On Tuesday, March 29, HUD announced its annual awards for the Continuum of Care (CoC) competitive grant funding. (See announcement at HUD.gov)

HCD is proud to announce that, in partnership with Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, Project Safe and the Athens Homeless Coalition, the Athens-Clarke County CoC has been awarded renewal funding to support its Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing and Planning & Administration grants totaling $432,861. State funded CoC projects totaling $446,477 were also awarded to local agencies, and are managed by the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority (DCA). Local CoC funding supports necessary housing placement to one of Athens-Clarke County’s most vulnerable populations, and without this vital funding, over 23 individuals and 12 families would be without the help needed to meet their housing needs.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, Indian Tribes or tribally designated housing entities, and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, persons fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and youth while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.

Please join HCD in congratulating our partners and celebrating another year of supporting and housing those experiencing homelessness in Athens! We truly appreciate your hard work and the service you provide to this community!