07.15.19

Cantwell Announces $1.5M in New Housing, Homelessness Grants for Tacoma

Funding will help increase supply of affordable housing, address homelessness; Comes in addition to $4.28M in funding for Pierce County announced earlier this month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced the City of Tacoma will receive $1.35 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Tacoma will also receive $208,750 from HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. 

The funding will help increase the supply of affordable housing units and address homelessness in the community. In addition to the grants for Tacoma, Pierce County also received $4.28 million, announced earlier this month. 

The HOME program is the federal government’s only block grant program to help state and local governments create more affordable housing units for low-income families. The program has created more than 1.3 million units since 1992 and provided direct rental assistance to more than 356,000 low-income families nationwide. It serves urban, suburban, and rural communities, providing resources for seniors, persons with disabilities, homeless families and individuals, and military veterans. 

The ESG program provides funding to communities to help address homelessness. These grants can be used to engage homeless individuals and families living on the street; improve the number, quality, and operations of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; provide essential services to shelter residents; rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families; and prevent families/individuals from becoming homeless. 

Senator Cantwell has long supported the HOME program. She has also prioritized investment in affordable housing, helping to secure nearly $3 billion in additional affordable housing funding in March 2018 and introducing legislation earlier this year to increase investment in affordable housing and provide more resources and stronger protections for at-risk groups.

###