Addressing Homelessness
Recent Happenings
Seven Iowa School Districts are receiving funding for 2003-2006 under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Title X, NCLB. These funds are used to provide programs serving students in homeless situations. Many school districts do not apply because the level of funding is low. Not all applicants can be funded (seven out of fourteen or 50% of those that applied in 2002). These grants are approved for a three-year cycle. If additional funds become available all districts will be notified and a posting will occur on the on the Grants (http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/grants.html) web page of the Homeless Education web site, which is part of the Iowa Department of Education web site.
Programs for Returning Dropouts and Dropout Prevention, Including the Homeless
School Districts can generate additional funds via increased allowable growth for schools and programs for potential dropouts and dropouts under Chapter 257.38, Iowa Code. Potential dropouts include at-risk populations, including the homeless. These funds for separate schools, programs and support services may be made available to eligible students (1) by a school district, (2) as a cooperative effort between school districts, (3) through cooperative arrangements between school districts, and between school districts and community colleges, and (4) through cooperative arrangements between a school district and other educational agencies or other service providers. School districts can apply for increased allowable growth to serve returning dropout populations and potential dropouts if the local comprehensive School Improvement Plan addresses at-risk populations and is approved at the state level. Budgets are submitted via the Superintendents secure web page under the topic heading “At-Risk”.
(http://www.edinfo.state.ia.us Superintendents must enter their password to access this page.)
· A child or youth that is homeless and is attending any school in the district is automatically eligible for Title I services.
· Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), otherwise known as school districts, must reserve (or set aside) funds as are necessary to provide services comparable to those provided to children in Title I, Part A, -funded schools to serve homeless children who do not attend participating schools, including providing educationally related support services to children in shelters and other locations where children may live.
Head Start, Even Start, Pre-School Programs
In an effort to address this lack of access to preschool, the McKinney-Vento Act specifically covers preschool-aged children experiencing homelessness. State plans must describe “procedures that ensure that homeless children have equal access to the same public preschool programs, administered by the State agency as provided to other children in the state. (McKinney-Vento [722(g)(1)(F)(i)]). Both liaisons and state coordinators have responsibility for implementing these procedures. Liaisons must “ensure that….homeless families, children and youths receive educational services for which they are eligible, including Head Start and Even Start programs and preschool programs administered by the LEA. For additional information refer to Appendix E in “Homelessness: Local Program Review Guide: Services for Homeless Children and Youth”. This program Review guide may also be found at http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/documents.html.
Programs For Three, Four, And Five-Year-Old At-Risk Children And
Support Services For At-Risk Children Age Birth Through Three Years.
Section
279.51, Programs for at-risk children, Volume II, Code of Iowa, 2003 specifies
that grants can be awarded (1) to school districts to establish programs for
three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year-old at-risk children (this
includes homeless children) which are a combination of preschool and full-day
kindergarten and (2) to provide educational support services to parents of
at-risk children age birth through three years. Information can be obtained
from
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/1999SUPPLEMENT/279/51.html
For further assistance, contact Penny Milburn at Penny.Milburn@iowa.gov
Local Educational Liaison for Homeless Children and Youth
Homeless Advisory Committee
The purpose of the committee is to:
(A) Develop and carry out recommendations for a State Plan for the education of homeless Children under Federal homeless Assistance Act
(B) Monitor Federal funds coming to Iowa and make recommendations for use of the funds to carry out the state plan.
(C) Identify and communicate the needs of homeless children and youth to the Iowa State Board of Education and Federal Government as the needs relate to enrollment, attendance and success in school.
(D) Oversee the development of Federal reports as required by the U. S. Office of Education.
(E) Facilitate the coordination between education and other service agencies serving homeless children and their families.
(F) Review Federal and State Law (Education for Homeless Children and Youth) and make recommendations accordingly.
For further information go to the Organizations/Planning Groups web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/doc/opg.html
Identification, Counting, and Maintaining Data at the Local School
District Level
Documents Available on the Documents Web Page of the Homeless Education Web
Site http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/documents.html
Local Program Review Guides: Two
planning formats are enclosed for use by local school districts for identifying
needs and completing planning for school improvement in the area of serving
homeless children and youth.
Identification and Needs Assessment Form: A
form for use by school districts for identification at the building level.
Educating Homeless Children/Youth: A
process for use by schools in identifying, assessing needs, providing programs
and monitoring information.
