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Austin, Travis County awarded more than $10M in grants to fight homelessness

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated more than $101 million in grants across Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The related video was published in October 2019.

Programs fighting homelessness across Texas will soon have a bit more cash in their pockets to assist the needy.

On Friday, Secretary Ben Carson of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced more than $101 million in grants to help homeless programs across Texas. Of that, $10,008,026 will be sent to help programs in Austin and Travis County.

The funds for our area will be allocated as follows:

  • DV Rapid Rehousing Project – $656,142 
  • DV Rapid Rehousing Project-Expansion – $637,110 
  • Fresh Start – $439,116 
  • Front Steps PSH Housing – $452,599 
  • HMIS Project 1 – $150,234 
  • Housing Options for Youth - renewal yr. 4 – $58,398
  • MyHome – $1,683,975 
  • Onward FY 2019 – $704,514
  • Passages II Rapid Rehousing Collaboration – $613,622
  • Permanency through Outreach and Rapid Transitions (PORT) - renewal year 3 – $777,587 
  • Renewal SHP - PSH for Families with Disabilities (Glen Oaks Corner - GOC) – $89,054 
  • SAFE Supportive Housing Program – $624,678 
  • TX-503 CoC Planning Application FY 2019 – $275,363 
  • Upward – $1,015,071
  • YHDP Diversion - renewal yr. 3 – $418,000
  • Youth Rapid Re-housing Collaborative - renewal yr. 3 – $1,412,563 

These grants are part of $2.2 billion awarded nationally under the HUD's Continuum of Care (CoC) grants, aiming to provide critical support to approximately 6,593 local programs serving those experiencing homelessness.

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"A safe, affordable place to call home is key when creating a path toward opportunity and self-sufficiency," said Secretary Carson in Ohio, where he made the funding announcement. "The grants awarded help our partners on the ground to reduce homelessness in their communities and help our most vulnerable neighbors."

According to the HUD, the CoC grant funding aids programs that help those living in a place not meant for habitation, those located in sheltering programs, or those at imminent risk of becoming homeless. The HUD serves more than a million people every year through emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing programs.

The HUD reported that, in 2019, a majority of the country experienced a combined decrease in homelessness. However, significant increases on the West Coast, notably in California and Oregon, offset the nationwide decreases and causing an overall increase in homelessness of 2.7%.

The HUD's 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress discovered that 567,715 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019. That's an increase of 2.7% since 2018 but nearly an11% decline since 2010. Families with children experiencing homelessness declined 5% from 2018 and more than 32% since 2010. Local communities reported a continuing trend in reducing veteran homelessness across the nation. Veterans experiencing homelessness declined 2.1% since January 2018 and by 50% since 2012.

This is just the first of two announcements of CoC awards. For more information, click here.

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