Pryce, Tiberi Hail Federal Investment

February 20, 2007

Pryce, Tiberi Hail Federal Investment
in Central Ohio Homeless Programs

Washington , DC – Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus) and Pat Tiberi ( R-Genoa Township) celebrated a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announcement today that central Ohio will receive $7 million federal dollars for local programs fighting homelessness. Nationally, HUD awarded $1.4 billion in homeless assistance funding.

“Today’s news is great cause for celebration,” said Pryce. “The central Ohio agencies and programs committed to assisting the homeless have proven both innovative and effective, but they cannot succeed in their mission without a significant federal commitment. I am grateful for this federal assurance that central Ohio’s homeless agencies will continue to have the resources they need to serve such a vulnerable segment of our society.”

“Every year, roughly 7,000 men, women, and children experience homelessness in Columbus and Franklin Counties alone,” Pryce said, “and many of them qualify as chronically homeless. These funds will prove critically important in preventing homelessness, as well as providing access to services, supportive housing, emergency shelters, and stable living arrangements. Providing dignity and peace of mind to those without safe shelter represents the very essence of government’s function of ensuring a social safety net.”

"This assistance is good news for Central Ohio and will help our local programs continue their work to help the chronically homeless transition into a more stable environment," said Congressman Tiberi. "The nearly $7 million in assistance allocations to Central Ohio programs that offer everything from transitional housing to support programs, will help in the mission to end and prevent chronic homelessness."

According to Susan Weaver, Executive Director of the Community Housing Network, which was one of the grant recipients, “This award represents a major investment in permanent supportive housing in Columbus. It provides core operations funding for 80 apartments at Community Housing Network's new Southpoint Place development as well as renewal funding for 301 additional supported housing apartments operated by CHN.”

Today, more than 5,300 programs were awarded funding throughout the country under HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants Program. The program provides funding to states, cities, and non-profit organizations for emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing and supportive services to ensure that people experiencing homelessness achieve a basic level of safety and can make progress toward self-sufficiency.

Concurrently, this week Pryce joined a bipartisan group of Members of Congress urging for increased funding for Homeless Assistance Grants program from the House Appropriations Committee. The letter requests an increase of $214 million above the President’s budget request, and $358 million over FY07 levels.

Pryce will also soon join Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in introducing the Services for Ending Long-term Homelessness Act (SELHA). The SELHA bill establishes a grant program for cities, states, and not-for-profit organizations run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill will mirror similar Pryce-backed legislative efforts from previous Congressional sessions.

SELHA Summary

Gives priority to applicants that target funds to individuals or families that are homeless for longer than one year, frequently use the ER, or interact regularly with law enforcement – creating a long-term cost-savings for the government
Includes mental health services, substance abuse treatment, referrals for primary health care and dental services, health education, money management, and parental skills training.
Initial grant awardees must provide one dollar for every three dollars of federal money.
Renewal grant awardees must provide one dollar for every dollar of federal money.
20% of the grant awardees’ matching funds can be from other federal grants such as the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. This provision will encourage collaboration with existing programs and access for homeless people to existing mainstream health and human services systems, while assisting the grant awardees in achieving their match.
The initial grants will run from three to five years; renewal grants will run for up to five years.
To encourage long-term program success and stability for permanent supportive housing projects and formerly homeless tenants, renewal grant awardees will have a priority status for additional funding.

Studies in various cities have shown that homeless people who are provided housing combined with supportive services experience:

58% fewer ER visits;
85% reduction in emergency detoxification services;
50% decrease in incarceration rates;
50% increase in earned income;
And more than 80% stay in a house for at least one year.

Central Ohio Homeless Assistance Grants Award
Media contact at HUD: Brian Sullivan, Office of Public Affairs; 202-708-0685

Columbus/Franklin County

Amethyst, Inc. / Rapid Stabilization Project (RSvP)	$161,171
Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority C SRA	$3,660,215
Community Housing Network, Inc	$2,192,142
Community Shelter Board / Homeless Management Information System	$42,771
Friends of the Homeless, Inc. / Friends of the Homeless Safe Haven Transitional Housing Program	$260,680
Huckleberry House, Inc. / Supportive Housing Program - Transitional Living Program	$229,539
National Church Residences / Commons at Grant	$250,092
State of Ohio / Shelter Plus Care	$204,168
YWCA Columbus / WINGS	$99,015

Union County

Mental Health & Recovery Board of Union County / I'm Home

$60,580

Licking County

Licking County Coalition for Housing / Transitional Housing	$582,448
Licking Metropolitan Housing Authority / Shelter Plus Care Voucher Program I	$175,152

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