**NAEH -- New Partnerships Conference**

**Washington, DC**

**Remarks by Philip Mangano**

[**July 17, 2003**]{.underline}

Thank you Nan for that kind introduction. And thanks to Carla and Betsy
and to each of the sponsoring organizations of this conference.

It's great that you're all here in Washington. This is the first time
this conference has had to be held in two different zip codes.

It's like an old-fashioned summer family reunion. And how the family'
has grown. And how the roots have broadened, and what good roots. Rooted
in this nation's great social movements -- abolitionism, suffrage, civil
rights -- movements that have made our country a better place.

And what great heads of household this family has. Nan Roman, Carla
Javits, Betsy Lieberman -- all committed to that rich heritage of ending
social wrong.

I thank them for their collaborative spirit. And for their willingness
to have me update you briefly on the work of the Council and the honor
of introducing you this morning to our keynote speaker, Secretary
Anthony Principi.

*I see some of my Massachusetts friends here. I hope you've hatched the
kidnap plan to get me back.*

I like the title of your conference, New Partnerships for Ending
Homelessness. I was at a conference recently and the title had a
different verb -- Resources for [addressing]{.underline} homelessness.
Addressing, now that's a hard thing to do, as we all know. Homelessness
has no address.

This week's New York Times Article certainly made that point. 5,000
people living in Skid Row in Los Angeles under plastic coverings, in
tents and sleeping bags. And across our country the growing number of
people on the streets and in encampments.

No geography is untouched and no jurisdiction -- whether urban,
suburban, or rural -- an exception.

No population is immune -- newborns, children, teens, young adults,
adult and elderly. Whether unaccompanied or in families.

Frankly aren't we all tired of addressing homelessness? And homeless
people are sick and tired of experiencing it. We want homeless people to
have an address. A home. A place to be.

And that's what we're trying to do in Washington right now. Change that
verb of homelessness from addressing, managing, maintenancing, and
accommodating. Those just aren't acceptable any longer. That new verb is
-- ending. Ensuring that there is a home for every American.

So I like the title of this conference because it's pointed in the right
direction with intentionality -- [ending]{.underline} homelessness.

And I like that title because it speaks of New Partnerships. That's
exactly what we've been doing at the Interagency Council -- developing
the new partnership to end homelessness.

Some of those partnerships are inside the federal government. There are
now 20 federal agencies at the table working together to make their
resources more available and accessible to homeless people.

Someone introduced me recently by saying that my job was not only
herding cats, but herding schizophrenic cats. Some days it feels like
that. But most days it's the opposite. Agencies are working harder than
ever to collaborate and it's working. Secretary Principi will mention a
few of those initiatives.

Partnership [inside]{.underline} the federal government. And the
Council's been working on extending that strategy [outside]{.underline}
of Washington.

We've asked every Governor in the country, brand new (there are 24 of
them) and long serving to create a state interagency council on
homelessness to mirror what we're doing in Washington. To bring to the
table all of the resources that could bear on homelessness and make them
more available and accessible. Nearly 30 Governors have made the
commitment. If your state doesn't have one, it should. We want to
partner with all states. *[\[place holder -- Secretary
Thompson\]]{.underline}*

We've also gone to cities. Last month at the annual meeting of the US
Conference of Mayors, we partnered with the Mayors in two resolutions --
one supporting the ending of chronic homelessness in the next ten years.
The other a commitment for Mayors to create ten year plans to end
homelessness. Both passed unanimously.

Three Republicans and three Democrats supported each resolution.
*[\[place holder -- Secretary Martinez\]]{.underline}*

Partnership.

In fact, yesterday I met with the point person on homelessness from 37
major US cities including eight of the ten largest. We talked about
innovative solutions and ten-year plans for those cities.

This past weekend I was in Milwaukee speaking to the annual conference
of the National Association of Counties. We offered similar resolutions.
And as some of you may know there are 3100 counties in our country. 2500
have populations of fewer than 50,000 people. They are in large part
rural. We wanted them to be part of the partnership to end homelessness.

On Tuesday they adopted unanimously the resolution calling for counties
to develop ten year plans to end homelessness. New partnerships.

Most heartening for all of us committed to creating the [political
will]{.underline} to end homelessness -- and isn't that we've always
longed for -- the Governors, and Mayors, and County Executives are
moving forward, committing themselves to plans to end homelessness.

