(From the HUD Exchange)

Dear Partners and Stakeholders –

On behalf of the teams in the Offices of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) and HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH), we wanted to take a moment to wish our grantees, stakeholders and partners a Happy New Year, and provide you all with some thoughts about our programs as we move into a new year and a new Administration. Although we are saying goodbye to colleagues across the current Administration with whom we have worked for a number of years, we want our partners and stakeholders to know that dedicated and motivated career staff and leaders – the three of us and our respective teams – will continue to be here working to inform new leadership of the incredible work being done as a result of HUD’s special needs programs and the opportunities we have to make more progress.

As we look forward into 2017, we will stay focused on our core mission of ensuring that those who are some of the most vulnerable in our nation – individuals and families experiencing homelessness and those living with HIV/AIDS – are served by programs with the best outcomes and highest standards of service. We will focus on the most effective and efficient use of resources, so that we can end homelessness or housing instability as quickly as possible for as many vulnerable people as possible.

At the local level, we hope that you will work towards these same goals by incorporating the following as you make plans for the year ahead:

  • Plan jointly – Providers receiving funding under the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program, Continuum of Care program, Emergency Solutions Grants program, and other HUD and non-HUD programs should continue to work together and strengthen partnerships in order to maximize resources and better understand local need;
  • Use data to support local decision making and planning;
  • Use proven strategies, and prioritize local resources to the people who need them most; and
  • Take advantage of technical assistance opportunities.

We will continue to use our regular methods of communication (In Focus messages, videos, notices, etc.) to share information with our stakeholders, grantees, and partners about our plans and resources. As we move forward, we encourage you to have a plan to ensure that stakeholders at all levels within your community stay informed and are reading the materials and messages that we release.

The three of us, and those on our teams, have worked toward ending homelessness and improving the housing stability for persons living with HIV/AIDS for many years both in the field and at HUD. We are deeply committed to this work and look forward to continuing to make progress in partnership with you in the years to come.

As always, thank you for your hard work.

Ann Marie Oliva
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs

Norm Suchar
Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs

Rita Flegel
Director, Office of HIV/AIDS Housing

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