Local Groups Receive Grants to Help County's Homeless

Numerous government agencies and organizations that help the homeless in San Diego County received grants Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money is part of $1.47 billion provided by HUD to 7,100 programs.

The local recipients include:

-- St. Vincent de Paul Village, about $4.5 million;

-- the San Diego Housing Commission, $2.4 million;

-- the county of San Diego, about $1.2 million;

-- Episcopal Community Services, nearly $1.1 million; and

-- the YWCA of San Diego County, nearly $750,000.

Other grantees in the region include the Alpha Project, Catholic Charities, city of Oceanside, Community Housing Works of Escondido, Community Resource Center of Encinitas, Crisis House of El Cajon, Mental Health Systems of San Diego, North County Interfaith Council, North County Solutions for Change, Regional Task Force on the Homeless, San Diego Youth Services, South Bay Community Services, Association for Community Housing, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego and Volunteers of America Southwest.

"The federal grant assists the hardest-to-serve homeless individuals and families by linking housing subsidies with services," said Rick Gentry, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Housing Commission. "This is an important national effort by HUD to reduce homelessness in our cities."

The commission estimates that the money will fund 200 units of housing and support services for homeless people with mental illness, chronic substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

-City News Service