HUD OFFICIAL ANNOUNCES $7.3 MILLION TO SUPPORT HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN KANSAS
Housing and service programs in Topeka and through the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition will benefit from HUD funding

KANSAS CITY, KS - Homeless programs in Topeka will receive $1,976,582 in grants announced today by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Macie Houston. Houston joined local officials to make the announcement at the City's Housing and Neighborhood Development Offices in Topeka. In addition, Houston announced $2,899,483 to the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition - the Continuum of Care organization that coordinates homeless programs
to small cities and rural communities throughout Kansas. The grants awarded today are among 27 programs funded throughout the State of Kansas totaling a record $7,342,988. The funding will provide critically needed emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent support for individuals and families who are homeless in Kansas.

"The grants announced today in Topeka support local programs that are on the front lines of helping those who
might otherwise be living on the streets," said Houston. "Whether it's a single man living with a mental illness or a family struggling to give their children a roof over their heads, this funding saves lives."

The HUD grants awarded today go to the following agencies in Topeka: Community Action, Inc. - $343,101; Kansas Legal Services - $190,608; Housing & Credit Counseling, Inc. - $129,150; City of Topeka - $1,225,596 and City of Topeka - $88,127.

Under the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, agencies receiving funding are: Area Mental Health Center - $232,528; Faith House, Inc. - $157,395; Mental Health Association of the Heartland - $286,761; The City of Leavenworth - $746,400; South Central Mental Health Counseling - $74,503; Marshall County Community Resource and Education Center - $118,233; Hutchison Housing Authority - $394,980; and the State of Kansas - $888,683.

HUD's funding is provided in two ways:

• Under the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, agencies receiving funding are: Area Mental Health Center - $232,528; Faith House, Inc. - $157,395; Mental Health Association of the Heartland - $286,761; The City of Leavenworth - $746,400; South Central Mental Health Counseling - $74,503; Marshall County Community Resource and Education Center - $118,233; Hutchison Housing Authority - $394,980; and the State of Kansas
  - $888,683. transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families. Half of all Continuum
  funding awarded for 2006, nearly $618 million, will support new and existing programs that help to pay rent
  and provide permanent housing for disabled homeless individuals and their families.
• Emergency Shelter Grants provide funds for homeless shelters, assist in the operation of local shelters and
  fund related social service and homeless prevention programs. For 2006, HUD is awarding $160 million in Emergency Shelter Grants that 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.

Since 2001, HUD has awarded approximately $9 billion in funding to state and local communities to support the housing and service needs of homeless persons and families. The total funded in 2006 is $1.4 billion. Next Year, President Bush is proposing a record level of funding to house and serve homeless persons and families. The FY 2008 Budget seeks more than $1.6 billion through HUD's Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grant programs.

Houston added, "When our fellow citizens need shelter from the storm, or a meal, or counseling, or help to regain
their footing in life, we must all be there to respond."

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.
To learn more about chronic homelessness, visit the HUD's Chronic Homelessness webpage.

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.

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Highlights of HUD's Homeless Assistance

• An unprecedented number of local programs - more than 5,300 - will receive nearly $1.4 billion.
• 1,096 of the project awards being announced today target individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
  Total funding to these projects is more than $287 million, a commitment that directly supports the national
  goal of ending chronic homelessness.
• More than $618 million is being awarded to projects that provide permanent housing solutions for homeless persons.
• More than 2,847 local projects that serve mothers and their children will receive $686 million.
• 560 programs that primarily serve victims of domestic violence will receive nearly $91 million.
• $30 million is being awarded to 145 projects that primarily target homeless veterans.
• 1,526 of the projects funded today are dedicated to providing housing and support services to severely
  mentally ill clients, totaling $388 million. These persons are at high risk of experiencing long-term or chronic
  homelessness.
• Nearly $329 million will support 1,366 local programs that primarily help homeless individuals with substance abuse problems.