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Published Monday, June 29, 2009 in Local

CAFI may request stimulus funds for homeless

By Elizabeth Richardson

The Times-Herald

As unemployment rates continue to climb, the Community Action for Improvement has decided to pursue federal funding to help alleviate the local homelessness situation.

CAFI's Newnan Service Center will be asking Newnan City Council Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to endorse its application to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for a regional Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP).

This comes on the heels of last week's unemployment numbers, which show that Coweta County had an unemployment rate of 10.5 percent in May. The Chattahoochee-Flint area (Coweta, Heard, Carroll, Meriwether and Troup counties) rose to 11.5 percent in May.

According to the council agenda, the American Recovery Act of 2009 authorized $1.5 billion for a Homeless Prevention Fund. Georgia received $33 million to provide assistance to people facing the threat of homelessness -- many due to the economic crisis -- and to rapidly re-house the people who are already homeless.

That assistance could come in the form of temporary rent or utility assistance, or helping relocate a person to more suitable housing. Money will also be used to obtain housing for people in emergency or transitional shelters, or who are living on the street.

According to information provided by CAFI, major cities and counties, such as Atlanta and Gwinnett, were provided direct allocations from the federal fund. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs will administer the balance of funds to cities and counties. All cities and counties may apply for the funds, and applications are due on July 1.

"CAFI has made contact with counties in our service area... and found no governmental entity is working to apply for these funds. As best we can determine, no organization is planning to submit an application for HPRP funding. CAFI believes we have an obligation to pursue funding where possible to assist citizens in the five county service area."

Coweta could receive a weighted pro rate amount of $270,819, which was calculated based on total population, unemployment and poverty. The grant would be administered through the local service centers. CAFI would manage the program through a Homeless Management Information System.

Government entities are not required to provide matching funds for the program.

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