COURT HOUSE – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Jan. 11 awarded $45.9 million to support to 248 homeless housing and service programs in New Jersey. The Continuum of Care grants announced on Jan. 11 provide critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the state. View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/homeless/budget/2017
The HUD funding announced on Jan. 11 is part of a record $2 billion being awarded to more than 7,300 local housing and service programs nationwide.
“HUD stands with our local partners who are working each and every day to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “We know how to end homelessness and it starts with embracing a housing-first approach that relies upon proven strategies that offer permanent housing solutions to those who may otherwise be living in our shelters and on our streets.”
“Local organizations that serve the homeless in New Jersey assist individuals and families by providing food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance and supportive services,” said Lynne Patton, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. “We’ve seen the results of the housing first model in the reduction of overall homelessness in the State. HUD will continue to support these evidence-based efforts to further the goal of eliminating homelessness both locally and nationally.”
This year, HUD is continuing to challenge state and local planners to support higher performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting their local challenges, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on reducing homelessness.
Last month, HUD reported homelessness crept up in the U.S., especially among individuals experiencing long-term chronic homelessness. HUD’s 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 553,742 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017, an increase of .7 percent since last year. Homelessness among families with children declined 5.4 percent nationwide since 2016, local communities report the number of persons experiencing long-term chronic homelessness and Veterans increased. HUD’s 2017 homeless estimate points to a significant increase in the number of reported persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness, particularly in California and other high-cost rental markets experiencing a significant shortage of affordable housing.
In New Jersey, HUD estimates there were 8,536 people were homeless on a single night in Jan. 2017, representing an overall 4.0 percent decrease from 2016 and a 38 percent decrease since 2010. The number of families with children experiencing homelessness declined 76 percent since 2016 and 95 percent since 2010. In addition, Veteran homelessness increased 27 persons to 583 or 4.8 percent since Jan. 2016, demonstrating the need to continue providing assistance to this vulnerable population.
Across the nation, local homelessness planning agencies called ‘Continuums of Care’ will organize volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets. These Continuums of Care will report these one-night ‘point-in-time counts’ later in the year and will form the basis of HUD’s 2018 national homeless estimate.
Read more information on state/local-level homelessness at https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5639/2017-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us/
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