When we were in Denver for the US Conference of Mayors we made an
agreement that symbolizes our efforts. With Mayors Menino and Daley who
have big D's after their names, and this Administration that has a
significant R after its name -- we agreed that on this issue of
homelessness, that [partnership trumps partisanship]{.underline}. That
on this issue, there is no D or R or I or G. We're all just Americans
trying to end a national disgrace.

Now some will resort to partisan rhetoric that is toe tapping and hand
clapping.

Rhetoric that's partisan and ideological. But that tact only produces
polarization and paralysis. And neither of those gets the job done.

And that job is [ending]{.underline} homelessness, not beginning
gridlock. Whether we're providers, advocates, homeless people, Mayors,
Governors or the President. Our job isn't creating stalemate. No, it's
to create houses. Homes for our neighbors.

And there are some new resources out there to help you get the job done.
Secretary Principi will mention some of them later.

But right here in this room 8 new resources are present. They are 8 of
the 10 Regional Coordinators the Council now has stationed across the
country to help states develop interagency councils, cities and counties
develop 10 year plans, and regional federal offices to work more closely
with you. Would you stand up and be counted.

Thank you.

And another resource in our effort to end chronic homelessness is the
Policy Academies. This year we are offering participation in a Policy
Academy to every state. If your state hasn't said yes, it should. Go
knock on those doors.

We sponsor the Policy Academies to work with state officials and
resources to make them more available and accessible to homeless people.

I'd like to challenge the Alliance and the Corporation and AIDS Housing
and the National Coalition to match the Policy Academies sponsored by
HUD, HHS, VA and now Labor. I'd like to see your organizations sponsor a
series of Advocacy Academies to teach state and local homeless groups
how to access mainstream resources for homeless people to end their
homelessness. An Advocacy Academy for every state. Why not?

And yet another proposed resource is the \$70 million Samaritan
Initiative in the President's FY '04 budget. It's an interagency
collaboration targeted to chronic homelessness. It's new funding. Now it
needs to make it through Congress. Please help us to make it happen.

In all those initiatives and resources the work of the Council is to
make your work in the field more effective and results oriented --
through new partnerships.

And your keynote speaker this morning gets just that: He's the new Vice
Chair of the Interagency Council.

When I first came to Washington I went to his office to meet him. I knew
he was a combat-decorated Vietnam War veteran and that he had formerly
been Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the staff director of the
Senate Committee on Armed Services.

That he had graduated from the Naval Academy and been a partner in a San
Diego law firm.

The credentials were impressive. But as the newly appointed executive
director of the Interagency Council, I was interested in his
homelessness IQ -- his interest quotient.

I wasn't disappointed.

After pleasantries, the conversation turned to homelessness in general
and homeless vets specifically. The Secretary's countenance changed and
he leaned back in his chair.

He did so, I learned, because he felt we weren't doing enough and he had
some frustration. The same frustration we share. We roll up our sleeves,
work hard, sacrifice, but don't see the change we're hoping for.

He wanted to know how we could invest more wisely. How we could work
together more closely. How we could see more visible outcomes and
results from our efforts. How we could move forward on the President's
marker to end homelessness for the most vulnerable.

And in that conversation and in other conversations and in his deep
commitment to the work of the Council, the Secretary's, dare I say it,
passion for this issue has been most visible and evident. He's Italian.
What did you expect?

A passion that's in his marrow, in his soul. A thoughtful, reflective
passion that expresses itself in action and resources. Witness the
increases for homeless veterans in the VA budget. The VA's active
participation in the Council. Their participation in interagency
initiatives. All borne from his inner quest to make a difference.

And he's surrounded himself, as any good field commander would, with
trusted and experienced comrades. On homeless issues his right hand
person is the knowledgeable and savvy Pete Dougherty. Supporting him Gay
Kerber and Al Taylor. Professionals who care. And his advisory group led
by the no-nonsense Robert Van Keuren includes my old friend from Boston,
Ralph Cooper.

We are fortunate to have such an ally exerting that political will in
directing the nation's second largest department. VA's resources
targeted to homeless people are not exceeded by any federal agency.

As Vice Chair of the Council, Secretary Principi has been thoughtful,
challenging and deeply committed to ending homelessness. He has put his
resources where his rhetoric is. His resolve where his responsibility
lies. He's on the front lines again. This time with [us]{.underline},
battling homelessness.

Please welcome a friend to homeless people, Secretary Anthony Principi.