The Spider and the Starfish precisely describes the correct context for delegation, in its description of how to set a balance between leaderless and hierarchical organizations. HUD needs suborganizations that are leaderless, and task-focused. The difference between the hierarchical predecessor to Wikipedia, which had all of 70 articles before it shut down, and Wikipedia, shows the power of such task groups. There are many people who care and know a lot, in HUD, who would jump at the chance to spend even 1/2 hour per day in a task group like this. The Apache server concept is kept up by volunteers. There are many other examples of this.

For the cost of rent for a 1 to 3 year period these miniature homes can be constructed bought and paid in full. These homes would range in square footage from 94 to 350 sq. ft. They have all the amentities of a normal house and provide ample living space. When constructed with the mind set of maximising every square inch, its amazing what can be done with such limited space. If you dont think so, I urge yu to just take a look at http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com The featured house is 94 sq, ft, It's truely amazing what can be done with that little space and still be able to live in comfort. I dont know any homeless person who would turn down a roof over their head like this. I would suggest the 94 sq. ft. model for the homeless and then progressive larger ones based on income level, needs and what monthly payments a person could afford. The tumbleweedhouses.com site offers videos of them, as well as youtube. The houses can be constructed for far less than the site is selling them for. I am just using the site as an example. A development of 94 sq. ft. houses for the homeless. Then in each seperate development you could have progressively larger ones built. Each community / developement would have all the same size houses.

A major element of Departmental Risk Management is the HUD Hotline. THE HUD HOTLINE ISN'T WORKING! This is the messge you get when you email them:

Delivery has failed to these recipients or distribution lists:

Hotline
The recipient's e-mail address was not found in the recipient's e-mail system. Microsoft Exchange will not try to redeliver this message for you. Please check the e-mail address and try resending this message, or provide the following diagnostic text to your system administrator.

The message this communicates is contempt for staff and Risk Management. Take care of the little things, and the big things take care of themselves. How do you know the big things aren't being taken care of? The little things are let go. And this is much more than a little thing. This is a communication to the entire country that HUD couldn't care less about fraud, waste, and mismanagement.

...let homeless relatives move in with current HUD and Section 8 renters. If they are destitute, homeless, and otherwise qualified for the program , they should not be excluded by some arbitrary policies of local housing authorities. Take Portland Oregon for example, one of the highest levels of homelessness in the usa. That HA does not allow anyone , even a homeless close relative, to move in with a current HUD/ Section 8 resident with rare exceptions. Changing this across the board thru Federal level HUD regulation would address the growing and alarming epidemic of homelessness in the USA to a large degree. It is not apparently being done locally, so remove the discretion and require it to be allowed as a HUD regulation across the board in every HA. This is very cost effective way to house homeless and also relieves parents. children , etc of those homeless, of a seriously stressful difficult situation where they currently have to leave their loved ones out in the cold in winter. This kind of exclusion policy is a sort of callous disregard, or malfeasance, but it exists nonetheless. What a shame and disgrace, an unnecessary and unjustifiable tragedy.

the emphasis on spending for new projects, should be on creating more numbers of units with basic amenities. rather than some of the pretty and middle class ideas of nicer and MORE EXPENSIVE units and neighborhoods.
WHY?
well, haven't you noticed? seems you haven't. WE have tons of homeless and huge wait lists! IT'S THE NUMBERS THAT COUNT. we simply need more units, and we need them fast. HUD should have a goal of reaching the full numbers of units that are needed. STOP listening to your buddies in the backroom who want nice projects , this is government business, and the government has to take care of the PEOPLE who are the intended beneficiaries of the programs. The tenants! STRETCH THE DOLLARS MUCH MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN. MORE UNITS, AT LOWER COST PER UNIT.

These questions need to be flowing out of the Risk Management Plan, first. Otherwise, piecemeal decisions are made, with little consideration of risk. It is more and more necessary to consider inter-relating factors, in the context of risk management.

I suggest that the Department post its Risk Management plans for each program area, with an area where people can post the decisions that are made- and which should be done centrally, which locally, and which uniformly- in the context of risk management. These questions need to be answered in a context where anyone interested can offer input, not in a vacuum, or piecemeal.

Which decisions will benefit most from being made in the field?

- Which decisions require consistency across locations and/or programs and should be made centrally?

- How can managers delegate based on strengths of staff?

For the cost of rent for a 1 to 3 year period these miniature homes can be constructed bought and paid in full. These homes would range in square footage from 94 to 350 sq. ft. They have all the amentities of a normal house and provide ample living space. When constructed with the mind set of maximising every square inch, its amazing what can be done with such limited space. If you dont think so, I urge yu to just take a look at http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com The featured house is 94 sq, ft, It's truely amazing what can be done with that little space and still be able to live in comfort. I dont know any homeless person who would turn down a roof over their head like this. I would suggest the 94 sq. ft. model for the homeless and then progressive larger ones based on income level, needs and what monthly payments a person could afford. The tumbleweedhouses.com site offers videos of them, as well as youtube. The houses can be constructed for far less than the site is selling them for. I am just using the site as an example. A development of 94 sq. ft. houses for the homeless. Then in each seperate development you could have progressively larger ones built. Each community / developement would have all the same size houses I originally submitted this idea but didnt know I would be anonymous - so now I am no longer anonymous

instead of having vacant properties, that bring down the value of our neighborhoods, offer a lease option. The homeowner who is loosing the property has the ability to do a lease purchase on the home, to a third party who has the income to afford the mortgage payments but may not have the credit to qualify for a mortgage. After a 18-24 month period the tenet net has taken required courses on home ownership offered by hud (sort of like the transitions courses offered to previous section 8 recipients)and increased there credit score to qualify for a hud backed mortgage. If not tenet will have to vacate the property allowing the original investor to the liquidate the home in a foreclosure sale.

1. As cities and states deal with budget crises and ADAP waiting lists, less money is being set aside for supportive services. Supportive services data, Medicaid, Ryan White and HOPWA need to retain their flexibility to cover these vital supportive services.

2. HOPWA technical assistance is vital to the program. As TA provision is moved to a broader model, we need to make sure that HOPWA TA continues to be provided and is not lost in the big picture.

3. PLWHA should be included in special needs populations across mainstream programs, including Section 8, CDBG, HOME, etc.

4. HIV/AIDS housing and service providers should be included across all HIV and housing planning processes, including state plans for implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

5. HUD could give TA for population and providers in areas without Shelter + Care on and how to create a Shelter + Care program and on how to access mainstream programs, and HOPWA if necessary, in its absence.