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Human Services Receives HUD Award for Homeless Programs
Feb 21, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LEE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES RECEIVES HUD AWARD FOR $2 MILLION FOR HOMELESS PROGRAMS FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 21, 2007) – Lee County agencies will receive $2 million next year to provide housing and supportive services to homeless families and individuals – part of $1.4 billion in grants announced this week by Bush Administration and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Senator Mel Martinez. The grants, part of HUD's Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grant programs, will help homeless individuals and families find emergency shelter, transitional housing, and a permanent home. The local grants – part of $63 million distributed in Florida – will go to Southwest Florida Addiction Services ($212,326), the Salvation Army ($1,286,206), Renaissance Manor ($52,978), Ruth Cooper Center ($84,372) Lee County Human Services ($300,232), and Emergency Shelter Grant funds ($95,776) to fill critical needs for permanent supportive housing and continue programs that deliver a broad range of health, housing, and employment services for Lee County's homeless residents. Senator Mel Martinez and Mr. Armando Fana, Miami Field Office Director, will present an honorary check in the amount of $2 million dollars to Lee County Board of County Commissioners on February 22, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. in the lobby on the first floor of the Old Courthouse, 2120 Main Street, Fort Myers. The Lee County 2006 Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) submission covered all local jurisdictions. Lee County's Department of Human Services is responsible for planning, application, and administration of the grant funds. Local partnering agencies, members of the Lee County Homeless Coalition, implement Lee County's Continuum of Care activities. Continuum activities focus mainly on restoring homeless families, individuals, and children to housing and self-sufficient lives. Although prevention is an ineligible activity for funding, the Coalition is all too aware of its importance and continually strives to get ahead of the many causes of homelessness. The grants are competitively awarded, funds are not guaranteed, and the competition to receive them becomes more stringent each year. Lee County and the Lee County Homeless Coalition are pleased to have been successful in their strategic planning efforts that produced measurable outcomes sufficient for the award. For more information on the recently announced grants, view this press release from HUD Lee County Total : $1,936,114.00 HUD Emergency Shelter Grants Entitlement (ESG) Allocation: $95,776.00 |