SAN FRANCISCO—It was announced on Thursday, January 11 that the city of San Francisco will receive $41.4 million in federal grants to help homelessness initiatives in San Francisco. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded a record $2 billion to support more than 7,300 local homeless assistance programs across the nation.
“Across our nation, cities are struggling with the crisis of homelessness,” said Acting Mayor Breed. “If we are to solve this complex issue, we can’t do it alone. We need a sustained commitment from all levels of government. This federal funding will help us expand on solutions proven to be effective, such as creating more permanent supportive housing units and strengthening our rapid rehousing programs.”
A press release from the Mayor’s Office indicated that the funding is being awarded as part of the Continuum of Care (CoC) program supported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The $41.4 million being received by San Francisco represents a 29 percent increase from last year’s $32.2 million total.
“HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a wide range of programs and projects that are effective in the fight to end homelessness in our community,” said Jeff Kositsky, Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “This year’s record funding level recognizes the great work that our City and nonprofit partners are engaged in and a welcome investment in our work to make significant and sustained reductions in homelessness over the next five years.”
The HUD Continuum of Care grant will assist 57 initiatives in San Francisco, with the funds going toward permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing efforts. The grant will assist three expansion projects in San Francisco, funding a total of 31 new permanent supportive housing units to sites in the Tenderloin, SoMa District and Mission Bay neighborhoods.
“HUD stands with our local partners who are working each and every day to house and serve our most vulnerable neighbors,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “We know how to end homelessness and it starts with embracing a housing-first approach that relies upon proven strategies that offer permanent housing solutions to those who may otherwise be living in our shelters and on our streets.”
One transitional housing project will be funded, along with the City’s Coordinated Entry efforts and three Homeless Management Information System projects. The award includes a non-renewable $944,592 planning grant. For 2018, CoC funding is the largest amount the city of San Francisco has ever received. San Francisco has seen a 105 percent increase in HUD CoC funding since 2011, when San Francisco received $20.1 million in grant funds.
“I would like to recognize the hard work of the City for its creative projects to address the plight of those San Francisco residents who endure the worst of times on our streets and in our shelters,” said Del Seymour, co-chair Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “The recent awards in our CoC funding is a testament to the caliber of work that our local service providers play in this effort to provide superior management of the needy.”
The CoC program is planned to promote communitywide commitment to terminating homelessness by providing funding for efforts by nonprofit providers and state and local governments to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“HUD is committed to ending homelessness in California,” said Regional Administrator Jimmy Stracner. “On this issue, partnership trumps partisanship. Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions and HUD is partnering to fund 57 housing and services programs in San Francisco. These interventions are critical to getting to results on an issue that affects any and every community.”
In total, the state of California received over $382 million in grants to support 900 programs aimed at fighting homelessness in throughout the state.
Written By Casey Jacobs
