It was not too long ago that VA’s David Shulkin had to reassure everyone that the department won’t cut off a key program for homeless Veterans. For its part, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded $2 billion to over 7,000 local programs dedicated to prevent or end homelessness across the U.S., as it previously announced.
These grants will go toward each state/local planning organization’s most effective program to support individuals or families experiencing homelessness in their own communities.
Understanding Homelessness
HUD, in Jan. 11 public statement, noted the rise of homelessness in December — being more evident in individuals who have been experiencing “long-term chronic homelessness.”
How does HUD define chronic homelessness or a chronically homeless person, for that matter?
For HUD’s purposes, it defines a chronically homeless person as someone who:
- Has a disability and is experiencing homelessness (i) for at least a year, or (ii) has at least four episodes, i.e. an episode being 15 days, of homelessness in the past three years.
- Has been in an institutional care facility or related facility for less than 90 days and met the criteria set above.
The definition has been expanded to include a family whose head meets the criteria of (a) and (b).
On a single night in 2017, 553,742 people were found to be experiencing homelessness, according to HUD. This marks a 0.7-percent increase from the previous year. And while the homelessness rate among families with children has abated, the opposite can be said for Veterans and chronically homeless individuals.
HUD also reported that the number of persons who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness particularly in those areas with high rents, has significantly increased.
$2-Bil. Funding for 7K Local Programs
With the $2-billion funding, HUD is showing support to the commitment of state or local entities to (a) rehouse homeless individuals and families and minimize the very trauma of homelessness, (b) provide them with access to mainstream homeless assistance programs, and (c) optimize self-sufficiency among these people, pursuant to the Continuum of Care (Coc) program.
Where does the federal funding go? Take a look at the stats below: (state/territory, total grant amount, and total number of programs).
- Alabama – will receive $17,752,162 for 59 programs.
- Alaska – will receive $3,731,246 for 23 programs.
- Arizona – will receive $38,526,473 for 96 programs.
- Arkansas – will receive $4,268,229 for 26 programs.
- California – will receive $382,566,777 for 900 programs.
- Colorado – will receive $30,590,720 for 68 programs.
- Connecticut – will receive $45,869,536 for 147 programs.
- Delaware – will receive $7,952,480 for 31 programs.
- District of Columbia – will receive $22,090,633 for 50 programs.
- Florida – will receive $83,226,614 for 327 programs.
- Georgia – will receive $41,017,540 for 185 programs.
- Guam – will receive $1,095,776 for seven programs.
- Hawaii – will receive $11,762,496 for 35 programs.
- Idaho – will receive $3,717,376 for 28 programs.
- Illinois – will receive $109,110,715 for 418 programs.
- Indiana – will receive $19,300,787 for 95 programs.
- Iowa – will receive $9,108,676 for 52 programs.
- Kansas – will receive $7,835,720 for 48 programs.
- Kentucky – will receive $19,389,282 for 105 programs.
- Louisiana – will receive $46,623,544 for 151 programs.
- Maine – will receive $12,932,975 for 39 programs.
- Maryland – will receive $50,221,552 for 185 programs.
- Massachusetts – will receive $73,552,552 for 275 programs.
- Michigan – will receive $70,250,446 for 296 programs.
- Minnesota – will receive $33,094,266 for 217 programs.
- Mississippi – will receive $5,026,382 for 27 programs.
- Missouri – will receive $35,698,886 for 145 programs.
- Montana – will receive $2,500,597 for 17 programs.
- Nebraska – will receive $9,050,905 for 50 programs.
- Nevada – will receive $15,864,846 for 49 programs.
- New Hampshire – will receive $7,253,904 for 63 programs.
- New Jersey – will receive $45,902,844 for 248 programs.
- New Mexico – will receive $10,728,359 for 59 programs.
- New York – will receive $200,807,611 for 579 programs.
- North Carolina – will receive $25,573,629 for 157 programs.
- North Dakota – will receive $1,802,967 for 18 programs.
- Ohio – will receive $95,840,276 for 316 programs.
- Oklahoma – will receive $8,123,906 for 67 programs.
- Oregon – will receive $36,277,567 for 128 programs.
- Pennsylvania – will receive $102,583,484 for 519 programs.
- Rhode Island – will receive $5,796,184 for 38 programs.
- South Carolina – will receive $9,954,311 for 59 programs.
- South Dakota – will receive $1,294,469 for 10 programs.
- Tennessee – will receive $20,733,768 for 128 programs.
- Texas – will receive $88,239,025 for 205 programs.
- Utah – will receive $10,381,345 for 55 programs.
- Vermont – will receive $4,632,864 for 22 programs.
- Virginia – will receive $29,765,050 for 152 programs.
- Washington – will receive $59,556,796 for 191 programs.
- West Virginia – will receive $8,327,359 for 63 programs.
- Wisconsin – will receive $23,750,589 for 95 programs
- Wyoming – will receive $292,329 for five programs.
For a comprehensive list of local homelessness assistance grants, click here.
In all, HUD awarded $2,011,348,825 grants to 7,328 programs. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have until 16 February 2018 to submit their applications for grants.
