Ivey announces $2.5M in federal grants to combat homelessness

On Tuesday, the Ivey administration announced via a press release the governor has granted 13 different Alabama groups funds to fight homelessness. The grants together total $2.5 million.

“While many of us are looking forward to the holidays and spending time with friends and family, we should also remember that some of our fellow Alabamians are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and others do not have a place to call home at all,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these grants to provide needed assistance to many families at a critical time in their lives.”

The money for the grants comes from a federal fund called the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). The ESG program is housed within the Housing and Urban Affairs Department (HUD), run by Secretary Ben Carson. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is the state agency tasked with administering the grants.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a nonpartisan group dedicated to the issue of homelessness in America, 3,434 Alabamians experienced homelessness in 2018.

“The Emergency Solutions Grant program helps Alabamians avoid homelessness and take steps to become self-sufficient,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join with Gov. Ivey to provide this assistance to local organizations that help families in need.”

Below, as follows, are the recipients of the grants:

• $300,000 to Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless Inc. (Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Washington and Wilcox counties)
• $300,000 to Montgomery Area Coalition for the Homeless Inc. (Autauga, Bullock, Elmore, Lowndes and Montgomery counties)
• $300,000 to United Way of East Central Alabama (Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb and Etowah counties)
• $280,599 to 2nd Chance Inc. (domestic violence victims in Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, Randolph and Talladega counties)
• $214,712 to the city of Florence (Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion and Winston counties)
• $200,000 to the city of Huntsville (Huntsville)
• $200,000 to Penelope House Inc. (Mobile)
• $200,000 to the city of Tuscaloosa (Tuscaloosa County)
• $200,000 to YWCA of Central Alabama (Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties)
• $133,786 to the Shelby County Commission (Shelby County)
• $80,000 to Dallas County Family Resource Center (Dallas County)
• $80,000 to Mobile Area Interfaith Conference Inc. (inmates being released from Mobile County Metro Jail)
• $30,000 to Marshall County Home Place (Marshall County)