Millions of dollars heading to Central IL to help the homeless

Will Simmons
·2 min read

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Every year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gives money to counties.

Community Service Director for Champaign County Lisa Benson said getting the money can be competitive.

“We always are potentially at risk for losing funding because it’s a national competition,” she said.

This year, the Champaign County Continuum of Care group is one of many organizations benefiting. Central Illinois counties are getting more than $3 million.

Benson said it’ll allow them to work with 42 other nearby agencies with the same goal: helping those without addresses.

“It supports a significant infrastructure that’s really required to do a collaborative and meaningful local response, and then permanent housing beds,” she said.

Champaign Co. groups working together, bringing warmth to the homeless

This year, the county got close to $870,000 — $50,000 more than last year.

“It won’t directly support the development of those beds or running those shelters,” Benson said, “but the advocacy and the work that we do with the partners, their partners and in the Continuum, also all the emergency shelters. So, working collaboratively together.”

Benson said the government looks for improvements in counties’ numbers to see what’s working and how much they get. It’s the reason they do the Point-in-Time Count every year, which sees how many homeless people live within a counties border.

“The data that we keep, that’s used when we do any application for state funds or local funds,” she said.

On top of working to make data-driven decisions easier and working with other agencies, the money will also be used to continue to put roofs over people’s heads.

“We currently have about 100 formerly homeless persons that are in permanent supportive housing vouchers,” Benson said. “And so the renewal of those funds will support maintaining their housing vouchers.”

Benson said almost 80% of the $870,000 awarded to Champaign County will go to keeping families and individuals housed. This year’s Point-in-Time numbers will come out in the spring.

Sangamon County was awarded $538,136, Bloomington/Central Illinois Continuum of Care got $669,708 and Macon County with $1,029,487.

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