PROVIDENCE, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a total of $5,985,905 in Continuum of Care (CoC) grants for Rhode Island homeless assistance programs.  This federal funding will support more than 40 homeless assistance projects that enable providers throughout the state to deliver safe, affordable housing and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island.

“This federal funding helps people who are experiencing homelessness -- or on the brink of living on the streets – get access to shelter, care, advocacy, affordable housing, and supportive services.  Whether it’s helping a homeless veteran who is struggling with PTSD or a family that is facing an eviction and at risk of becoming homeless, these grants help stabilize vulnerable individuals and families.  We are committed to preventing and ending homelessness throughout the state, and these federal funds are vital to keeping that commitment,” said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD), who helped provide nearly $2 billion for the CoC program in the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill.

The federal grants will be administered by HUD, coordinated at the state level by Rhode Island Housing, and jointly administered by non-profits throughout the state.  These funds offer a variety of housing and services including transitional and permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, street outreach, client assessment, and other services.  Grants will also support new projects, including the Coming Home Permanent Supportive Housing project, a 10-unit project that will exclusively serve chronically homeless veterans within the state.

Senator Reed has been a strong supporter of housing assistance and homelessness prevention initiatives.  Reed is the author of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, which President Obama signed into law in May of 2009.  This legislation streamlined and boosted homeless assistance and prevention grant programs and required the development of a “national strategic plan” to end homelessness. This plan, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, was produced and led by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and serves as the national roadmap to end veterans’ and chronic homelessness, as well as to end homelessness among children, family, and youth.

This year, Rhode Island received an allocation of $3,592,530 in the Tier I announcement and $2,393,375 in Tier II announcement for a total of $5,985,905.  This represents an increase of over $723,000 in homeless assistance grants for Rhode Island over fiscal year 2014.  State and local homeless projects receiving the federal funding include:

Tier I

1006-1008 Hartford Ave.: $90,485

2012 Rental Assistance Re-Allocation: $180,871

414 Friendship St.: $73,934

70 Linwood Apartments: $176,915

ACCESS to Home: $320,326

Agape Permanent Supportive Housing Program: $24,055

Amos House Swan Street: $86,819

Burnside Ave. Permanent Supportive Housing: $81,636

CoC Planning Grant: $216,880

Coming Home Permanent Supportive Housing Project: $160,600

Constitution Hill Supportive Housing Program: $133,732

Crossroads Providence Transitional Housing: $144,144

Crossroads Rapid Re-Housing Project for Families: $187,470

East, Earl and Warwick Ave.: $30,185

Eastbay Coalition for the Homeless Transitional Housing Project: $62,057

First Step Program: $48,386

Fran Conway House of Hope: $148,721

Gemini Apartments: $27,214

Greater Westerly Supportive Housing Expansion Project: $64,989

Haswill Street: $49,756

Housing the Longest Homeless: $80,233

Ledge Street: $27,925

Lucy's Hearth Transitional Housing Program: $40,352

McKinney Cooperative Shelter: $84,361

Operation Stand Down West Warwick: $176,350

Permanent Housing for Disabled Adults: $90,592

Permanent Housing for Disabled Elders: $129,673

Rhode Island Family Shelter: $67,500

Rhode Island Homeless Management Information System: $97,064

Rhode Island Housing Permanent Supportive Housing Project: $192,472

Supportive Housing Program: $4,246

The Key: $94,482

The Sarah Frances Grant Homestead: $48,643

Transitional Housing Program: $33,077

Transitional Housing Project-BVAC: $31,513

Travelers Aid Housing: $33,083

Travelers Aid of Rhode Island: $51,789

Tier II

CCA -Rapid ReHousing in Northern Rhode Island: $132,258

Fair Street-2015: $38,708

HMIS Data Analysis: $55,000

S+C Renewal 2015: $1,491,805

TPC 2015 HomeBase: $351,535

Whitmarsh House Apartments: $324,069

TOTAL: $5,985,905