HUD, VA Secretaries to Speak at NCHV Annual Conference

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2011 – Shortly after they were sworn into office in early 2009, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki met with the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) Board of Directors to express their support of President Barack Obama’s commitment to end veteran homelessness.

Two years later, with the administration’s Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness underway, they will meet again to address the nation’s veteran service providers at the 2011 NCHV Annual Conference, June 6-8, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Keeping with the theme of this year’s conference, “Leadership: Implementing the Plan to End Veteran Homelessness,” Secretaries Donovan and Shinseki will assess the progress toward ending veteran homelessness by 2015, and highlight the important work that lies ahead. Over the course of three days, conference attendees will learn firsthand how the plan will impact their organizations and federally funded programs.

Joining the secretaries at the opening session will be Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), and Ray Jefferson, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor-Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS).

Poppe facilitated the drafting of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, the first comprehensive blueprint in U.S. history to coordinate homeless services across all federal agencies. Her work has helped coordinate the response of 19 federal agencies invested in the campaign to end homelessness. The conference will help service providers assume a leadership role in developing local action plans in their communities.

Assistant Secretary Jefferson has undertaken an ambitious campaign to increase veteran employment opportunities by reaching out directly to corporate America and veteran-owned small businesses. In the process he has emphasized outreach to veterans who are homeless, unemployed and underemployed, and veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

NCHV Policy Forum and Workshops

The NCHV Policy Forum, which will be held on the afternoon of June 6, will dispel rumors and answer questions about the impact of the Five-Year Plan on grant-funded homeless veteran assistance programs. Top officials from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Labor will participate in Q-and-A sessions, directly responding to service providers’ concerns. USICH Deputy Director Anthony Love will co-facilitate the forum with NCHV President and CEO John Driscoll.

In addition to policy briefings and networking opportunities at this year’s annual conference, attendees will be able to engage in 34 critical workshops, including sessions on the following:

1. Changes in the Grant and Per Diem Program
2. The future of HUD-VASH and access to low-income housing
3. Increasing veteran employment opportunities
4. Ensuring veteran access to mainstream and homelessness prevention services
5. Expanding legal aid for homeless veterans
6. Data integration impact on local programs and funding

Registration for the 2011 NCHV Annual Conference is still open. A registration form can be downloaded here (PDF). Although NCHV’s discount room-block at the Grand Hyatt has sold out, general reservations may still be made by calling 202-582-1234 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-582-1234 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. You may also search for other accommodations at www.travelocity.com/hotels.

For more information on the 2011 NCHV Annual Conference, click here.