Washington County Receives Homeless Assistance Grant from HUD

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Washington County Receives Grant Funding for Homeless Assistance Programs from HUD

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that $3.4 million in Continuum of Care Program grant funds were awarded to Washington County under the new Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, a reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Act. In partnership, Washington County and non-profits will provide housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness.

The federal dollars awarded to Washington County are part of $1.6 billion in competitive grants that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development will distribute to local programs nationwide and in U.S. territories. "We know how to end homelessness and these grants support local programs that are proven to prevent and end homelessness as we've come to know it," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro. "As we continue to make progress toward ending homelessness in this country, HUD is challenging communities to use more cost effective solutions to help those experiencing homelessness."

"Washington County has prioritized the federal grant funds to serve our most vulnerable populations living on the streets and in shelters," said Annette Evans, Washington County Homeless Program Coordinator. "The need for housing assistance far exceeds the available resources in our community." On January 27, 2016, a one-night homeless census reported 595 adults and children experiencing homelessness with 378 individuals living on our streets and in vehicles. The rising cost of rental housing continues to displace seniors living on fixed incomes, people with disabilities and low-income working families. Nearly 13 percent of the county's general population lives below the federal poverty level, as reported by Community Action in the Issues of Poverty –the full report is available online at http://caowash.org/understanding/profile/issues.html.

This federal funding will provide to Washington County:

• $1,804,860 for the Shelter Plus Care Program serving homeless people with disabling conditions. The program is administered by the Washington County Department of Housing Services in partnership with non-profit service providers.
  
• $86,338 for the Tri-Haven Program serving homeless individuals with disabling conditions with services provided by Sequoia Mental Health Services Inc.
  
• $90,713 for the Hillsboro Graduated Independent Living Program, a permanent housing program for chronically homeless individuals with services provided by Luke-Dorf, Inc.
• $297,426 for the Garrett Lee Smith Safe Haven, a housing facility for chronically homeless individuals with services provided by Luke-Dorf, Inc.
  
• $121,741 for the Transitional Living Program, a transitional housing program for older homeless youth ages 18 to 23 years with services provided by Boys and Girls Aid.
  
• $410,888 for the CoC Rapid Re-Housing Program, a 24-month rapid re-housing program for homeless families with services provided by Community Action Organization.
  
• $31,618 for the Housing Stabilization Program, a supportive service program that provides rapid exit from emergency shelter to permanent housing with services provided by the Good Neighbor Center.
  
• $14,772 for the Washington County Transitional Housing Program, a short-term housing program for homeless families administered by the Housing Authority of Washington County in partnership with Washington County Community Corrections.
  
• $39,742 for the countywide Homeless Management Information System, a data-driven software system administered by the Washington County Department of Housing Services.
  
• $413,058 for the construction of Clover Court Apartments, a permanent housing program for chronically homeless individuals managed by Luke-Dorf, Inc.
  
• $81,860 for the countywide CoC Planning activities that support federal goals outlined in "Opening Doors", prioritizing funds with research-driven approaches and performance based outcomes administered by the Washington County Department of Housing Services. 

Locally, this federal award will also leverage an additional $1.7 million in cash match and in-kind services that will fund socially-responsible and cost effective solutions identified in the County's "A Road Home: 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness." The 10-Year Plan is online at http://www.co.washington.or.us/Housing/EndHomelessness/a-road-home.cfm.

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