KENTUCKY: HUD explains cut in funding
Too many left in shelters too long
By Chris Poynter
cpoynter@courier-journal.com
The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
February 4, 2005
Failing to move families more quickly from temporary shelters into permanent housing, and failing to limit funding requests to housing were among the reasons that Louisville's federal dollars for homeless services were cut by $3.1 million this year.
Local homeless-service providers said they were told yesterday during a conference call with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials that Louisville scored an 81 out of 100 on its grant application -- three quarters of a point shy of the level needed to receive basic funding.
HUD announced last week that Louisville would receive $2.4 million this fiscal year for its homeless programs, far less than the $5.8 million it had requested. The city received $5.5 million last year. Senlin Ward, community planning coordinator for the Coalition for the Homeless, said that the providers were told that a combination of factors affected Louisville's score, including the fact that the city is not moving enough people into permanent housing.
Ward said people aren't moving because there is no place to for them to go.
The city has a waiting list of 12,000 people to receive a federal rental assistance voucher, known as Section 8.
The Clarksdale redevelopment also plays a factor, said Marlene Gordon, executive director of the coalition. The city is tearing down more than 700 apartments at Clarksdale, moving those families elsewhere -- sometimes at the cost of others waiting for public housing.
For every unit of public housing demolished at Clarksdale, the Louisville Metro Housing Authority has agreed to build or buy a replacement unit -- but that process could take years. Such factors are not considered for the HUD grants, however, because the applications are scored by computer -- which Gordon found "frustrating."
"They are doing it by computer, and they are not interested that we are in a housing crisis," she said.
Ward also noted that, while Louisville's application was hurt because it included requests to fund counseling programs, HUD has funded such efforts in the past.
Krista Mills, head of the Louisville HUD office, confirmed yesterday that HUD is increasingly focusing more on housing and less on services, under a mandate from Congress.
"And that's a challenge, admittedly," Mills said. "Because we have historically provided services money and certainly encouraged that."
Gordon said that HUD officials suggested that homeless providers seek support-service funding from other agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services. And Mills said HUD officials yesterday walked through Louisville's grant application point by point to help the city improve next year.
Of the 500 applications submitted nationwide for homeless funding, about 45 programs didn't receive full funding, for a variety of reasons, Mills said.
Local homeless agencies have warned of cuts and possible closures if they can't replace $3.1 million.
Wellspring officials, for example, said they might be forced to close Journey House, which helps mentally ill women addicted to drugs.
Boys Haven said it won't buy apartments for homeless youth as planned and likely will serve fewer boys this year, despite two consecutive years of growth in its counseling and treatment programs.
And leaders at the St. Jude Recovery Center for women said that they must count on private donations and foundation gifts to overcome a cut that represents the loss of two-thirds of their federal funding.
Gordon said the coalition will work to strengthen its grant application for next year, hoping to recoup the lost money.
"We are going to pull together and figure out what to do next year," she said.