Ivey awards $2.5M to help fight homelessness

To help fight the spike of nationwide homelessness that has also reached the Yellowhammer State, Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $2.5 million in Emergency Solutions Grant funding to cities, organizations, and commissions throughout the state.

The funding will go toward aiding local governments and nonprofit agencies in providing housing and other related services to homeless people or those close to becoming homeless.

“Emergency Solutions Grants are a measure to help people who for a number of reasons find themselves in need of a safe shelter,” Ivey said. “I commend these governments and organizations for assisting these individuals and families by ensuring they have secure housing during a time of great need.”

Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, noted the significance of the grant.

“With help from this grant program, local governments and nonprofits have been able to step in to help people in Alabama with emergency housing needs,” he said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in commending the work those organizations do to help people who are going through rough times.”

ADECA will be administering the grant money which was made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The new funding has been awarded to the following:

• City of Florence – $329,060. The city will assist the homeless and those who are near homelessness in Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion and Winston counties through the Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama, The Salvation Army of the Shoals and MOM’s Inc.
• City of Huntsville – $400,000. Huntsville will contract with several groups to provide housing and shelter needs for people in Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties. The contracted groups are AshaKiran, Community Action Partnership, Crisis Services of North Alabama, Disabled American Veterans, Family Services Center Inc. First Stop, Hands Across Decatur, North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, New Futures and The Salvation Army.
• Marshall County Home Place Inc. (Guntersville) – $36,000. The organization will provide emergency shelter in Marshall County.
• Second Chance Inc. (Anniston) – $240,000. The organization will provide rapid re-housing and emergency shelter for individual and family victims of domestic violence in Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, Randolph and Talladega counties.
• The Right Place for Housing and Support (Anniston) – $250,000. This organization will provide street outreach, emergency shelter, homeless prevention and rapid re-housing for people living Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb and Etowah counties.
• City of Tuscaloosa – $200,000. The city will work with The Salvation Army, SAN Inc. (Turning Point) and Temporary Emergency Services Inc. to help people in Tuscaloosa including domestic violence victims and their children.
• Shelby County Commission – $150,000. The county will contract for assistance to the homeless and homeless prevention services, including victims of domestic violence, for people in Shelby County.
• Montgomery Area Coalition for the Homeless Inc.– $375,000. The organization, more commonly known as Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, will work with Family Promise of Montgomery, Montgomery Area Family Violence Program Inc., Friendship Mission Inc. and HandsOn River Region to assist homeless and at-risk homeless persons in Montgomery, Autauga, Bullock, Elmore and Lowndes counties.
• Housing First Inc. (Mobile) – $175,000. The organization will provide street outreach and homeless prevention and rapid rehousing for people in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• The Salvation Army (Mobile) – $200,000. The Salvation Army will provide emergency shelter in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• Penelope House Inc. (Mobile) – $175,000. Penelope House will house Mobile County victims of domestic violence and their children.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.