Interagency Council To Fight Homelessness

In his speech to the annual conference of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Martinez announced that the Interagency Council on the Homeless will meet for the first time in five years. As the HUD Secretary, Martinez will chair the Council. "It's time we reawaken this invaluable tool and put it back to work," Martinez said. "Our goal is to make federal programs that help the homeless more responsive to the people they are designed to serve." Congress established the Council in 1987 to help streamline the government's approach to homelessness by coordinating the multiple efforts of federal agencies and other designated groups. In addition, Martinez said that HUD will launch four steps to further refine and improve the Department's approach to serving the homeless.