December 1 2010 (Jeff Alan)
Shaun Donovan, the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced today that the agencies Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) prevented or ended the homelessness of 750,000 Americans.
The program was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provided $1.5 billion to local communities to keep families in their homes or help them find other affordable housing after a sudden financial crisis, which might have otherwise led to homelessness.
These grants offer communities a resource to provide short- and medium-term rental assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or to quickly re-house those who are experiencing homelessness.
The grants were not intended to provide long-term support for individuals and families, nor were they intended to provide mortgage assistance to homeowners who are facing foreclosure. The type of aid included short-term rental assistance (up to three months), medium-term rental assistance (up to 18 months), security deposits, utility deposits and/or utility payments, moving cost assistance, and hotel vouchers. Payments will not be made directly to households, but only to third parties, such as landlords or utility companies.
“Preventing or ending homelessness for over 750,000 Americans is a major milestone for the Recovery Act and for the Obama Administration’s Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness,” said Secretary Donovan. “Often times, a little bit of financial assistance can make all the difference between finding or keeping a stable home and being forced to live in a shelter or on the streets.”
Tags: HUD, HPRP, homelessness prevention, financial crisis, community grants, short-term assistance