The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded nearly $1.8 million to the Continuum of Care for Kane County, including nearly $646,000 to the Ecker Center for Mental Health for three homeless assistance initiatives.

More than $109.1 million was awarded to Illinois Homeless Programs to support 418 homeless housing and service programs statewide. View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding.

The Continuum of Care grants provide critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the state.

“The Elgin community has benefitted from its participation in the Continuum of Care for Kane County for nearly 20 years,” said Elgin Mayor David Kaptain. “Thanks to this award from HUD, the Ecker Center for Mental Health can continue to provide an important service to community members who are at risk of experiencing homelessness or are in various stages of homelessness.”

The Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment applies for the HUD grants on behalf of local agencies. HUD sends the grant award directly to the agencies that win the grants.

The awards facilitated by Kane County are as follows:

Ecker Center For Mental Health (Elgin) has been awarded $645,858 to support three housing programs. Each will provide rental housing and supportive services for homeless individuals with mental illness.

Hesed House (Aurora) received $604,500 for five programs, which include rental housing and case managemnt services for chronically homeless individuals as well as housing and services to homeless individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency within 24 months.

Lazarus House (St. Charles) has been awarded $257,953 for three programs to provide rental housing and case management services for chronically homeless individuals as well as housing and services to homeless individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency within 24 months.

New among this year’s recipients are:

Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans received $98,138 for its “Enduring Hope” initiative. The agency will provide rental housing and case management services for area veterans facing homelessness.

“Together, the awards will assist about 175 individuals that are experiencing homeless in our area,” Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment Director Scott Berger said. “Some are expected to be ‘chronically homeless’ and will require long-term assistance. Others are individuals or families that will require short-term assistance and are expected to obtain housing on their own with supportive services from agencies.”

The Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment was awarded two grants totaling $159,212 to provide administrative services to the Continuum of Care and to support the Homeless Management Information System. The HMIS is a web-based portal that allows participating agencies to better=track and report client needs and services.

More HUD Funding

The HUD funding announced is part of a record $2 billion being awarded to more than 7,300 local housing and service programs nationwide.

“HUD stands with our local partners who are working each and every day to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “We know how to end homelessness and it starts with embracing a housing-first approach that relies upon proven strategies that offer permanent housing solutions to those who may otherwise be living in our shelters and on our streets.”

“This funding is critical in our efforts to end homelessness across Illinois as we know it,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan. “Rapid rehousing ensures that homelessness is a brief, rare and non-recurring event for individuals and families.

This year, HUD is continuing to challenge state and local planners to support higher performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting their local challenges, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on reducing homelessness.

Last month, HUD reported homelessness crept up in the U.S., especially among individuals experiencing long-term chronic homelessness.

HUD’s 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 553,742 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017, an increase of .7 percent since last year. Homelessness among families with children declined 5.4 percent nationwide since 2016, local communities report the number of persons experiencing long-term chronic homelessness and Veterans increased.

Across the nation, local homelessness planning agencies called “Continuums of Care” will organize volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets. These Continuums of Care will report these one-night “point-in-time counts” later in the year and will form the basis of HUD’s 2018 national homeless estimate.

About HUD

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov.

SOURCE: HUD, Kane County Continuum of Care news releases