Over five million dollars will be used to help the homeless in the Kansas City Metropolitan area
Kansas City – April 14, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II today announced a series of extraordinary awards to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the entire metropolitan area.
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development has made available $26,026,991 in grants to renew support for 113 local homeless housing and service programs in Missouri. Provided through HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, the funding will ensure these local projects continue to serve communities most in need, and continue to provide support to the most vulnerable.
“At a time like this, we need more affordable housing and a stronger safety net to end homelessness,” stated Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II “When nearly sixty thousand of our veterans are now homeless, it’s clear we are not doing enough. These funds will make a huge difference in our community. Housing assistance and outreach saves lives, keeps families together, and keeps people safe.”
The awards to Missouri’s Fifth District total $5,260,984 and are directed to thirty-one different projects, under the leadership of thirteen different lead agencies. The awardees include, but are not limited to: City of Kansas City, Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, reStart Inc., Community Services League, Sheffield Place, Synergy Services, and the Salvation Army.
Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local projects to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in their community. The grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families. This life-saving funding will allow local providers in Missouri’s Fifth District to continue offering permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons. as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care.
There are 610,042 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. Kansas City has the seventh largest homeless population per capita. 56 percent are mothers and children.
Of those experiencing homelessness nationally, 222,197 are people in families, and 387,845 are individuals.
About 18 percent of the homeless population – 109,132 – are considered chronically homeless.
About 9 percent of homeless adults- 57,849 – are veterans. Missouri has the fourth highest percent of homeless veterans.
View a complete list of local homeless projects awarded funding here.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.
