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DOL, HUD Award $13.5 Million in Grants, Cooperative Agreements
and Technical Assistance to End Chronic Homelessness through
Employment/Housing
WASHINGTON—The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) announced today the awarding of
$13.5 million in federal grants, cooperative agreements, and
technical assistance, to help fulfill the Administration’s
goal of ending chronic homelessness among persons with disabilities.
“In keeping with the promise of President Bush’s
New Freedom Initiative and his goal of ending chronic homelessness,
today’s housing and employment awards will expand the
government’s delivery and implementation of ‘customized
employment’ strategies for chronically homeless people
with disabilities, so that they may live, work and fully participate
in their communities,” Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
said. “Our collaborative efforts with HUD will continue
our strategy to help individuals with disabilities out of chronic
homelessness.”
The awarding of the grants, agreements and technical assistance
was originally announced October 1, at a White House meeting
of the Interagency Council On Homelessness, whose duties are
to plan and coordinate the Federal government’s activities
and programs to assist homeless persons. Labor Secretary Chao
becomes Vice Chair of the Council next year.
At that October 1 meeting, HUD Secretary Mel Martinez said,
“Today we announce this nation’s first investment
toward meeting this Administration’s goal of ending chronic
homelessness in a decade. Mental illness, addiction or physical
disability should not disqualify a person from access to a home,
health care or other services necessary for them to share in
the American dream.”
Today’s announcement comes during National Disability
Employment Awareness Month. Secretary Chao selected “America
Works Best When All Americans Work” as the official theme
for October to “continue to bring focus and awareness
to solutions that ensure the full inclusion of persons with
disabilities into the 21st century workforce.”
The joint DOL and HUD initiative, which is designed to help
people with disabilities who are chronically homeless achieve
employment, permanent housing, and self-sufficiency, is being
made available through a series of cooperative agreements by
ODEP, in partnership with the department’s Employment
and Training Administration (ETA) and its Veterans Employment
and Training Service (VETS). DOL has awarded five cooperative
agreements at approximately $625,000 per award. This initiative
also includes a technical assistance component to ensure lasting
systemic change to the delivery of employment and training services
under the Workforce Investment Act.
In support of this DOL effort, HUD will additionally supplement
each cooperative agreement with approximately $1 million to
$3 million per award, or up to $10 million in funding.
Grantees are:
? Worksystems Inc. of Portland, Oregon, which receives $625,000
a year from DOL for up to 5 years and the Housing Authority
of Portland which receives $3 million in HUD funding;
? Boston Private Industry Council, which receives $622,912 a
year for up to five years from DOL and Metropolitan Boston Housing
Partnership, which receives $1 million in HUD funding;
? Private Industry Council of San Francisco, Inc., which receives
$624,823 for from DOL for up to five years, and San Francisco
Department of Human Services, which receives $2.2 million in
HUD funding;
? Indianapolis Private Industry Council, Inc., which receives
$623,951 from DOL for up to five years and the City of Indianapolis,
which receives $1 million in HUD funding; and
? Workforce Development Division of the Community Development
Department of the City of Los Angeles, which receives $625,000
from DOL for up to five years and the Los Angeles County Department
of Mental Health, which receives $3 million in HUD funding.
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