WASHINGTON- The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development gave millions of dollars to support existing and create new homeless programs.
In late January HUD announced they would give about $2 billion to support thousands of local homeless assistance programs across the nation. According to HUD Illinois has 325 programs and Iowa has 37 programs. The new funds will also create 55 new programs in Illinois and 10 in Iowa.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson made a national funding announcement in Akron, Ohio February 8 during a visit to the Battered Women’s Shelter, a HUD-assisted local program that houses domestic violence victims who are at risk of homelessness.
“Today we make another critical investment to those persons and families living in our shelters and on our streets,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These new programs will join those already on the front lines in their communities working to end homelessness.”
According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Iowa had 2,756 people experiencing homelessness in 2017. Illinois had 10,798 in it’s homeless population. Across the country homelessness has increased .3% since last year, but decreased by 5.4% among veterans and by 2.7% among families with children. The HUD says the increase in homelessness might be tied to natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires.
HUD grants support a broad array of interventions designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in places not meant for habitation, located in sheltering programs, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Each year, HUD serves more than a million people through emergency shelter, transitional, and permanent housing programs.
