Several members of the Flint\Genesee County Continuum of Care attended the Michigan State Homeless Summit and learned about many of the coming changes with how the Federal Government and the State of Michigan will address the issue of homelessness in the next few years. The following are some of some highlights of the conference.

1. On May 19th, Congress passed the HEARTH Act which drastically changes the landscape of homeless services. It changes the federal definitions of homelessness to make it possible to do more to prevent homelessness before it happens. It also supports continued efforts to get individuals back into housing rapidly if they do become homeless.
HEARTH Act Overview

2. There will be increased federal funding for homeless prevention programs, and funding for innovative solutions for addressing homelessness.

3. Communities in Michigan are transitioning into a performance evaluation period where they will use data to evaluate their Federally sponsored "10 year Plans" and addressing areas that need improvement.

4. The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program, which is part of the Federal Recovery Act will continue moving forward in most Michigan communities, helping to support families that are on the verge of or who have become homeless due to the economic situation in Michigan.

Conference Brochure for the 2009 Homeless Summit