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Housing nets nearly $2.8 million

A half-dozen agencies from Trumbull and Mahoning counties will share nearly $107 million in statewide grants — $2.8 million locally — from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD awarded a total of nearly $2.2 billion in Continuum of Care grants to support thousands of local homeless-assistance programs across the country, including $106,811,990 for 284 programs Ohio. This is the first of two announcements of Continuum of Care awards, according to a news release from HUD.

The amount awarded in Ohio reflects an increase of nearly $3.3 million from the amount awarded last year.

Among the Mahoning County agencies receiving funding is Beatitude House, which received two seprate grants totaling $462,434 for its permanent supportive housing program. Both grants were renewals and Teresa Boyce, co-director of Beatitude House, said the grant amount is usually the same every year.

“This funding will allow us to continue to serve clients in our 37 Mahoning County units who have disabilities, including mental illness — the vast majority of whom are women and children,” Boyce said.

She said this is Tier I project funding, and she expects Tier II awards to be announced sometime in the next month. If Beatitude House receives the second round of funding, it will allow for housing vouchers to be given to seven homeless individuals ranging in age from 17 to 24.

In Trumbull County, the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board received nearly $1.5 million to provide vouchers for clients, including $100,977 for its Joey’s Landing housing development on Enterprise Drive in Warren and $940,812 for its shelter care plus program. April Caraway, director of the mental health board, said Coleman Professional Services handles the distribution of the vouchers, but the grant money flows through the board.

She said both grants are renewals and are about the same as last year — with a slight bump to account for increasing rent costs. Caraway said clients are given vouchers to help with housing costs, but they also have to work with Coleman staff to address mental health issues and gain employment so they eventually can become independent.

The YWCA of the Mahoning Valley received $554,754 for its permanent housing for disabled families program. Leah Merritt, president of the YWCA, said that money is a renewal, but the agency also received $38,770 in new money for an expansion that will enable the YWCA to serve medically vulnerable pregnant women who are homeless.

“Our clients live in scattered sites throughout the area. We work with the landlords, who are provided with the HUD vouchers to ensure our clients have a roof over their heads,” Merritt said.

She said the HUD grants are very important so the YWCA can serve its clients, but the grants are not the agency’s primary source of funding. She also expects more money to be awarded to the YWCA in the second round.

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