Comments Due by May 11th to State on Homeless Amendment to Spend $7.8 Million in HUD Recovery Act Funding.

Tomorrow the City of Portland is holding their hearing on their Recovery Act related homeless plan amendment; my prior blog post is HERE.

The State of Oregon Oregon Housing and Community Services Agency has similarly developed a plan amendment for their jurisdiction and is seeking comments by May 11th.

Taken together the two plan amendments total more than $12 Million in Recovery Act funding for homeless programs. Oregon communities will receive a total of $14.9 Million under this Recovery Act program; other recipients are Clackamas County, Eugene, Salem and Washington County.

Since Oregon communities received $21,274,487 in HUD funding last year for homeless programs (prior blog post HERE), the new Recovery Act program funding for HUD funded homeless activities represents a one time 70% boost compared to the funding from last year).

The State of Oregon proposed amendment is HERE; pasted below is select information from their website:

"Oregon Housing and Community Services OHCS) is seeking public comment relating to a proposed substantial amendment to Oregon's 2008 Action Plan for funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On May 18th OHCS will be submitting a 2008 Action Plan substantial amendment to HUD for the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) in the amount of $7,873,436. HPRP is a new program created by Congress under Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HUD requires amendment of the 2008 Action Plan to reflect the HPRP activities designed to provide homelessness assistance to households who otherwise would become homeless and provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are homeless as defined by Section 103 of the McKinney - Vento Act. HPRP regulation requires a comment period of twelve calendar days. Written, faxed, or e-mailed comments can be submitted to the address below at any time prior to 5 PM on May 11, 2009. Deaf and hearing-impaired individuals may use a TTY by calling 1-800-735-2900. Rainy Gauvain;OHCS 725 Summer St. NE, Ste. B;Salem, OR 97301 Phone 503.986.6702; Fax 503.983.2020 Rainy.Gauvain@hcs.state.or.us