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The US Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced that $1,030,927 in Homeless Assistance Awards will be granted to Asheville agencies to fund programs for homeless people. Four separate grants have been awarded to Asheville programs in this nationwide competition for funding.The awards represent a significant increase in funding for these programs, providing nearly $400,000 more than was awarded from this program in 2004. An informal coalition of homeless service agencies in Asheville and Buncombe County coordinates the programs and services of its member agencies. Each year, the coalition prioritizes the funding needs of all of its member agencies and submits them in a combined grant application for HUD "Continuum of Care" funds. Pisgah Legal Services Staff Attorney Robin Merrell coordinates the process. "More than 2,000 homeless people will be helped with these funds over the next year," said Merrell. "This funding is an integral part of our overall plans to end homelessness." Merrell emphasized the importance of community collaboration to solve difficult problems, saying, "These funds are awarded based on community-wide efforts and collaborations. This is a grant not just for homeless service providers but for the entire community."
The Interlace Program of the Affordable Housing Coalition (AHC) will receive $263,137 in renewal funding to administer their award-winning transitional housing program for survivors of domestic violence, a collaboration between AHC, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Helpmate, the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, and Pisgah Legal Services. Interlace provides survivors of domestic violence with housing and supportive services. Hospitality House of Asheville will receive $182,866 for the A-Hope Day Center and Safe Haven. A-Hope is the first of its kind in North Carolina and helps unsheltered homeless people. The Day Center is a central location for all homeless people to access needed services including medical and dental care, job help, and legal advice. It also provides showers, laundry, and storage for personal belongings. The Safe Haven provides overnight respite for people identified as in immediate danger. Western Highlands will receive $216,744 for 35 units of Shelter Plus Care, a permanent housing program for people with severe and persistent mental illness. Shelter Plus Care provides safe, permanent supportive housing for vulnerable people who would otherwise be living on the streets. Rent assistance and supportive services allow participants to live independently while they continue needed treatment. Most importantly, the HUD funding will help Asheville area non-profits serve more people who are in desperate need of housing. "This funding has a real impact on real people's lives," said Betsy Warren, coordinator of the Interlace program. One graduate of Interlace, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "Thanks to Interlace and all the agencies that are part of Interlace, I was given a second chance. I did not have to remain a 'victim.' It was a very scary feeling to have to stay in a relationship where you don't know if you are going to be alive to see the next day because you don't have anywhere else to go. Interlace provided me with my somewhere else to go. I no longer feel like a scared little girl. I feel very fortunate. It took a while to get here, but I know that my family being together means more than anything else in this life." Pisgah Legal Services Executive Director Jim Barrett said, "We at Pisgah Legal Services are thrilled to be part of such a successful, collaborative effort to house people who are homeless due to special circumstances such as domestic violence or mental handicaps. The Homeless Coalition is to be congratulated for its tremendous work." (Photos courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services, The Affordable Housing Coalition)
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The Housing Authority of the City of Asheville will receive $368,160 to subsidize rent in twelve units at the Woodfin Apartments for mentally ill people who are homeless, in collaboration with New Vistas, Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), and WNC Housing, Inc. "This major award will help us get moving on the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness," said the City of Asheville Mayor Charlie Worley. "The funding for 12 new units of supportive housing at the Woodfin Apartments will mean 12 fewer chronically homeless people living on the streets of Asheville."