Puerto Rico awarded $24M in annual federal funding to address homelessness
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced $2.8 billion in Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition Awards to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing.
The CoC program is the largest source of federal grant funding for homeless services and housing programs servicing people experiencing homelessness.
The annual funding, which reflects what the department referred to as the commitment of the administration of President Joe Biden to address the “nation’s homelessness crisis using equity and evidence-based solutions,” will be awarded to thousands of local homeless service and housing programs across the United States.
According to the fiscal year 2022 CoC Competition’s Homeless Assistance Award Report, HUD allocated nearly $24.3 million to homeless assistance programs in Puerto Rico. The CoC program also awarded grants for rapid rehousing and supportive services, rental assistance, and permanent housing.
Several centers on the island were awarded more than $1 million in annual funding, such as the De Vuelta a la Vida, Sanación y Hogar center, which received $1.5 million, while Rental Assistance Program CoC PR 502 received $1.1 million. The Municipality of San Juan also received a little more than $1 million for its CoC PR 502 program.
Other notable projects include El Pueblito de Jesus, which received $835,003, and Guara Bi-Siba in southeast Puerto Rico, which received $745,121.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge previewed the awards at the National League of Cities and emphasized the importance of stable housing in ending homelessness.
“Together we can work toward a world where homelessness is a brief and rare occurrence, and every person has access to a safe, affordable and stable home so that they and their families can thrive,” she said.
The newly announced funding builds on a $315 million package of resources that HUD awarded in January to help communities provide housing and supportive services to people in unsheltered settings and people experiencing homelessness in rural areas.
In August, HUD issued the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the fiscal year 2022 CoC competition awards. The awards include more than $52 million for new projects that will support housing and service needs for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
HUD sought projects that emphasize racial equity and anti-discrimination policies for LGTBQ+ individuals, use a Housing First approach, reduce unsheltered homelessness, and engage people with lived experience of homelessness in decision-making.
The Biden administration’s “All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness,” sets a goal of reducing homelessness by 25% by 2025 and ultimately ending it.
See HUD’s breakdown of the Puerto Rico CoCs and projects receiving funding here.
