Mississippi
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Shelters, substance abuse centers and other programs that work with Mississippi's homeless are set to receive $4.3 million in federal grant money in 2012, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Continuum of Care money represents a boon for area nonprofits at a time when donations and grant pools are drying up.

Most will go directly to support shelters and services, and many of the programs selected are tailored toward women and families. Locally, Jackson's New Life for Women is getting $200,000 for its substance abuse center, while Stewpot Community Services will receive $50,000 for Matt's House, an emergency shelter for women and children. Catholic Charities will get $500,000 for transitional housing programs geared toward victims of domestic violence in Jackson and Natchez.

Another $450,000 is set aside to staff and equip a HUD-mandated oversight program, the Homeless Management Information System.

The management system allows local agencies to track the services for the homeless receive to ensure they're on a path to self-sufficiency. It's also supposed to help the federal government see if its programs are effective.

Partners to End Homelessness, the local clearinghouse for Continuum of Care funds, is tasked with developing a strategic plan for nonprofits in Hinds and four surrounding counties.

"The federal government has put a lot of faith nationally in the COC in terms of providing hands-on oversight of those agencies," said Stacey Howard, a PTEH board member. "If no one has accountability for what's going on in those shelters, you don't know that you're getting the bang for your buck."

PTEH Executive Director Shelley Johnson said the increased oversight explains why COC funding has gone up while other HUD programs have been slashed by Congress in cost-cutting moves.

"The increase in funds is primarily because oversight of the agencies is an expectation," Johnson said. "It's about providing quality."

In all, HUD's Continuum of Care program awarded $1.5 billion in this latest round of grants.

That's up $65 million from last year's allocation, a stark contrast from HUD's Community Development Block Grant program, which lost 16 percent of its funds in fiscal 2011.

The need for shelter in Mississippi is great, although Howard said the state's "point in time" homeless count declined from a year ago. As recently as 2009, Mississippi was the only state in the country with more homeless people who lack shelter (1,576) than have it (1,221), according to HUD counts.

Nationwide, the trend is downward.

A HUD spokesman said in a news release that even as the economy struggles, homelessness in the U.S. saw a 2.1 percent drop in 2011 from 2010 counts.

The grants awarded on Dec. 20 "will literally keep the doors of our shelters open and will help those on the front lines of ending homelessness do what they do best," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said.

Of Mississippi's allocation, Jackson-based agencies will receive the most funding ($1.1 million), followed closely by ones in Hattiesburg ($981,000).

But the bulk of Jackson's allocation will go to agencies like PTEH that serve either a broader metro area or other parts of the state.

Bolivar County Community Action Agency in Cleveland received the most of any group, $649,487 to fund a transitional shelter and its New Start program.

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