WHEREAS, mayors are committed to ending homelessness for families and individuals in our nation's cities; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the response to homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the National Partnership created by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has brought together 20 federal agencies, 53 governors of states and territories, and over 300 mayors to remedy chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the partnership of USICH with the U.S. Conference of Mayors has resulted in the creation of over 300 jurisdictionally based 10-Year Plans to end chronic homelessness, and more than two dozen cities of all sizes now report quantifiable results in reducing street and chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, Project Homeless Connect was created by San Francisco, CA in October 2004; and

WHEREAS, the recent innovation of National Project Homeless Connect is helping cities welcome people experiencing homelessness back into community life by mobilizing volunteers from all walks of life to provide services and housing in one-day, one-stop engagement events that support the goals of their ten year plans; and over the last two years more than 115 cities of all sizes have adopted this innovation, and building on models of response to Katrina and in veterans' Stand Downs; and

WHEREAS mayors have organized Project Homeless Connect events specifically to engage homeless youth, homeless families, and chronically homeless individuals; and

WHEREAS, mayors have engaged business, academia, professional sports, and an expansive range of new public and private partners in executing Project Homeless Connect events; and

WHEREAS, research compiled by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness suggests that Project Homeless Connect provides consumer-centric strategies to deliver immediate results in needed services, housing, and employment, and supports a new way of doing business to achieve results for homeless consumers; and

WHEREAS, cities of all sizes have developed best practices in Project Homeless Connect events and have been encouraged to share their strategies with other cities; and

WHEREAS, the Interagency Council has convened coordinated annual National Project Homeless Connect events in December 2005 and December 2006, to partner with cities, and has designated December 3 -7, 2007 as 2007 National Project Homeless Connect Week; and

WHEREAS, Project Homeless Connect strategies and results improve the quality of life for individuals, the community, neighborhoods, and the taxpayer; and

WHEREAS, ending homelessness requires collaboration and coordination at all levels of government, together with community institutions, business, and faith-based organizations, to determine how best to implement prevention and intervention strategies; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the increased involvement of mayors in joining the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect Week and throughout the year in proven strategies that end homelessness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors commends this innovative initiative and encourages mayors to adopt the National Project Homeless Connect model and participate in the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect Week.