United States Interagency 
 Council on Homelessness          
September 30, 2016
Key Amendments to McKinney-Vento Act Take Effect  October 1 
 
Child on bicycle outside of apartment building October 1st marks the date when a number of new provisions to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, take effect. These new provisions strengthen the ability of children and youth experiencing homelessness to enroll, attend, and succeed in school.

In Part 1 of our series on effective collaboration between state and local education agencies and homelessness service systems, Deputy Director Jasmine Hayes highlights the changes to McKinney-Vento
 
100-Day Challenge Furthers Our Understanding of How to End Youth Homelessness
 
A Way Home America logo The 100-Day Challenge is a new initiative led by A Way Home America and the Rapid Results Institute to guide three communities as they develop and implement coordinated community approaches to end youth homelessness.

Management and Program Analyst Mary Owens reflects on her recent participation in the 100-Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness kick-off and what lies ahead for the three communities: Austin, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. 
 
Strategies for Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations to Drive Success
Hand-drawn depiction of partnership_ teamwork_ and collaboration
 
T hrough their deep sense of duty to their neighbors and ability to marshal expertise, resources, passion, and people, faith-based organizations are critical partners in the work of ending homelessness. 

Regional Coordinators Joe Savage and Amy Sawyer share their strategies for building and strengthening partnerships with faith-based organizations. 
 
Our Updated Housing First Checklist Can Help You Assess Your Projects and Systems
 
Apartment building
Housing First is a proven, evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that yields higher housing retention rates and helps people achieve better health and social outcomes.
 
Use our recently updated Housing First Checklist to help you make a quick assessment of whether and to what degree housing programs - and entire systems - in your community are employing a Housing First approach.  
 
Asking the Right Questions About Tiny Homes 

Tiny House The tiny house movement has been in the news a lot recently for its perceived potential to quickly house individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly in communities where there is an extreme lack of affordable housing. Before communities embrace this approach, however, we believe that caution is warranted.

If your community is considering tiny homes, Regional Coordinator Robert Pulster provides some questions to inform your decisions.

 
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month - a great time to deepen conversations with your partners around providing safe and stable housing for individuals and families who have experienced or are fleeing domestic violence.