MONROE - No more funding is available through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) program for Green, Grant or Iowa counties effective immediately, which could put a strain on local programs, according to a Green County Human Services supervisor.
"This means there will be greater demands on local resources," said Jeannie Blumer, Economic Support Supervisor at Green County Human Services Department. "These funds were stimulus funds, so it is not likely will see more funds awarded."
With the absence of these funds, families will be looking to local governments and community groups for housing assistance, Blumer said.
"When these resources were there, we often piggy-backed government and community funds with those stimulus funds to aid families," she added. "Raising money for homelessness prevention will become more critical now that the HPRP funds are gone."
Green County Human Services reported 55 households became homeless in 2009 and another 57 households experienced near-homelessness.
Twelve adults and eight children had been homeless in the period between March 1 and April 7, 2010, Blumer said April 7 at the Homelessness Prevention Coalition of Green County meeting.
The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program provided financial assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and helps those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized.
The funds can provide short-term or medium-term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, mediation, counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, case management and related costs.
The money was awarded through Southwest Wisconsin Community Action Program for a five-county area: Grant, Green, Lafayette, Iowa and Richland counties.
Green County's portion of HPRP funding, approximately $260,000, provided housing assistance to Green County residents.
Another $740,000 was awarded to SWCAP for the other four counties. Three of the five counties, Grant, Green and Iowa, have now expended their portion of the funds.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed Feb. 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama, included $1.5 billion for a homelessness prevention fund.
Wisconsin was allocated $17.1 million in the one-time funding.
The community action program continues to look for grant money for Green, as well as the other four SWCAP counties, to prevent homelessness.
The program will be honoring all extensions that have been requested until April 15 and will process all applications for new service that have already been distributed, according to Jean Sewell, who oversees the HPRP program at SWCAP.
"This means there will be greater demands on local resources," said Jeannie Blumer, Economic Support Supervisor at Green County Human Services Department. "These funds were stimulus funds, so it is not likely will see more funds awarded."
With the absence of these funds, families will be looking to local governments and community groups for housing assistance, Blumer said.
"When these resources were there, we often piggy-backed government and community funds with those stimulus funds to aid families," she added. "Raising money for homelessness prevention will become more critical now that the HPRP funds are gone."
Green County Human Services reported 55 households became homeless in 2009 and another 57 households experienced near-homelessness.
Twelve adults and eight children had been homeless in the period between March 1 and April 7, 2010, Blumer said April 7 at the Homelessness Prevention Coalition of Green County meeting.
The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program provided financial assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and helps those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized.
The funds can provide short-term or medium-term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, mediation, counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, case management and related costs.
The money was awarded through Southwest Wisconsin Community Action Program for a five-county area: Grant, Green, Lafayette, Iowa and Richland counties.
Green County's portion of HPRP funding, approximately $260,000, provided housing assistance to Green County residents.
Another $740,000 was awarded to SWCAP for the other four counties. Three of the five counties, Grant, Green and Iowa, have now expended their portion of the funds.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed Feb. 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama, included $1.5 billion for a homelessness prevention fund.
Wisconsin was allocated $17.1 million in the one-time funding.
The community action program continues to look for grant money for Green, as well as the other four SWCAP counties, to prevent homelessness.
The program will be honoring all extensions that have been requested until April 15 and will process all applications for new service that have already been distributed, according to Jean Sewell, who oversees the HPRP program at SWCAP.