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Interagency Council on Homelessness, State and Local Initiatives

Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions.

Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions. No one federal agency, no one level of government and no one sector of the community can reach the goal of ending homelessness alone. Federal agency collaborations and partnerships with state and local governments and the private and faith-based and community sectors are key to achieving the objectives of preventing and ending homelessness. The Council has established a broad range of intergovernmental partnerships:

Federal Regional Interagency Councils. The Interagency Council has encouraged the development of Federal Regional Interagency Councils through which key regional representatives of Federal agencies are convened to mirror the work of the federal partners in Washington to make resources more available and accessible to homeless people.

State Interagency Councils on Homelessness. Every State and territory has been encouraged by the Interagency Council to establish by legislative authority or Governor's Executive Order a State Interagency Council on Homelessness with representation at the Cabinet level from the mainstream income support, health care, behavioral health, human services, veterans, corrections, transportation, education, and labor departments and agencies. To date, Governors of 53 states and territories have taken steps to create State Interagency Councils on Homelessness.

Jurisdictional 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness. The Administration has set a goal of ending chronic homelessness. Cities and Counties across the country are being encouraged by the Council to create business-like, results-oriented 10-Year Plans that incorporate cost benefit analysis and prevention, housing, and services innovations and best practices. 300 cities and counties are underway with this jurisdictional planning effort with many having already begun implementation. In 2006, the State of Michigan directed the development of 60 new 10-Year Plans covering all 83 of its counties, providing a new model of Federal, State, and local jurisdictional partnership and planning. Legislation enacted by the State of Washington has also resulted in the creation of local jurisdictional 10-Year Plans throughout that state. Please see Tools section this page for additional information and resources.