(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD), announced that a $5.4 million dollar grant will be awarded to the King County Department of Community and Human Services to tackle youth homelessness in King County and Seattle, the largest grant received by a non-statewide entity in today’s announcement. This award could directly help 70,000 young people over the course of the grant. It was awarded through a competitive application process by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and made possible by Sen. Murray’s bipartisan work to increase focus on addressing youth homelessness during the 2016 appropriations process, with the leadership of THUD Chairwoman Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI).
“In receiving this first-ever grant through the new Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, King County and Seattle have proven that their innovative, inclusive approach to addressing youth homelessness deserves nationwide recognition, and I’m proud to be able to help them further expand their efforts with this significant award,” said Senator Murray. “Their strong plan, which includes lasting partnerships between government, non-profits, and philanthropic organizations, relies on recommendations from young people who have experienced homelessness themselves. This should help ensure that these programs are as effective as possible and bring us closer to the goal of ending youth homelessness. There are thousands of young people in the Seattle area who are struggling to find stable housing and will now be able to receive the extra boost they need to get back on track.”
“The future of our region – and of our country – is our children. In too many ways we are failing them. If we don’t address the reality of homeless children, of marginalized children, we can’t succeed as a community. Senator Murray sees this clearly – the effective advocacy she provides is making a real difference on our streets, in our schools and in the future of our communities,” said Megan Hyla of King County Housing Authority.
“It is tragic to see so many people in the Seattle-King County area experiencing homelessness, among them many of our youth,” said Andrew Lofton, Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority. “We are tremendously heartened, however, that in Senator Patty Murray, Washington State has a true champion on issues of homelessness and housing. Her work, along with others, on this grant brings substantial new resources to our region, giving young people who are homeless opportunities for a stable living environment.”
HUD announced today that it is awarding $33 million to 10 communities–including four rural communities–under its Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) designed to help end youth homelessness. Funded for the first time in the FY 2016 Appropriations Act, HUD announced on August 22, 2016, that it would accept applications for the YHDP program until November 30, 2016. HUD received 130 applications, which underwent a comprehensive review. King County was chosen for a number of reasons, including strong collaboration with government agencies, non-profits, and philanthropies, which also will supplement the HUD award with private capital and resources.
Ref. http://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=02DC6A17-7F2B-4F1B-BA47-C0D66098FC36
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