BUSH ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $3.4 MILLION TO SUPPORT HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN MOBILE, ALABAMA
Twenty housing and service programs to benefit from HUD funding

MOBILE, AL - Twenty homeless programs throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties today received more than $3.4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. John Gemmill of HUD's Birmingham
Office officially presented the funding to Dan Williams of the Homeless Coalition of the Gulf Coast along with Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and Mobile Mayor Sam Jones.

The grants announced today will support the full spectrum or "continuum of care" for homeless individuals and
families - from street outreach and emergency shelter to transitional and permanent housing. In addition, the funding provides for critically needed services including job training, child care, substance abuse treatment and mental
health. This year, HUD is awarding more than $15.5 million throughout Alabama.

Nationally, HUD is awarding a record $1.5 billion to nearly 6,000 local housing and service programs and anticipates awarding $1.6 billion, another record funding level, next year. Since 2001, HUD has awarded approximately $10 billion in funding to local communities to support the housing and service needs of homeless individuals and families. The FY 2008 Budget provides $1.6 billion through HUD's Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grants programs, another record federal investment. This increased level of funding represents a 55 percent increase over 2001.

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 provide funds for the operation of local shelters and fund related social service and homeless prevention programs. 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.

The Goal to End Chronic Homelessness

For six years, ending chronic homelessness has been one of President Bush's national goals. Research indicates that approximately 20 percent of all homeless persons experience long-term or chronic homelessness. These studies conclude that this hardest-to-serve population utilizes more than 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 situational homelessness.

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
and espanol.hud.gov.