$8 million provided by HUD to end homelessness in Broward County

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a grant of $8 million to meet the objectives of ending homelessness in Broward County. The grant made to the Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership will help to fund the County’s "A Way Home" program. The grant was made through the 2016 HUD Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition.

The HUD CoC Program award will fund 18 renewal projects and 1 new CoC Planning project providing Supportive Services, Homeless Management Information System Support, CoC Planning, Transitional Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing.

The projects provide 690 permanent, 112 rapid rehousing, and 25 transitional beds (827 beds total) with related supportive services to Broward's homeless population. Most importantly, these new funds will create 15 new permanent supportive housing beds for chronically homeless persons in partnership with Broward County Housing Authority and Broward Housing Solutions.

All the projects funded help fulfill goals set out in the "A Way Home" Plan to End Homelessness, approved by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners in August 2013.

The 19 CoC Program projects funded via the 2016 HUD CoC Program award will serve homeless adult and youth clients, including:

-individuals, families, veterans;
-those with mental, emotional and physical disabilities;
-substance abuse disorders;
-mothers with children including pregnant women; and
-those who are "chronically" homeless and those who have co-occurring disorders

The more than $8 million awarded to the Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership and $2.3 million directly managed by community providers makes up the $10.37 million awarded through Broward's "A Way Home" Homeless CoC.

The goal of the Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership is end veteran homelessness and chronic homelessness by 2017, and family and youth homelessness by 2020.