HUD AWARDS $103.4 MILLON TO SUPPORT MORE THAN 350 PROJECTS SERVING HOMELESS IN ALASKA, IDAHO, OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE

SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $103,383,985 to support to more than 350 projects serving the homeless in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State. The awards were made to 18 Continuums of Care, organizations comprised of local governments, homeless advocates and service providers who coordinate an area's efforts to prevent and end homelessness and to identify local projects and practices that should receive HUD Continuum of Care funding.

In the fiscal year 2017 Continuum of Care grants competitively awarded today:

• Alaska's two Continuums of Care won $3,731,246 to support 23 projects serving the homeless, an increase of $34,111 over 2016;


• Idaho's two Continuums won $3,717,376 fort 28 projects, up $47,926 over 2016;


• Oregon's seven Continuums won receive $36,277,567 for 127 projects, up $1,591,058 over 2016;


• Washington's seven Continuums won $59,556,796 for 178 projects, up $1,422,556 over 2016.

"HUD stands with our local partners who are working each and every day to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors," said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. "We know how to end homelessness. It starts with embracing a housing-first approach that relies upon proven strategies that offer permanent housing solutions to those who may otherwise be living in our shelters and on our streets."

"The awards we are announcing today come from the streets up," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Jeff McMorris, "reflecting the priorities of local Continuums that are driven by the expertise of those at work in the shelters and on the streets helping the homeless find a place to call home. It's demanding, critical work in which HUD is proud to be a partner."

Annually the Continuum of Care program is HUD's largest competitive grant program. Today's awards to Continuums in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington were part of a HUD announcement of $2,011,348,825 to some 400 Continuums across the county, up $77 million from last year. For a list of projects recommended by the Continuums and funded by HUD in this year's awards, please visit HUD's website.

Today's awards include:

This year, HUD is continuing to challenge state and local planners to support higher performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting their local challenges, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on reducing homelessness.

Last month, HUD reported homelessness crept up in the U.S., especially among individuals experiencing long-term chronic homelessness. HUD's 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2017-AHAR-Part-1.pdf) found that 553,742 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017, an increase of .7 percent since last year. Homelessness among families with children declined 5.4 percent nationwide since 2016, local communities report the number of persons experiencing long-term chronic homelessness and Veterans increased. HUD's 2017 homeless estimate points to a significant increase in the number of reported persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness, particularly in California and other high-cost rental markets experiencing a significant shortage of affordable housing. HUD also reported that the point-in-time count "snapshot" conducted by the Region's 18 Continuums estimated 38,947 homeless people in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State.

Across the nation, local homelessness planning agencies called 'Continuums of Care' will organize volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets. These Continuums of Care will report these one-night 'point-in-time counts' later in the year and will form the basis of HUD's 2018 national homeless estimate.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and https://espanol.hud.gov.

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