HUD AWARDS $1.2 MILLION TO PROGRAMS IN LOUISIANA TO CONTINUE HELPING HOMELESS PERSONS AND FAMILIES
Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Mandeville New Orleans, Shreveport Receive Grants

NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $1,233,301 to support 10 local homeless housing and service programs in Louisiana. Provided through HUD's Continuum of Care programs, the funding announced today will ensure these local homeless assistance programs remain operating in the coming year. This is HUD's second round of FY 2012 homeless renewal grant awards. This past March, HUD awarded renewal grants to hundreds of other existing local programs, and will make a third round of funding to support selected new projects later this year. A list of today's grantees and amounts follows.

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

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.

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."

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.

The grantees in Louisiana are:
(Call for program contact names and numbers)

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.