OBAMA ADMINISTRATION RENEWS FUNDING FOR 19 MORE HOMELESS PROJECTS IN ALASKA, IDAHO, OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE
$2 million in HUD Continuum of Care funds awarded today is over & above $68.4 million in renewal funding awarded to 408 Alaska, Oregon & Washington homeless projects in March, 2013

SEATTLE - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded an additional $2,070,603 in renewal funds to 19 homeless projects in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska in a second round of renewal grants under HUD's Continuum of Care. Today's awards will ensure these HUD-assisted local homeless assistance projects remain operating in the coming year.

The renewal funds announced today are over and above the $68,351,206 in renewal funds awarded to 408 homeless projects in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington awarded in March, 2013. HUD will make a third round of Continuum of Care funding to support selected new projects later this year.

"We know these modest investments in housing and serving our homeless neighbors not only saves money, but saves lives," said Donovan. "These local programs are on the front lines of the Obama Administrations efforts to prevent and end homelessness as we know it once and for all."

"Even with an improving economy times remain as tough as ever for those without a place to call home," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. "These funds help hard-working local organizations keep their doors open and services flowing to help homeless families and individuals put a roof over their heads and stability and opportunity back into their lives."

The projects awarded renewal funding today include:

HUD's Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local projects to meet the needs of their homeless clients. The grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment programs to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families. HUD funds are a critical part of the Obama Administration's strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

While the Fiscal Year 2012 funds awarded today are not impacted by the automatic across-the-board budget cuts under sequestration that began March 1st, Donovan cautioned that future budget cuts may reverse significant reported declines in homelessness: "During this challenging budget climate, we must make certain that we don't balance our books on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. When we make even modest investments in these programs, we see a measureable decline in homelessness."

HUD's Continuum of Care grants announced today will continue offering permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients. These grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment programs to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families.

In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation's first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015 and to ending homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020.

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