Federal Changes Threaten to Swell Ranks of Homeless
More than a hundred residents living across Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties could face the prospect of homelessness as early as the end of next month, as local support networks race to try to respond to chaos brought on by changes at the federal Department Housing and Urban Development.
To understand the situation, knowledge of a few acronyms is required first. Every fiscal year, HUD issues what is known as a Notice of Funding Opportunities, or NOFO, to local organizations known as Continuums of Care, also known as CoCs. The CoCs cover a certain regional area and coordinate housing services and support for the location. Using money supplied by HUD, its usage dictated by the NOFO, the CoC puts out request for proposals, or RFPs, to solicit projects from local organizations for a given year.
The Three County Continuum of Care, located in the Greenfield offices of Community Action Pioneer Valley, acts as an arbiter of HUD funding for housing organizations across Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties. According to Three County CoC Program Director Shaundell Diaz, about 87% of the funding it receives from HUD goes toward supportive housing units for those who would otherwise be out on the streets.
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