Project Easier
Project Easier is a statewide data recording and tracking system, which allows all school districts to be able to transfer information on students via electronic communications. The system includes information on homelessness (identification, type of homelessness, grade level, and achievement information). This will accommodate the homeless by speeding up transfer of information between districts. Immediate enrollment of homeless students is required. The speedy transfer of information will speed up the provision of appropriate school programs and services. In addition, Project Easier will enable Iowa to be more proficient in recording and reporting homelessness. For further information contact Shawn Snyder, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 515-281-3757.
Meeting McKinney-Vento and Iowa Chapter 33
Requirements for Serving Homeless Children and Youth
Iowa School Districts are making considerable progress in addressing and meeting the enrollment and programming requirements of Title X, NCLB, and Chapter 33. The complete documents are available in Appendices A and B of the
Homelessness: Local Program Review Guide: on the Documents web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site. Chapter 33 is also available on the Laws, Rules, and Regulations web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/legis.html
Evaluations in local districts reflect that homeless children and youth are being enrolled immediately and that support is being provided. School Districts receiving funding support from Title X, NCLB, have reported increased student achievement. Program reviews in these School Districts verify successful compliance with federal and state requirements and proactive efforts to enroll and successfully program for students in homeless situations.
Homeless Education Web Site: Recent
Additions
Student
Curriculum Resource Guide, 2004: Includes links to Handouts, Power Point
Presentations, and Lesson Plans for Grade K-12, Advanced Learners, and Adults.
These resource materials cover most aspects of homelessness for use with
regular class students and adults. This document will also include links to
more lesson plans that are available via other sources on the internet. This
document is available on the Student Curriculum Resources web page of
the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/currriculum.html
On the Student Curriculum web page under Student Curriculum Resources
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/currriculum.html Links to Curricular Resources that can be accessed via the Internet are provided. These links are also identified in the Student Curriculum Resource Guide, 2004.
Major Studies:
Homeless Population: Counts and Estimates
http://www.iaae.net/Articles/Counts_Estimates_Part1.ppt
Homeless Population: Counts and Estimates
http://www.iaae.net/Articles/Counts_Estimates_ALL.pptThis power point includes the same information as the Part I power point above. It also includes additional information such as definitions, response rates, and estimating procedures.
Homeless Population:
Characteristics and Needs
http://www.iaae.net/Articles/Counts_Estimates_Part2.ppt
Teenagers Response To Homelessness: Runaways and Throwaways
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/doc/teen_repsonse.pdf
Alternative Residential Needs
Assessment
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/doc/arna.pdf
ICN Summaries: Training for Homeless Liaisons: Summaries of past training seminars on the ICN are provided for reference by newly appointed Liaisons and anyone involved or interested about homelessness and related services. These summaries are posted on the Program Planning/Staff Development web page on the Homeless Education web site.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/ppsd.html
State
Legislation, Administrative Rules and Executive Order
Council on Homelessness
On November 17, 2003 Governor Vilsak issued Executive Order Number Thirty-Three which created the Iowa Council on Homelessness (“Council”). As stated in the Executive Order,”the State of Iowa recognizes that public and private efforts to address and prevent homelessness are in the best interests of all Iowans, and the State of Iowa is committed to ensuring all Iowans have access to safe, decent and affordable housing, health care and education”. The Council is made up of thirty voting members from across the state and includes representatives of state and local governments, non-profits, advocates and homeless or formerly homeless individuals. The new Council replaces the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and has official representation of all major State agencies and local governments. Plans presently include the development of a State Plan to serve the homeless, new research efforts to identify and address issues, and improved networking between the Council and the Governor’s office and the Iowa legislature. Legislation and modeling at the federal level partially led to the development of the new Council. Information about the Council can be attained via the Iowa Finance Authority.
http://www.ifahome.com/iowa_council_on_homeless.asp
Chapter 33, Iowa Administrative Code
Chapter 33 has been amended to incorporate new changes based on Title X, NCLB. Federal law has led to and continues to provide a basis for services in public schools throughout Iowa via Chapter 33. The Chapter will continue to serve as a guide to all administrators in schools regarding school programming and support for homeless children and youth. The complete document is available in Appendices B of the Homelessness: Homelessness: Local Program Review Guide:
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/ppsd.html
Documents web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site. Chapter 33 is also available on the Laws, Rules, and Regulations web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/legis.html
Children’s Centers
Chapter 237B, Volume II, Code of Iowa, 2003 was enacted during the 1999 legislative session. It required the Department of Human services to establish certification or licensing standards for Children’s Centers. Children’s Centers mean privately funded facilities designed to serve seven or more children at any one time who are not under the custody or authority of the Department of Human Services, a juvenile court, or another governmental agency, and that offers one or more of the following services: a. child day care, b. child day care for children with chronic illness, c. respite care, d. family support services, e. medical equipment, f. therapeutic day programming, g. educational enrichment, h. housing. The act requires that the standards established by the Department of Human Services shall be broad-based facility standards for the protection of children’s safety. The act states that the Department of Human Services shall not establish program standards or other requirements under this section involving program development or oversight of the program provided to the children served by Children’s Centers. Chapter 237B permits the establishment of alternative residential centers who can serve homeless or near homeless children and youths. Individuals, organizations, and agencies in Iowa are expending efforts to establish Children’s Centers. Refer to Alternative Residential Needs Assessment and read the Housing Alternative Residential Centers below for further information.
