KOSCIUSKO — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded over $19.3 million to support 95 homeless housing and service programs in Indiana. Locally, Kosciusko County is receiving $162,971. The Continuum of Care grants provide critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the state.

Kosciusko County Rapid Rehousing was awarded a total of $82,775, with an additional $80,196 awarded for an expansion to the program.

“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.”

This funding is critical in our efforts to end homelessness across Indiana as we know it,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan. “Rapid rehousing ensures that homelessness is a brief, rare and non-recurring event for individuals and families.”

This year, HUD is continuing to challenge state and local planners to support higher performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting their local challenges, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on reducing homelessness.

HUD estimates there were 553,742 persons experiencing homelessness on a single night nationally in 2017, and increase of .7 percent since last year. In addition, Veteran homelessness increased by 1.5 percent, chronic homelessness increased by 12.2 percent and family homelessness declined by 5.4 percent. 

Across the nation, local homelessness planning agencies called Continuums of Care’will organize volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets.  These Continuums of Care will report these one-night ‘point-in-time counts’ later in the year and will form the basis of HUD’s 2018 national homeless estimate.