The Office of Family Assistance provides guidance to states and is working in partnership with other agencies to combat family homelessness.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar, "Leveraging TANF Funds and Strategic Partnerships to Improve Housing Stability and Economic Outcomes for Low-Income Families." The webinar provided an overview of Federal regulations relating to the use of TANF and Maintenance of Effort funds, highlighted promising State and local program models for individuals at-risk, provided examples of allowable uses of TANF funds for homeless stability and employment services, and discussed strategies for choosing and implementing various program models and partnerships.

How can programs advance the self-sufficiency and well-being of at-risk youth? This report attempts to answer this important question by presenting a research-based framework for efforts to help at-risk youth enter a career workforce trajectory and prepare to become well-functioning, self-sufficient adults. The framework presented is particularly relevant for youth who are or could be served by ACF programs—especially homeless youth, youth in the foster care system, and teen parents—but it may also apply to other programs. The framework suggests the possibility of using evidence-informed interventions to address two primary areas: youths’ resilience and human capital development. It suggests finding tailored solutions grounded in a trusting relationship between youth and program staff to help move youth toward both healthy functioning and economic self-sufficiency as they transition to adulthood. This report was written as part of the Youth Demonstration Development project being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall Center for Children. (author abstract)

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has released an early childhood and family homelessness resource list in order to reinforce the importance of access to quality early childhood services for young homeless children and their families. The resources listed clarify policy options for State Administrators of Child Care and Head Start Directors to ensure that more young children and their families are served in child care and Head Start programs.

This report provides a synthesis of research and existing ACF resources for serving at-risk youth. It describes what we know from research about at-risk youth. It then describes how at-risk youth are currently being served by ACF programs and by programs outside of ACF that have been shown to put youth on a path toward self-sufficiency. Based on the review of research and resources, it identifies issues to consider in creating conceptual frameworks for developing and enhancing ACF programs that can or do serve at-risk youth. In the remainder of this chapter, we state the key questions that guide the synthesis, define some key concepts, and describe a number of at-risk youth populations served by ACF programs. (author abstract)

Providing vital resources to homeless women veterans is a priority for the Women's Bureau U.S. Department of Labor. "Women in the Military: Resources for Benefits and Trauma-Informed Care" roundtable hosted by the bureau last week brought together 50 representatives from homeless shelters, medical centers, community-based organizations, and State and federal organizations. The bureau's Angela Rizzolo, who organized the roundtable with the Massachusetts Women's Veterans' Network, gave an in-depth presentation on how to use the "Trauma-Informed Care Guide." The bureau will continue to host a series of roundtables to educate service providers on the resources available to help homeless women veterans find a path to good jobs and financial security.

Through the U.S. Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, the Department awarded 90 grants totaling more than $20 million to fund job training and support services. The services will support the training of more than 11,000 veterans for civilian careers. The Program provides occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.

The U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced awards of $201 million to 731 homeless programs across the United States, which provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent support for individuals and families. HUD also awarded $1.47 billion to renew funding to 7,100 existing local homeless programs. Between 2010 and 2011, homelessness declined 2.1 percent and 12 percent among Veterans.

On November 29, 2011 the TANF Faith-Based and Community Organizations Initiative, sponsored by the Office of Family Assistance, hosted a Webinar that featured an innovative community-based homeless shelter, a TANF agency that successfully uses volunteering and a presentation from the Corporation for National and Community Service on ways to strategically integrate volunteers in your own community.

From 2008 to 2009, the nation’s rate of homelessness rose by 20,000 people, or 3 percent. About four out of every 10 of these individuals live on the street, in a car, or another location not intended for human habitation. The National Alliance to End Homelessness released a report on the morning of Wednesday, January 12 analyzing the impact of the recent economic recession on homelessness in America. The report breaks its analysis into four main sections: (1) changes in rates of homelessness, (2) economic risk factors that have shifted due to the recession, (3) subpopulations that have been especially affected by the economic recession and trends within the given populations, and (4) specific States with increased risk factors for worsening rates of homelessness. The State of Homelessness in America is an effective evaluation of the most recent data related to homelessness and presents its findings using maps, tables, graphs and interactive online tools.