New Bedford Awarded Federal Funding to Combat Homelessness

Mayor Jon Mitchell announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the City of New Bedford $1,968,954 in homeless assistance funding as part of a competitive grant competition under the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

The New Bedford Continuum of Care is administered locally by the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development and the New Bedford Homeless Services Provider Network (HSPN). The competitive grant is part of an annual process and is the direct result of the City and the HSPN successful partnership to address the issue of homelessness in New Bedford.

“Funding under these HUD grants is targeted to create a strong economic foundation and will help to find permanent housing solutions for homeless veterans and other New Bedford residents currently without a home “said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

U.S. HUD Secretary Julián Castro awarded $1.8 billion in grants to support nearly 8,400 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Continuum of Care (CoC) grants awarded support the Administration’s efforts to end homelessness by providing critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the country.

The application under this very competitive program was coordinated by the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development in collaboration with a working group of the Homeless Service Providers Network (HSPN). The HSPN coordinates the local Continuum of Care program and meets monthly with over 70 agencies dedicated to ending homelessness.

The award of $1,968,954 includes eight (8) program renewal awards for permanent and transitional housing for over 275 units of supportive housing, and a planning grant.

Patrick Sullivan, Director of Housing and Community Development added, “The award of this very competitive HUD funding demonstrates the dedicated hard work of our homeless service providers in New Bedford. These programs will link homeless families, veterans, and individuals to housing, supportive services and employment that puts them on the path to sustainability.”

The City’s grant funding will be distributed to the following agencies:

City of New Bedford HMIS Project: $29,524
City of New Bedford – CoC Planning Project: $24,003
Southeast Regional Network – Family Preservation Program: $254,710
Steppingstone – Graduate Program: $96,257
Steppingstone – Welcome Home: $165,918
Veterans Transitional House – Network House: $95,210
Catholic Social Services – Portico: $624,677
Catholic Social Services – Prism: $209,306
PAACA – Step Up: $272,669
Catholic Social Services – Transition to Stability: $196,680

Total: $1,968,954

For more information about the City’s efforts to address homelessness, please contact City of New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development (508) 979-1500.