Landlord Tenant
Law Changes to Avoid Eviction
The Iowa Coalition for
Housing and Homeless worked in partnership with the Iowa Coalition Against
Domestic Violence to change the landlord tenant law regarding clear &
present danger. Under the law, when a person presents a clear and present
danger (e.g. police calls to a residence) a landlord may choose to evict.
Usually this happens once the police are called more than twice to a residence.
There is a clause that states how to cure the problem with the landlord,
however, it is usually not presented and residents are not aware. This has
caused many victims of domestic abuse to be evicted because they have called to
police for their own safety. The law, Section 562A.27A, was changed to now
require landlords to put the “remedies to cure” in the eviction notice.
To access this law go to http://www.legis.state.ia.us/GA/80GA/Session.2/Summary/ and scroll to SF
2199.
Legal References In Iowa Code and Rules
That Are Relevant to Runaways and At Risk Children and Youth:
This annotated list includes brief summaries of Iowa legislation, rules and educational standards that are relevant to Runaways and At-Risk children and youth. This document can be accessed from the Law, Rules, and Legislation web page of the Iowa Department of Education Homeless Education web site. These laws and rules support and promote Personal, Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development goals. The list is offered as a quick index for developing understanding and consensus regarding some of the legal aspects of “why” local communities might direct significant energy into the development of personal, social, emotional and behavioral development concurrently with local schools. The document includes, Runaways and The Law (Iowa Code Sections with Specific Relevance to Runaways), Services and Funding For Runaways (Includes changes affecting services, federal funding for runaways, state services focused toward runaways), and Local Services For Runaways.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/legis.html
Iowa’s
Homeless Children/Youth and Their Families: Counts, Estimates, Characteristics,
Needs, 2001-2002 School Year
This study of Iowa’s homeless children
and youth population was financially supported by funds available to the Iowa
Department of Education through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education
Assistance Act 2001, the Head Start Collaboration Office, and the Iowa
Department of Economic Development. Planning, review, and dissemination
assistance was received from the agencies and organizations involved with the
Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. To access the full report, an executive
summary, and two power point presentations (Part 1 is counts and estimates and
Part 2 is Characteristics and Needs) go to the Iowa Association Alternative
Education web site.
http://www.iaae.net/Articles.htm
Safe Housing
Alternative Residential Centers
An ad hoc committee was formed by Congressman Neal
Smith in 1994 to encourage the development of safe housing alternatives that
would keep children and youth “out of the system”. The committee observed that during the past 40 years
agencies have become substantially dependent on government and United Way funds
and that these funds were becoming insufficient to cover the costs of “system” children they were serving. The
conclusion of the ad hoc committee was that their goal should be to encourage
the development of housing alternatives that would keep children “out of the
system.” The following are informal goals of the ad hoc group:
1.
To provide alternative safe residential opportunities for non-system children
to insure that they develop their educational and social s kills potential.
2.
To decrease the number of children and youth who are leaving home and then
becoming homeless.
3.
To assist the education systems (schools) by providing students with more
“home” support that will result in less classroom stress and frustrations for
teachers.
4.
To reduce the number of children that have found that the only way to escape
their home challenges and problems is to commit acts that will result in their
entering the “system” in order to seek help.
5.
To develop children who will become responsible adults through stable homes and
a good education in order to develop their potential and reduce the number of
adults that enter the prison system.
The
goal of the committee was to verify the lack of available programs for
non-system children and to encourage agencies to develop programs and
alternative residential options for non-system children. In order to determine
the number of children and youths that would potentially benefit from placement
in an alternative residential center, a study was authorized and funded. A needs-assessment survey was sent to all middle and
junior high schools in Iowa. A report, Alternative Residence
Needs Assessment for Middle/Junior High School Students, A Survey of Iowa’s Middle and Junior High Schools to
Determine the Extent of the Need for Alternative Residential Programs in
2001-02, was published.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/homeless/doc/arna.pdf
This report updates a previous study, Assessing
Iowa's Housing Needs: an evaluation of housing policy at the turn of the
century (August 2000). That report formed the basis for a proposed
comprehensive housing strategy for Iowa, formulated by the Governor's Task
Force on Housing (A Comprehensive Housing Strategy for Iowa, December 2000).
