NEW: Patrick Announces Funds To Combat Homelessness

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Governor Patrick announced $4 million for emergency shelter, rehousing and prevention programs today. See how Worcester fared.

The Patrick Administration’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today announced $4 million in federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds to combat homelessness in the Commonwealth.

Worcester and Fitchburg were the major recipients of funds in Central Mass, receiving a total of $239, 091 for things such as non-emergency beds, domestic violence shelter beds, and rapid rehousing. In Worcester, the IHN-Friendly House received $48,339, CMHA received $97,930, and the YMCA of Central MA got $25,480.

The funds will support emergency shelters, rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention programs for individuals and families. Additionally, the funds will support the creation of emergency shelter units for families fleeing domestic violence.

“Governor Patrick and this Administration has laid out an ambitious agenda of preventing and ending homelessness in the Commonwealth,” said Aaron Gornstein, Undersecretary for the Department of Housing and Community Development and Chair of the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness. “We thank the Obama Administration and our Congressional delegation for this critical funding which will help us to continue aggressively working towards ending homelessness and ensuring individuals and families receive the emergency support and assistance they need.

Funding for homeless prevention activities will assist an estimated 618 extremely low-income families and individuals who are at risk of homelessness achieve housing stability and avoid shelter.

Furthering the Patrick Administration’s effort to move toward a housing strategy and away from a shelter response, $1.4 million of the ESG funds will support rapid rehousing for homeless individuals. The program will move an estimated 612 homeless individuals from emergency shelter to permanent housing this fiscal year.

“Rapid rehousing strategies are transforming the way we respond to homelessness in Massachusetts,” said Joe Finn, President & Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance. “In Fiscal Year 2013, ESG-Rapid Rehousing resources in the City of Boston provided permanent housing for nearly 350 people who were living in shelters or on the streets. On average, this intervention cost less than $3,000 per person. Investing in rapid rehousing reduces the Commonwealth’s reliance on costly emergency resources and brings us closer to ending homelessness in Massachusetts.”

More than $1.3 million in shelter support funds will be provided to 13 different agencies across the Commonwealth to help support 268 unfunded shelter beds for individuals and 37 unfunded shelter beds for Non-EA eligible families. An additional $285,000 will assist in the creation of 12 new units of emergency shelter for families fleeing domestic violence.

ESG is an annual federal grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that was increased under the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009. The HEARTH Act represents a national shift in focus away from emergency shelters and toward stable, permanent housing that mirrors the Commonwealth’s ongoing housing first effort.