Date:

February 19, 2004

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Bradd Schmeichel, Urban Development, 441-7856

Reginald Robinson, HUD, Omaha, 492-3138

Mayor Coleen J. Seng today announced that local agencies serving the homeless have been awarded more than $1.5 million in federal grants.

"While our overall economy in Lincoln is strong, there are still many individuals and families who are in need,” said Mayor Seng. "With these funds, our local agencies can do an even better job of moving people along the path from homelessness to self-sufficiency."

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)awards "Continuum of Care" grants through a competitive process. The grants provide permanent and transitional housing as well as job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. All of the grants received by Lincoln agencies are renewals. They are:

• CenterPointe, Inc. - $443,273 for its Transitional Housing Project (25 beds) and $187,612 for its GlidePATH Transitional Housing Project (22 beds).
• Lincoln Action Program - $449,539 for LAP's supportive housing project, the City’s largest transitional housing project for families with a capacity of 165.
• Saint Monica’s - $140, 456 for the Women in Transition program (29 beds).
• CEDARS Youth Services - $130,707 for the New Futures project which provides transitional housing for homeless pregnant and parenting teen-agers and their children.
• Catholic Social Services - $93,683 for transitional housing for seven families

The local agencies which provide services to those in need are members of the Lincoln Lancaster County Homeless Coalition, founded in the mid-1980s. The Coalition formed a Continuum of Care Planning and Evaluation Committee in 1996 to submit the application for federal funds, to identify service gaps, to coordinate the “Point in Time Count”of the homeless and to conduct peer review of service providers.

The total in grants awarded to Nebraska agencies is nearly $5 million. HUD officials say the grants will support more than 3,700 programs nationwide, and more than 700,000 Americans will receive services. Details on the HUD grants can be found at www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/budget/2003/index.cfm.