Federal Homelessness Assistance Funding to Benefit Iowans in Need
(DES MOINES) –The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that Iowa has been awarded more than $9.1 million in federal funds to support homelessness assistance initiatives through the Continuum of Care (CoC) program.
HUD’s CoC program provides critically needed support to local programs on the front lines of serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.
“Iowa received a 3.1% increase in funds awarded for homelessness assistance efforts through the highly-competitive program over last year,” said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. “This is a credit to the system-wide performance improvements being made by partners throughout the state. These funds will soon be making a very real impact on the lives of Iowans in need.”
HUD strongly encouraged local applicants to prioritize their funding request very carefully, using a mix of performance data and local needs. In addition, applicants were encouraged to submit projects that were based on research-driven approaches and supported the nation’s goals to prevent and end homelessness.
The CoC competition allows planning organizations (called Continuums of Care or CoCs) to apply for the program through one annual consolidated application.
In Iowa, there are three CoCs, including Des Moines/Polk County, Sioux City/Woodury County and the Iowa Balance of State CoC, which covers the rest of the state with the exception of Council Bluffs, as it is included in the Omaha CoC. The Iowa Finance Authority provides administrative support for the Iowa Council on Homelessness, which oversees the Balance of State CoC.
The Iowa Council on Homelessness reports that 11,890 Iowans experienced homelessness in 2016, a statistic that has been trending downward.
The Iowa Legislature created the Iowa Finance Authority in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of housing for low- and moderate-income Iowans. Since then, the Iowa Finance Authority’s role has grown to include 40 affordable housing, water quality and beginning farmer programs. The Iowa Finance Authority is a self-supporting public agency whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for Iowans.