People across the state will get help to stay in homes, find new housing
LANSING, MI – December 16, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today met in Kalamazoo with residents struggling to stay in their homes who are finding help through a federal program designed to keep families from becoming homeless and to help the newly-homeless find stable housing.
“The downturn in the national economy has hit Michigan families hard, leaving too many on the brink of losing their homes,” said Granholm. “Thanks to Recovery Act dollars and a dedicated group of state and local partners, people are finding the help they need to stay in their homes, take care of their families, and get back on their feet.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated more than $1.51 million in Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) funds to the city of Kalamazoo and to the Affordable Housing Partnership (AHP), the lead agency for the local Continuum of Care collaborative that will oversee and direct the program. Statewide, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) included more than $53.1 million for HPRP.
The AHP estimates that HPRP funds will provide 200-225 households in Kalamazoo County with homelessness prevention assistance and 50-75 households with rapid re-housing assistance during the two-year duration of the program.
“Keeping Michigan families safe and secure in stable, permanent housing remains one of the top priorities of my administration,” said Granholm. “The Recovery Act is helping us achieve that goal for thousands of Michigan residents.”
The Recovery Act-funded HPRP is designed to help prevent homelessness and provide for rapid re-housing for families who have recently lost their homes. The goal of HPRP is for participants to achieve housing stability. HUD’s general rule for eligibility is: “Most in need and most likely to succeed.” People facing imminent eviction or living in shelters or on the street are those who are “most in need”; people who within a short period of time can be expected to afford a rental payment without assistance are those “most likely to succeed.”
