Among Elite in Final Round for Prestigious Innovations in
American Government Award Competes for $100K Prize

May 4, 2006 – Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Acting Commissioner Fran Winter announced today that HomeBase, a community-based homelessness prevention program, has been named by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government – in cooperation with the Council for Excellence in Government, as a finalist for an Innovations in American Government Award and is eligible to win one of seven $100,000 grants. 

“HomeBase has helped thousands of clients to stay in their communities, maintain permanent housing and avoid the trauma of homelessness,” noted Acting Commissioner Winter.  “This program is a key component of Mayor Bloomberg’s five-year action plan to end chronic homelessness and represents a shift in our service model away from simply offering shelter to preventing homelessness before it starts.” 

“We’re excited to have our work recognized as a national model for solving rather than managing the problem of homelessness,” said Deputy Commissioner of Prevention Services Carine Barometre. “HomeBase has proven that we can help families and individuals find solutions beyond shelter.”

Started in September 2004, HomeBase is a $12 million program that has served more than 3,700 clients, helping them avoid the trauma of homelessness. HomeBase was created around the concept of preventing homelessness before it starts by working with at-risk families in high-need communities and helping them stabilize their housing situation before they reach the point of needing emergency shelter.

Six non-profit organizations - Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), HELP USA, Church Avenue Merchant’s Block Association (CAMBA), Builders for Family and Youth (BFFY), the Bushwick Collaborative to Prevent Homelessness, and Palladia - offer an array of flexible services designed to meet the individual needs of each client, including referrals to job training, entitlements advocacy, assistance with legal action, housing relocation, and in select cases, financial assistance for the payment of rent arrears, or broker’s fees. In all cases, HomeBase staff visits the clients’ home as part of the initial assessment process. In addition, the data gathered by HomeBase allows DHS to better measure the specific factors that often lead to a shelter stay, such as eviction and overcrowding and to then respond to residents before they experience a housing crisis. 
  
The winners of the Innovations in Government Awards will be selected later this month following presentations before the National Selection Committee at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government on May 25. The HomeBase program had previously been selected as one of the Top 50 Government Innovations for 2006 and chosen as a semi-finalist for the Innovations in American Government Award before being named a finalist.  The Selection Committee will select five winners, in addition to two special awards: the Annie E. Casey Foundation Innovations Award for Children and Family Services and the Fannie Mae Foundation Award for Innovation in Affordable Housing. All seven winners will be announced on July 10 in Washington, D.C. during the 2006 Excellence in Government Conference. 

All finalists were selected for their creativity and novelty, effectiveness at addressing significant issues and problems, and ability to be replicated by other jurisdictions. They represent the nation’s very best government efforts in the areas of education and training, criminal justice and public safety, economic and community development, housing, health and human services, management, transportation, public works and environment.

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