ARCH Receives Grant from HUD
Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness receives 'Unsheltered and Rural Homeless Assistance Award' from HUD for Johnson County.
On Thursday, February 2, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it had awarded over $300 million dollars over three years to rural communities for unsheltered and rural homeless assistance and $250,000 of that funding was awarded through a partner effort between the Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness, A.C.T.I.O.N Coalition/AARRC and Journey to Empowerment, Homeless prevention initiative for Johnson County Tennessee.
Only 2 awards were made in the state of Tennessee, one to Jackson/West Tennessee to benefit efforts in the Memphis area and the other the Johnson County Tn.
Anne Cooper, Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness stated “On behalf of The Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness, I am thrilled to be able to assist Johnson County in establishing an Access Point for homeless services. It is a long time coming and has been made possible by the caring and compassion of the folks of Mountain City. “
The homeless population in Johnson County increased over 200% in the past 2 years and with no shelter for this population located in our community the situation has become dire for many who are unsheltered, especially during the cold winter months when temperatures can reach in the single digits posing a threat to the life of those with nowhere to sleep. This includes not only single persons but those with families and children as well.
This award is a culmination of 2 years of efforts between nonprofit organizations like A.C.T.I.O.N Coalition, Journey to Empowerment, and Helping Others in Johnson County and ARCH (Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness) the regional Continuum of Care for homeless prevention in East Tennessee.
Concerned citizens, churches, and public officials alike have met numerous times over the past 2 years to try to come up with a solution to this situation and from those meetings “Journey to Empowerment” was born. While this organization is working toward getting the 501c3 status needed to be able to accept grant funding as well as donations, A.C.T.I.O.N Coalition/AARRC has stepped in to help meet this need.
“We understand the importance of safe, stable housing for those in our community and what a barrier this can be for those in recovery from substance use disorder. Statistics have shown the 2 biggest challenges for those seeking recovery are housing and employment and we are working hard to address both of these needs in our community. (In October A.C.T.I.O.N received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for workforce development for those in recovery) All too often those walking the road to recovery find themselves without a safe home environment, and even a temporary shelter or housing assistance greatly increases the changes of maintaining long term recovery. We are very excited to say that now Johnson County will have access to resources to address both of these barriers and hopefully eliminate these challenges for our community,” said A.C.T.I.O.N Coalition/AARRC Executive Director Trish Burchette.
With funding expected to begin in July and additional grant funding being requested ARCH hopes to have several local staff members to meet this need in our community. This assistance will go a long way to help those who are unsheltered with vouchers for immediate emergency shelter as well as provide
for case management and assistance to work toward the goal of permanent housing solutions. This funding is not a just a handout for emergency help but also a hand up to those in our county to find the stability they need to be engaging and productive members of the community. It will serve to bring together organizations already helping in ways they can on shoestring budgets and with minimal help.
This article by Trish Burchette appears in the online version of The Tomahawk, Mountain City, TN, newspaper.