HUD ANNOUNCES NEARLY $500,000 IN GRANTS TO HOUSE AND SERVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN GREELEY, LARIMER/WELD COUNTIES

DENVER - Greeley, Larimer and Weld County programs that house and serve homeless persons - from emergency shelters and transitional housing projects to permanent supportive housing programs - will receive $499,767 in
funding through grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Regional Director John Carson. The funding announced today supports the Continuum of Care organizations who provide critically needed assistance to persons and families living without a home of their own.

"Today, we take another step toward that day when we end chronic homelessness on our streets," said Carson.
"The funding we announce today will help provide homes and vital services to those who need them most - persons and families who deserve a place they can call home."

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.

Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to Colorado programs to meet the needs of 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.

For nearly five years, HUD has increasingly emphasized the Bush Administration's goal of ending chronic
homelessness 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.

Two checks were presented today. The first check was to Greeley Center for Independence, Inc., for $163,911 to enhance Stephens Farm programs for Survivors of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). The project includes the rehabilitation and expansion of the original farmhouse that is now a Specialized Adult Day Program, and the construction of a supported living Residence containing 10 accessible studio apartments roll-in showers and butler kitchens. Residence #1 was built with the assistance of a large HUD SuperNOFA grant for permanent supportive living for people who are homeless. Local shelters in the North Front Range Continuum of Care estimated that 10% of the homeless people in Weld and Larimer Counties were ABI survivors.

The second check was awarded to Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) for $335,856. CDHS receives $254,760 to provide five years of funding for 11 new permanent supportive housing units in Greeley and annual continuation funding of $79,776 for 10 units of existing permanent supportive housing units in Larimer County. Case management, mental health treatment and other supportive services will be provided to residents in Greeley by Catholic Charities Northern and North Range Behavioral Health. Case management, mental health treatment and
other supportive services are provided to residents in Larimer County by the Larimer Center for Mental Health. This important program matches housing assistance with appropriate supportive services and treatment to enable
homeless persons with disabilities to maintain stable housing.

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 as
well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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