Feds Award More Than $2.2 Million for Sonoma County Homeless Programs

 Sonoma County homeless programs will receive $2,208,334 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

“These grants will help our homeless shelters keep their doors open, and will keep programs that reduce homelessness in operation,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, who announced the grants today. “I am proud to support these funds so that folks can continue to get the help they need to get back on their feet.” 

HUD recently announced that approximately 3,000 cities and counties reported 636,000 homeless persons on a single night in January of 2011, a 2.1 percent decline from the year before. 

This reduction in homelessness was noticed among all population groups including individuals, families, and those experiencing long-term or chronic homeless. In addition, HUD estimates a 12 percent reduction in homelessness among veterans.

The grants announced by HUD provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. The grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients.

Sonoma County programs that received grants include:

• Work Right Transitional Housing & Supportive Services – $75,000
• Shelter Plus Care Renewal - Youth with Disabilities – $82,800
• Slater @ Meadow Lane SHPR $61,134
• Soroptimist House – $24,780
• Stony Point Commons – $40,842
• The Family Connection – $16,000
• Vet House – $44,536
• Yulupa Supportive Services – $40,000
• Shelter Plus Care Renewal - Persons with Mental Illness – $67,176
• Rent Right – $29,744
• Transitional Housing for Homeless Families – $78,359
• Rent Up – $40,624
• Housing Options – $74,963
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) – $135,329
• Homeless Intervention Partnership – $52,500
• Community Turning Point – $80,424
• Caring Communities – $107,000
• Buckelew SHP (Sonoma) – $170,040
• Buckelew Samaritan Initiative - Sonoma – $66,659
• Shelter Plus Care Renewal - Persons with HIV/AIDS – $723,648
• Shelter Plus Care Renewal - Persons with Disabilities – $196,776