Governor Larry Hogan today announced $1.4 million to assist Maryland’s homelessness prevention efforts through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG).
“We have made significant progress to reduce homelessness in Maryland by enhancing the way we administer essential resources to those in need, and by partnering with dedicated programs and organizations across our state,” said Governor Hogan. “Our administration will continue working hard to ensure the safety and security of our most vulnerable citizens.”
The department is awarding grants to nonprofits in three different counties to support their fight against homelessness, including:
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland (Carroll County): $800,000 to construct a 10,000-square-foot addition onto a building in Westminster, which will include a shelter for victims of elder abuse and domestic violence and offices for case management, counseling, and operations.
Meeting Ground, Inc. (Cecil County): $376,656 to hire staff to implement a coordinated point of entry for persons needing services and for as-needed emergency sheltering.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, Inc. (Charles County): $200,000 to hire staff to serve persons living in their newly constructed shelter in Waldorf.
“Thanks to Governor Hogan’s commitment, we have seen a historic reduction in homelessness throughout our state,” said Maryland Housing Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “These awards will help counties sustain this momentum as winter approaches and there is greater need for resources.”
Earlier this year, Governor Hogan announced that overall homelessness has been reduced by more than 9% since 2017, according to data from the 2019 Point-in-Time Count. The number of chronically homeless individuals dropped by nearly 15% and veterans experiencing homelessness declined by nearly 9%. Conducted by the state’s 16 designated Continuums of Care and supported by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Point-in-time Count is a count and survey of homeless persons on a single night in January by local homelessness service providers.
In Fiscal Year 2020, the state’s housing department allocated nearly $7.8 million in CDBG funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to the homelessness awards, CDBG funding is being used for previously announced community development and infrastructure projects and special projects across the state.
