St. Cloud Receives $147,000 from HUD to Address Homelessness

(KNSI) — St. Cloud is among 46 communities across the country sharing in $315 million as part of a first-of-its-kind package from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to receive grants and vouchers to address homelessness in rural communities.

The St. Cloud/Central Minnesota Continuum of Care received $147,577 to coordinate the implementation of the homelessness response system. A CoC is “a community strategic plan to coordinate, organize and deliver housing and services and promote community-wide commitment to reduce the incidences of homelessness,” according to the CoC website.

According to a press release, “We know that when we invest in housing people, it works. Statistics show that when people are sheltered, communities stabilize, criminal activities decline, recidivism is reduced, and overall mental and physical well-being is improved,” HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Diane M. Shelley said. “These grants, as well as the coming vouchers, will give these Minnesota communities the resources they need to solve unsheltered and rural homelessness humanely and effectively via a Housing First approach providing housing and services to address people’s unique needs.”

In the coming weeks, HUD expects to award grants to an additional set of communities and allocate housing vouchers to all awarded communities.

Together, these grants and vouchers comprise a first-of-its-kind package of resources to help communities provide housing and supportive services to people in unsheltered settings and people experiencing homelessness in rural areas. Communities were also asked to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing unsheltered and rural homelessness that involves coordination with health care providers, other housing agencies such as public housing authorities, and people with lived experience.

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