Audio clip
Karen McReynolds-Blevins
The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition could receive up to $2 million in Continuum of Care funding for social services programs, and officials are encouraging people with service ideas to apply.
“There’s $2 million out there for us to capture,” said Karen McReynolds-Blevins, the coalition’s executive director. “If you think you have a solution to a certain problem, we’d like to hear it.”
The Continuum of Care is a required planning process to receive funds for homeless services under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The act is the main law that deals with the education in public schools of children and youth experiencing homelessness, according to the National Center for Homeless Education Web site.
The coalition will meet from 1 to 3 Thursday afternoon in the Chattanooga Housing Authority office multipurpose room at 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave.
Erin Creal, executive director of the Chattanooga Room In the Inn housing program, said she plans to attend. The 14 people who graduated from the Chattanooga Room In the Inn program in 2007 remained in housing for at least six months, records show.
“We fill a niche within the homeless service provider network, and we would like to be considered for funding,” she said.
Mrs. McReynolds-Blevins said she is looking for programs that offer permanent solutions to homelessness.
There also is a need of housing for recently released ex-convicts or young adults who have aged out of foster care and need homes, she said.
Sandra Hollett, chief executive officer of the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, said her organization received funds to provide housing for people who are getting out of emergency shelters and domestic violence shelters. Partnership representatives will be there to make sure they keep the funds they have and to see if there is potential to get more, she said.
“Those services are desperately needed by families who are quite vulnerable in our community and otherwise would be homeless,” Ms. Hollett said.
The meeting is mandatory for renewal programs.
Mrs. McReynolds-Blevins said only two people proposed new programs last year, and she hopes to have at least four applicants with new programs this year.
In 2007 the Continuum of Care was awarded $1,061,656, and since 1998 it has brought $11,089,047 into the Southeast Tennessee region, Mrs. McReynolds-Blevins said.
Hamilton County agencies that receive or have received McKinney-Vento Act funds through the Continuum of Care competition process include the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults; CADAS; Fortwood Center; SETHRA; city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Housing Authority; Chattanooga Church Ministries (Community Kitchen); Chattanooga CARES and the Homeless Coalition.
IF YOU GO
What: Continuum of CARE homeless funding meeting
When: 1 to 3 Thursday afternoon
Where: Chattanooga Housing Authority office, 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave.
For more information: Call the Homeless Coalition at 752-4807.
Yolanda Putman has been a reporter at the Times Free Press for 11 years. She covers housing and previously covered education and crime. Yolanda is a Chattanooga native who has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama State University. She previously worked at the Lima (Ohio) News. She enjoys running, reading and writing and is the mother of one son, Tyreese. She has also ...
