|
Colleen Bickford Field Office Director (907) 677-9800 |
For
Release Wednesday December 21, 2005 |
HUD ANNOUNCES OVER $2.8 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HOUSE AND SERVE THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN ALASKA
ANCHORAGE - Thousands of local programs nationwide that house and serve homeless persons�from emergency shelters and transitional housing projects to permanent supportive housing programs�will receive $1.33 billion in funding through grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Included
in the funding announced is $2,838,878 to support 17 local programs throughout Alaska, which provide critically needed assistance to persons and families living without a home of their own.
"This federal funding is a critical component for the success of state and local government 10 year plans to end chronic homelessness," said HUD Anchorage Field Office Director, Colleen Bickford. "Cities, faith based and
community nonprofit agencies throughout Alaska depend on this funding to provide housing to some of our most vulnerable neighbors."
HUD's funding is provided in two ways:
- HUD's Continuum of Care programs provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons. In
addition, Continuum grants fund important services including job training, health care, mental health
counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care.
- Emergency Shelter Grants convert buildings into homeless shelters, assist in the operation of local shelters
and fund related social service and homeless prevention programs.
More than $2.6 million in Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to Alaska programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients. Continuum grants fund a wide variety of programs--from street outreach and assessment programs to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families.
Another $204,679 was awarded to Alaska for Emergency Shelter Grants, which are allocated based on a formula to state and local governments to create, improve and operate emergency shelters for homeless persons. These funds may also support essential services including job training, health care, drug/alcohol treatment, childcare, and homelessness prevention activities. By helping to support emergency shelter, transitional housing and needed
support services, Emergency Shelter Grants are designed to move homeless persons away from a life on the street toward permanent housing.
Combined, HUD's Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grant programs will provide critically needed funding to nearly 5,000 local programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Goal to End Chronic Homelessness
For nearly five years, HUD has increasingly emphasized the Bush Administration's goal of ending chronichomelessness in its assistance programs. Research indicates that approximately 10 percent of all homeless persons experience long-term or chronic homelessness. These studies also find that this hardest-to-serve population utilizes over half of all emergency shelter resources designed to assist homeless individuals and families. By shifting the federal emphasis toward meeting the needs of the most vulnerable homeless persons, more resources become available for those who experience homelessness as a temporary condition.
HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as
enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.
###
Editor's Note: For a more detailed local summary of the funding in Alaska, visit the Continuum of Care competition Homeless Assistance Awards Report webpage.
![[logo: Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity]](/images/fheo50.gif){kind=small}