This study revises the analysis of Iowa's housing conditions based on the 2000
Census of Population and Housing data, released in August 2002. Based on these
analyses of housing and community development challenges, the report recommends
several strategies to address these challenges over the next decade.
This study has four goals:
·
To
examine trends in the demand for and supply of housing in Iowa over the 1990s,
and compare these trends to neighboring states;
·
To
develop a clear picture of housing challenges in the next decade, for Iowa's
communities and for its residents;
·
To
develop a clear picture of how the State has addressed these challenges up
until this point;
·
To
identify ways to meet these challenges in the next decade.
The Central Iowa Homeless Youth Services Network is made
up of three youth service agencies (Youth & Shelter Services, Inc., South
Central Youth & Family Services, and Francis Lauer Youth Services). These three agencies have joined together to
serve the needs of runaway and homeless youth in an area encompassing 29 central
Iowa counties. The Network provides services
in the following counties: Adair, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Chickasaw, Cerro
Gordo, Clark, Dallas, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie,
Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Jasper, Kossuth, Madison, Marion, Marshall,
Mitchell, Polk, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Warren, Winnebago, Worth and
Wright. The agencies provide transitional living
services and resources in central Iowa for homeless youth ages 16 to 21,
including pregnant and parenting youth. This includes transitional housing for
up to 18 months in transitional living facilities in Des Moines, Host Homes in
Marshalltown, Boone, and Ames, and scattered site apartments. There is also a
Street Outreach program in Polk County, with an outreach center at 701 Grand in
downtown Des Moines. For more information contact IHYC at Email: IHYC@yss.ames.ia.us.
Phone Numbers:
The 24-hour phone for Street Outreach in Polk County
is 515-249-1443.
The 24-hour phone number for the Buchanan
transitional living center in Des Moines for homeless youth aged 16 through 21
is 515-265-1222.
The 24-hour phone for the Lighthouse transitional
living center in Des Moines for pregnant or parenting homeless young women
(ages 16 through 25) and their children is 515-288-7884.
The 24-hour phone for Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama,
Poweshiek, Greene, Hardin, Wright and Hamilton counties is 515-233-2330 or
1-800-600-2330.
Francis Lauer Youth Services phone
is 641-423-2582
South Central Youth
& Family Services phone is 515-961-8421
Funding
for Transitional Housing and Services for Homeless Individuals Announced By The
Iowa Coalition for Housing and Homeless in 2004 (Email address ichhjones@aol.com)
Three agencies receive funding through the
Iowa Finance Authority to provide transitional housing:
Northern Lights in Mason City built 8 units of transitional housing for
men including 4 units for homeless veterans.
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program in Iowa City obtained 4 units of
transitional housing for families.
Successful Living in Iowa City is providing 20 units of transitional
housing for single men
Four agencies receive HUD funding to
provide new services for persons who are homeless:
Fort Dodge Housing Authority received funding to provide 20 units of
permanent housing for single women in partnership with the YWCA.
Crisis Intervention and Advocacy in Adel received funding to build
transitional housing for women and women with children in Perry. The program
will serve 26 persons.
Crisis Intervention Services in Oskaloosa received funding to build 13
units of transitional housing for women and women with children.
The Iowa Institute for Community Alliances received funding to expand
the Homeless Management Information System in Iowa.
Iowa Homeless Management Information
Network
The Iowa Institute for Community Alliances is the administrator for the Iowa Homeless Management Information Network (IHMIN). The Institute working in partnership with the Iowa Department of Economic Development use IHMIN to meet HUD requirements. IHMIN allows organizations providing services to the homeless to collect client information electronically. The IHMIN allows organizations providing services to the homeless to:
¨ Collect individual client information (gender, age, ethnicity, etc.)
¨ Collect household information (housing status, services provided, income, etc.)
¨ Let providers dynamically query individual/household data.
¨ Allow providers to selectively share client data with other service providers.
¨ Produce reports required by funding agencies.
The IHMIN goals are to improve the delivery of services to the homeless by allowing providers to efficiently organize their client files in a secure, flexible electronic system that protects client confidentiality and allowing providers to generate reports based on aggregate queries of client data to demonstrate the level of need and gaps in services.