A public hearing will be held on the proposed use of the stimulus funds for homelessness on Tuesday, April 28 at 5:30 PM in the Atrium Building’s Saul Room at 99 West 10th Avenue in Eugene.
If you cannot attend the hearing, written comments will be accepted until 5pm, Tuesday, April 28, 2009. Please submit your comments to Stephanie Jennings, Planning and Development Department, 99 West 10th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon, 97401.
The proposal is available for review at the Permit and Information Center Reception Desk in the Atrium Building.
Here are the proposal highlights from the City of Eugene press release:
The City of Eugene will receive $567,404 from a new federal program called the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). This funding must be used to provide financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized.
The City is proposing to distribute the new funds through a competitive grant process that will be coordinated with Lane County Human Services Commission, the Continuum of Care, and other community agencies. The City of Eugene must select sub-grantees and award the funds by September 30, 2009. The grants may be used for housing relocation and stabilization services, financial assistance for housing related costs, data collection and evaluation, and administration.
The proposed budget will direct over $140,000 toward housing relocation and stabilization services. These services help people maintain or find stable housing and include case management, outreach and engagement, housing search and placement, legal services, and credit repair. Just over $387,000 will be directed toward financial assistance services such as rental assistance, utility deposits and payments, moving cost assistance and motel and hotel vouchers. Up to five percent of grant funds, about $28,000 will be used to support program administration costs. The final $10,000 will go towards data collection and evaluation of the program, as required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
On any given night at least 2,673 people are homeless in Lane County, according to City representatives. During the course of one year, over 11,700 homeless people sought services and over 1,600 homeless children attend Lane County schools. Local homelessness has increased in the area by an estimated 25 to 34 percent.
For more information, call 541.682.5533 or e-mail Richie Weinman.
Related posts:
