BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $6.3 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HOUSE AND SERVE THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN UTAH

WASHINGTON - Thousands of local programs that house and serve homeless persons� from emergency shelters and transitional housing projects to permanent supportive housing programs�will receive $1.33 billion in funding through grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Included in the funding announced today is $5.4 million to support 30 local programs throughout Utah and are expected to provide critically needed assistance to persons and families living without a home of their own.

"Today, we take another step along the road toward that day when we end chronic homelessness on our streets," said Jackson. "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 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 convert buildings into homeless shelters, assist in the operation of local shelters and fund related social service and homeless prevention programs.

Combined, HUD's Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grant programs will provide critically needed funding to nearly 5,000 local programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For a more detailed local summary of the funding announced today, visit HUD's website.

More than $5.4 million in Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to Utah programs to meet the needs of their 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.

Emergency Shelter Grants 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.

The Goal to End Chronic Homelessness

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.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, 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.

###