Bentley awards $1.8 million for housing assistance

Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded grants totaling $1.8 million to help homeless Alabamians find immediate housing and to assist others who are in danger of becoming homeless.

The funds from the Emergency Solutions Grant program will provide shelter, legal and health services and money-management education for families and individuals who are without a residence. The program also can help these families with costs associated with moving to a new apartment or home including utility deposits and deposits needed for a rental property.

“During hard times, some residents may need temporary assistance to provide shelter for themselves and their families,” Bentley said.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Bentley awarded the grants to 13 local governments and agencies across the state that administer the program at the local level and assess needs of individuals who wish to be considered for assistance.

Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless, which includes Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Washington and Wilcox counties, received $180,000.