Five Years after Hurricane Katrina: HUD supporting Gulf Coast through HPRP and finding permanent housing for over 39,000 families

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan testified last week at a Senate field hearing on the Katrina recovery. Secretary Donovan noted that when President Obama took office, nearly 40,000 families were still relying on government assistance to find housing. Over the last 20 months, HUD worked with nearly 350 public housing agencies across the country to find permanent housing for 98 percent of those families.

HUD has also been able to assist displaced Gulf Coast residents through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) under President Obama's Recovery Act.  Under this program, states and communities received grants to help prevent homelessness and provide rapid re-housing assistance to those who are already homeless.  Louisiana has received $13.5 million in funding under HPRP, and Mississippi has received $13.3 million.

- HUD Secretary's White House blog entry

Department of Health and Human Services

HHS announces $250 million for Community Health Centers

Earlier this month, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $250 million in grants for New Access Points for the delivery of primary health care services for underserved and vulnerable populations under the Health Center Program.  The funds, made available by the Affordable Care Act, will be awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Under the Affordable Care Act, the expansion of Community Health Centers is a significant change that will serve many vulnerable populations, including those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Impact of Medicaid expansion for people experiencing homelessness (Washington Post)


Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD provides rental assistance vouchers to help more than 2,500 families stay together

$20 million will keep children out of foster care, young adults from homelessness, and savings to the foster care system of more than $142 million. It's estimated that these rental vouchers will reunite nearly 5,000 children with their parents or prevent them from entering foster care in the first place.

HUD announces $189 million available to revitalize communities

Obama Administration prioritizes early childhood education, community supports with $124 million in HOPE VI awards and $65 million in Choice Neighborhoods pilot grants.

$65 million in available funding to support community development in Indian Country

The available funding will support a variety of community development and affordable housing production in Indian country throughout the United States.

HUD Continuum of Care debriefing available

View a webcast on the 2009 Continuum of Care (CoC) competition held earlier this month. The webcast provides an overview of the 2009 competition.


Department of Labor

Nearly $1 million in grants to fund the Veterans' Employment and Training Service National Technical Assistance Center

These Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants include two cooperative agreements that will maintain and develop the HVRP National Technical Assistance Center.

Increase in Hate Crimes Against the Homeless

The National Coalition for the Homeless recently released a report titled "Hate Crimes Against the Homeless: America's Growing Tide of Violence" which highlights that killings of people experiencing homelessness have risen to their highest level in a decade. The New York Times also covered the report.

USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe commented on the report, "I am deeply alarmed by this tragic increase in deaths. USICH is working collaboratively with localities to identify proactive solutions and appropriate responses to end homelessness."

Opening Doors Resources

Earlier this month USICH released an implementation update of Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

- Implementation update
- Opening Doors
- Supplemental Documents and Fact Sheets
- PowerPoint Presentation