State's Homeless Population To Benefit from $1.3 Million Federal Grant

BOISE - A $1.3 million federal grant will provide shelter and supportive services to homeless Idaho families and individuals, thanks to an innovative grant proposal by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) and homeless service providers statewide.

Three out of 12 homeless projects submitted by homeless housing and service organizations last year recently received HUD approval. Approval translates into shelter and services for approximately 565 homeless Idaho households over the next three years.

St Vincent de Paul in Coeur d'Alene, Bonner County Homeless Task Force in Sandpoint and a consortium of nonprofits led by Aid for Friends in Pocatello will each use a portion of 1997 funds to house the homeless while they help these families or individuals become independent from welfare assistance.

This is the third year Idaho has received the funds under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance program, according to Rod Beck, IHFA executive director.
We are glad to help coordinate this grant application effort statewide. This is the second year we have helped consolidate Idaho's seven regionalized homeless funding applications into one grant representing the entire state. The coordinated efforts have resulted in a dramatic funding increase," said Beck.

Meetings were held last spring with community representatives in each of Idaho's seven planning regions to determine how much homeless funding was needed and where it was needed most. The meetings enabled IHFA staff to prepare and submit a Continuum of Care Plan. The Plan's goal is alleviating homelessness in each region by assessing the sucess of current services, identifying service gaps and providing an action plan that creates more effective programs.

IHFA is a independent public body, corporate and politic, providing funding for affordable housing opportunities in Idaho communities for more than 25 years. IHFA must generate all revenue necessary to cover its operation costs. It does this by earning fees for work performed and uses no state funds or state employees. IHFA's main office is located at 565 West Myrtle in Boise, Idaho, with five branch offices throughout the state in Twin Falls, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene.