Donovan highlighted two programsrnthat have helped stabilized the homeless population.  The Homelessness Prevention and RapidrnRe-housing Program served 690,000 people during its first year of operationrnincluding 531,000 individuals who were prevented from becoming homeless in thernfirst place.  The remaining 159,000rnreceived “rapid re-housing” assistance to move from the streets or sheltersrninto permanent housing.  Fifty-ninernpercent of HPRP participants received assistance for two months or less withrnthose receiving homelessness prevention assistance requiring a slightly longerrnparticipation than those receiving rapid re-housing assistance.</p

The second program is the PermanentrnSupportive Housing Program (PSH) which combines shelter solutions with otherrnservices such as health care, employment, or addiction treatment.   PSHrnbeds are now the largest part of the nation’s homeless housing inventory withrn236,798 beds 23 percent of which are specifically targeted for the chronicallyrnhomeless.  Nearly 295,000 peoplernused PSH at some point between October 2009 and September 2010. Compared to thernsheltered homeless population, PSH tenants are more likely to be female, partrnof a family, living in an urban area, and African-American. Adult PSH tenantsrnare also more than twice as likely as adults in shelters to have a disablingrncondition (79 percent versus 37 percent.)</p

Donovan said that there are tworntrends that are notable in the new survey. rnThe first is a continued decline in the chronically homeless.  The numbers of this group have declined 11rnpercent in three years largely due to a focus on the problem among localrngroups.  At the same time there has beenrnan increase among families and in rural and suburban areas.  Donovan said one reason for the rise in the ruralrnhomelessness is the number of military personal who come from rural areas andrnreturn there and experience homelessness. rnVeterans, he said, are 50 percent more likely to become homeless thanrnthe general population.  A separaternassessment on veterans’ homelessness will be issued in the next few months.</p

The Secretary said the increase inrnhomeless families is not surprising given the economy and the history ofrnhomeless programs where local efforts have been targeted at chronicrnhomelessness so those tools are further advanced.  The local areas are not as far along dealingrnwith families but are catching up. </p

Barbara Poppe, chairperson of thernInteragency Council on Homelessness pointed out that family homelessness isrnmore complex because it requires a higher level of interagency cooperation tornaddress supportive services such as child care, child health, and education.  </p

The report says the long-termrnimpacts of the recession are unclear. A recent study found a nearly five-foldrnincrease in the rate of housing overcrowding, suggesting that many families arerndoubling up in response to the economic downturn.   If some of thesernfamily support networks already are struggling to make ends meet, some of therndoubled-up families may find their way into the homeless residential servicernsystem during 2010. </p

HUD will use the findings from thern2010 AHAR to continue to work to end all homelessness through the ObamarnAdministration’s initiative OpeningrnDoors, a federal strategy to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015,rnand to end homelessness among children, families, and youth by 2020. 

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