DCH Partners with Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness

State Promotes Healthy Living in Homeless and Emergency Shelters

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) and the Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness, Inc. (GCEH) have partnered to raise awareness of flu prevention among the state's homeless population. The outreach is being launched during Homeless Awareness Week in Georgia, November 1-7, 2009.

"We applaud GCEH for getting involved and advocating for the homeless in Georgia," said Dr. Rhonda Medows, DCH Commissioner and State Health Officer. "Our collective mission to ensure the health and overall wellbeing of Georgia's homeless can impact the lives of the men, women and children living in shelters or temporary housing in
Georgia."

The homeless population is diverse, transient, and includes single adults, children and families. Much of the homeless population resides in shelters, but over 40 percent are unsheltered. In addition, events such as acts of nature (e.g., floods, tornadoes and hurricanes), reduce access to everyday resources. Disease outbreaks such as the 2009 H1N1 flu may contribute to a rapid increase in emergency shelter usage.

Therefore, the CDC's interim recommendations to reduce transmission of seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu in this group are critical.

"It is critical for all housing facilities to ensure that the best health and safety precautions are implemented to protect the families in their care," said Katheryn Preston, Executive Director, Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness, Inc. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends general guidelines for homeless and emergency shelters to prevent the spread of disease, and DCH and GCEH are promoting these recommendations through educational pamphlets and prevention messages."

The CDC recommendations are:

1. Encourage all persons within the shelter to cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue. Throw all tissues in the trash after use. Maintain good hand hygiene by washing with running water and soap, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth;

2. Make the means for appropriate hand cleansing is readily available within the shelter, including common food preparation and dining areas. Ideal means for hand cleansing include, running water, soap, and hand drying machines. Paper towels and waste baskets should be made available. Shelter staff, volunteers and clients should frequently wash their hands with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer if hand washing with soap and water is not possible;

3. Shelters should follow standard precautions in the shelter settings. This includes training staff in the control of infectious diseases, providing access to personal protective equipment and apparel,
and encouraging proper hand washing; and

4. Clean all common areas within the shelter routinely and immediately with the cleaning agents normally used in these areas. Items that are often in contact with respiratory droplets and hands (e.g., doorknobs, faucets, etc.,) should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with detergent and water. Cups and utensils should not be shared until after washing.

For a copy of the Homeless and Emergency Shelters - Protect Yourself Against Seasonal Flu and 2009 H1N1 brochure, visit http://health.state.ga.us/;

A complete list of the Interim Guidance for Homeless and Emergency Shelters on the H1N1 virus can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/homeless.htm.
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Ga Coalition to End Homelessness: News from the Hill

HUD Makes Additional Funds Available to Public Housing Authorities

Facing Shortfalls Last week, HUD announced that additional funds have been made available to PHAs participating in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The additional funds are available to PHAs that are experiencing funding shortfalls that limit them from serving families already housed through the program. Currently, HUD plans to award $41 million to minimize the impact on families and prevent the termination of housing vouchers. Please note that PHAs are urged to contact HUD no later than August 14 if they believe they will have to terminate standing vouchers due to insufficient funds in fiscal year 2009. HUD is determining the degree of the budget shortfall through email from PHAs, so it is imperative that agencies that suspect they will experience a budget shortfall in FY09 contact HUD immediately.

More Information

SELHA Introduced in Senate

On July 28, the Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act (SELHA) was re-introduced in the Senate. The legislation, S. 1523, was introduced by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and is co-sponsored by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK). SELHA would create a new program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at HHS to fund an array of services in permanent supportive housing, with a focus on helping people move toward recovery and self-sufficiency. Under the legislation, households experiencing long-term homelessness could receive services that would continue once they are housed. S. 1523 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Congress in Recess

Both the House and Senate are now in their August recess and are expected to return after Labor Day. At that point, the Senate will continue work on fiscal year 2010 appropriations bills, and both chambers will work on a number of other housing- and homelessness-related bills.

HRE Posts CoC Registration Training Modules

Last week, HUD posted training modules for the 2009 Continuum of Care (CoC) Registration on the Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE). The training materials are designed to assist with the completion of the new electronic CoC application submission process. HUD has posted web-based training modules reviewing both CoC registration and an overview of e-snaps. Training modules for completion of Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2 in e-snaps will be available on HRE later this month.
More Information

The Technical Assistance Collaborative & the Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities Release Resource on HPRP for People with a Disability

Late last month, the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force released a new issue of Opening Doors, their joint housing publication for the disability community. Issue 32 provides people in the disability community with information on how to serve homeless and at-risk people with disabilities using Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds. Specifically, the publication provides information on HPRP target populations, grantees and timelines; how public housing authorities can play a role in HPRP activities; how HPRP funds can be used to prevent and end homelessness; and how HPRP can be used to assist extremely low income people with disabilities.

Issue 32 of Opening Doors

National Law Center On Homelessness and Poverty & the National Coalition For The Homeless Release Report on Local Anti-Homelessness Laws

Last month, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) released "Homes Not Handcuffs," a report that tracks the criminalization of homelessness across the United States. The report details specific city measures that disproportionally target homeless people, including laws criminalizing sleeping or eating in public spaces.

More Information and Download Report

National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty Releases DV Q&A Document

Recently, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) released a Questions and Answer (Q&A) document for advocates. The Q&A focuses on domestic violence shelters and federal civil rights statutes. Specifically, the Q&A covers the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The resource provides details about how these civil rights laws impact domestic violence shelters and their services.

Download Q&A Document

Information contained in this release is provided by live RSS news feed from the National Alliance To End Homelessness, Washington D.C.

Visit Us On The Web At www.gahomeless.org
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