HUD AWARDS OVER $34 MILLION FOR LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY
Funding renews support to local homeless housing and service programs

NEW JERSEY - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today awarded $34 million to support more than 200 local homeless housing and service programs in New Jersey. The funding announced today includes more than $4.8 million Newark and Essex County, nearly $4 million each for Hudson County, and Union County, over $3 million for Trenton and Mercer County, and more than $2.7 million for Camden County.

The Tier 1 Continuum of Care (CoC) grants announced today support the Obama Administration's efforts to end homelessness by providing critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. HUD will award approximately $300 million in "Tier 2 grants" in the spring to support hundreds more local programs across the U.S.

"A safe, stable home is the foundation for opportunity in all of our lives," said Secretary Castro. "That's why we're continuing to challenge communities to deploy proven strategies to help people experiencing homelessness find a place to call home. Through unprecedented partnership among every level of government and private, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, we know this goal is not just aspirational - it's achievable."

"Our success in housing homeless veterans proves how critical federal resources are as government and its partners work to end homelessness across New Jersey," said Holly Leicht, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. "The Continuum of Care grants announced today will help New Jersey build on the momentum that has already spurred a 26% reduction in its homeless population since 2010."

This year's grants are being awarded in the most competitive environment HUD has experienced in the Continuum of Care grant program. To compete most effectively, communities made very challenging decisions, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on homeless populations.

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-ever comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (www.usich.gov/opening_doors/) puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness as well as to end homelessness among children, family, and youth.

HUD estimates there were 564,708 persons experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2015. Since 2010 local communities around the country reported a declined by more than 72,000 persons, an 11 percent reduction. In addition, veteran homelessness fell by 36 percent, chronic homelessness declined 22 percent and between 2010 and January 2015, family homelessness declined by 19 percent, while the estimated number of unaccompanied homeless youth and children was 36,097.

Across New Jersey, local homelessness planning agencies called 'Continuums of Care' recently organized volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets. Continuums of Care will report these one-night 'point-in-time counts' later in the year and will form the basis of HUD's 2016 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 http://espanol.hud.gov.

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