Stimulus Funds For Housing Crisis Announced

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan says nearly $14 billion in stimulus funds have been given to his department, most of which will address the housing crisis. Donovan says quarterly “pulse reports” will measure the funds’ impact on nine geographic regions of America, and more will be done at a local level to prevent and address homelessness.

Donovan says the profile of a “typical” homeless person is changing. “That has changed to become less focused on chronically homeless or single, individual homeless to somebody who is part of a family, whether it be a mother or father or a child who is in a homeless family. We saw a nine percent increase in the number of homeless individuals that are part of families,” says Donovan. He says because of this, stimulus funds will be used to help families pay for housing – including rent, utilities, and security deposits. “We’ve shown on the chronically homeless side that investments in support of housing actually save significant funding in not only jail and shelter costs but also in emergency care costs and Medicaid,” he says.

More information can be found at HUD's website.