program was established by HUD to address the specific needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA makes grants to local communities, States, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons medically diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families.
Health Care for the Homeless Information Resource Center
http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/hchirc
This web site contains information on projects to end homelessness, a directory of agencies serving the health care needs of people who are homeless, a comprehensive bibliography of articles on issues regarding homelessness, a newsletter, a list of conferences, and publications on homelessness.
Fair Housing Laws
http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm
HUD created this page for People with Disabilities. It contains information, from all parts of HUD's web site that will interest this specific population.
Fair Housing Laws and Presidential Executive Orders
http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/index.cfm
This page, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, lists and provides brief explanations of Federal laws and Presidential Executive Orders relating to fair housing.
Family Unification Program
http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/famuni8.cfm
The Family Unification Program provides Section 8 rental assistance to families whose lack of adequate housing is a primary cause of the separation, or imminent separation, of a child or children from their families. This web page provides more information on who is eligible and how to apply for the program.
HUD Veteran Resource Center (HUDVet)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/hudvet/index.cfm
The HUD Veteran Resource Center (HUDVET) was created for veterans as a partnership between National Veteran Service Organizations and HUD. This directory is designed to increase veterans’ knowledge of and participation in the wide variety of HUD homeless assistance programs and services for them and other individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/index.cfm
Community Development activities include many different programs that provide assistance to a wide variety of grantees. Begun in 1974, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is one of the oldest programs in HUD. The CDBG program provides annual grants on a formula basis to many different types of grantees through several programs.
HUD’s Emergency Shelter Grants Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/esg/index.cfm
The Emergency Shelter Grants program provides homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services. This page provides more information on the program.
HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/programs/home/index.cfm
The HOME Program helps to expand the supply of decent, affordable housing for low and very low-income families by providing grants to States and local governments.
HUD’s HOPE IV Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/index.cfm
The HOPE IV Program was developed as a result of recommendations by National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing. This page provides more information on the program.
HUD’s Housing Choice Vouchers
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet.cfm
This fact sheet provides information on HUD’s housing choice vouchers, who is eligible for them, and how to apply for them.
HUD’s Shelter Plus Care Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/splusc/index.cfm
The 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. This web page provides more information on the program.
HUD’s Single Room Occupancy Program (SRO)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/sro/index.cfm
The SRO Program provides rental assistance for homeless persons in connection with the moderate rehabilitation of SRO dwellings. This page provides more information on the program.
HUD’s Supportive Housing Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/shp/index.cfm
The Supportive Housing Program is designed to develop supportive housing and services that will allow homeless persons to live as independently as possible. Eligible applicants are States, units of local government, other governmental entities such as PHAs, and private nonprofits.
HUD's Public Housing Program
http://www.hud.gov/renting/phprog.cfm
The Public housing program was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. This page provides information on who is eligible for public housing and how to get more information on it.
Modification Funds
http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf09/modifica.cfm
If you live in Federally-assisted housing, the housing provider may be required to pay for modifications. This page provides resources for more information on modification funds and who is eligible for them.
Rental Assistance for Non-elderly Disabled Families in Support of Designated Housing Allocation Plans
http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/mixpop.cfm
HUD provides Section 8 rental vouchers and certificates to Public housing authorities (PHAs) that have approved plans to designate certain housing as elderly-only, disabled-only, or mixed elderly and disabled households to enable persons with disabilities to rent affordable housing. This web page provides more information on who is eligible and how to apply for the program.
Section 508
http://www.section508.gov/
Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. This web page provides more information on the requirements.
Section 8 Assistance for Public Housing Relocation/Replacement
http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/phrr123.cfm
Section 8 certificates or vouchers may be allocated to public housing tenants forced to move because of rehabilitation or demolition of their public housing unit. This web page provides more information on who is eligible for the program and how to apply for it.
Set-Up (Office of Labor Relations Apprenticeship Opportunities Program)
http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/stepup.cfm
Step-Up is an apprenticeship-based employment and training program that provides career potential for low-income persons by enabling them to work on construction projects that have certain prevailing wage requirements.
Step-Up Jobs Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/olr/stepup.cfm
Step-Up is an apprenticeship-based employment and training program initiated by HUD in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to address the "Welfare to Work" and economic self -sufficiency needs of public housing residents as well as other low income people. This page provides more information on the program.
Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities (Section 811)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/progdesc/disab811.cfm
The Section 811 program allows persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible in the community by increasing the supply of rental housing with the availability of supportive services. More information on this program is available on this page.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/elder_rights/ltc/ltc.asp
An overview of the Long-Term Care Ombudsmen program and services. Ombudsmen advocate for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, assisted living facilities and similar adult care facilities.
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives - Homelessness
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/grants-catalog-homelessness.html
This site provides information on grants available to faith-based and community organizations to fight homelessness.
Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing
http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/mto.cfm
Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing (MTO) is a 10-year research demonstration that combines tenant-based rental assistance with housing counseling to help very low-income families move from poverty-stricken urban areas to low-poverty neighborhoods. This web page provides information on the program and informs readers how to acquire an application for it.