$9.4 Million is Received to Help Kentucky’s Homeless Population
FRANKFORT, KY — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the recipients of grant funding to address homelessness across the nation. The funding is part of HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, which is awarded annually through a national competition.
The Kentucky Balance of State Continuum of Care (KY BoS CoC), which is comprised of all Kentucky counties except Fayette and Jefferson, will receive $9.4 million dollars, an increase of more than $1 million since the previous year’s CoC competition. Jefferson and Fayette counties receive separate allocations directly from HUD. Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), the state housing finance agency, administers this funding, which is critical to providing programs and services to our homeless populations across the BoS through partnering agencies.
“This funding is critically important to reducing the number of our fellow Kentuckians living on the streets and in emergency shelters,” said Edwin King, chief executive officer of KHC. “In Fiscal Year 2018, KHC and our partners across the state provided shelter and permanent housing solutions for over 9,300 persons. The increased CoC funding, received this year, is a testament to the hard and effective work KHC and our partners are doing around the Commonwealth to help people obtain and maintain permanent housing.”
The KY BoS CoC competed against more than 380 communities nationwide. The funds will be used to support the work of 53 projects from 27 partner agencies across the BoS. In addition to supporting the work of 49 existing projects, the BoS will receive funding to support 4 new projects. Two of these projects, totaling $869,830, will be used to provide rental assistance and supportive services to households fleeing domestic violence.
The Continuum of Care Program is designed to promote community-wide collaboration to quickly rehouse persons experiencing homelessness, including some of the most vulnerable populations such as those experiencing chronic homelessness, persons with disabilities such as mental health and substance use disorders, and persons fleeing domestic violence. Resources are predominantly used to provide permanent housing support.
Funding is awarded by HUD based on the performance of local communities in effectively using the resources to reduce homelessness, which is measured largely by the outcomes of persons served by the programs. Outcomes include the number of participants served by the programs that exit to permanent housing and the reduction in the number of persons that return to homelessness.
The National Homeless Information Project recently released rankings of CoCs using empirical data from system level performance measures submitted to HUD by each CoC. Of the 44 Balance of State CoCs included in the report, the Kentucky BoS CoC ranks the 6th highest in performance.
“The Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence (KCADV) is excited about this opportunity to increase the number of domestic violence survivors and their children that we can help obtain safe and affordable housing,” said Sherry Currens, executive director of KCADV. “Thanks to HUD and Kentucky Housing Corporation, KCADV will be able to use funds from the Balance of State Continuum of Care to provide housing assistance and support services to survivors and their families.”
KHC is responsible for submitting the CoC application each year on behalf of the KY BoS CoC.
About Kentucky Housing Corporation:
As Kentucky’s housing finance agency, Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) offers programs designed to create, preserve, and sustain affordable housing. In partnership with state and federal agencies, KHC administers programs that assist low- and moderate-income households with affordable home loans and down payment assistance, affordable rental homes, housing solutions for homeless, and specialized housing with supportive services.
Created by the General Assembly in 1972, KHC is a self-supporting, public corporation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. KHC is a quasi-governmental agency, which is administratively attached to the Finance and Administration Cabinet, and a portion of KHC’s funds are derived from the interest earned through the sale of tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds. From these proceeds, KHC has made homeownership possible for more than 94,000 Kentucky families.
KHC also receives fee income for administering federal programs, including rental assistance that makes quality housing available to more than 27,500 low-income Kentuckians. Other programs offered by KHC include rental housing financing for development and preservation, rental assistance, homelessness assistance, homeownership pre-purchase education/counseling, home energy and repair initiatives, as well as loan servicing of its mortgage loans. KHC works with many partners across the state to invest in and create affordable housing opportunities.
