TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the 2007 Continuum of Care for Homeless Assistance Program and execute all necessary documents, subgrants and any amendments changing the amounts of the award or extending the grant term upon receipt of HUD funding. The Grant award amount will be between $4 million and $7 million, for a period of one to five years. Funding will be made available through HUD and an appropriation requested in the Health Fund (SR 130) and in the Department of Health and Human Services (HE) through the Fiscal Year 08 budget process. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In 1994, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) established the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which rewards communities that work together to coordinate housing and supportive service programs for homeless persons. The driving force behind this effort is to encourage the development of a seamless strategy to aid individuals in the transition from homelessness to permanent housing. The CoC's primary objective is to assist homeless individuals and families to leave the streets, become stable, and achieve self-sufficiency to the maximum extent possible. The CoC system consists of five components: 1) outreach and assessment, 2) emergency shelter, 3) supportive services, 4) transitional housing, and 5) permanent housing with and without supportive services. As part of the CoC, the community must demonstrate how all available funds and programs are used to augment CoC funds. Available funds include, but are not limited to: Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME funds, Section 8 federal funds, Public Housing funds, and other state, city, county, private, and foundation funds.
CoC funds have a recommended formula allocation for each jurisdiction, which is established by HUD and tied to poverty and population data. This formula is low and is not the only basis for fundi...
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