By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Homeless families in the region stand to benefit from a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.
HUD announced that three of the agencies with the Homeless Coalition of Jasper/Newton Counties will share a $249,029 grant, along with the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The Salvation Army, Lafayette House and Economic Security Corp. will receive money from the grant.
David Crossley, housing coordinator for the Salvation Army, said the money will help homeless families find permanent homes.
“We’ll provide lodging, meals, transportation and case management,” Crossley said. “We’ll help the homeless get into permanent housing.”
The Salvation Army has received this grant every year since 1977, Crossley said. Its $80,000 share of the HUD grant will be added to the organization’s $250,000 budget for assisting homeless families.
The coalition is composed of several agencies in Jasper and Newton counties, Crossley said.
HUD disbursed about $1.6 billion to about 6,300 programs across the country.
The grant is part of HUD’s regular budget and not part of the recently enacted $787 billion stimulus package. Crossley said some of those funds also may be available to the coalition.
“We haven’t received details on how to apply for those yet,” he said.
