HUD Assesses and Aids US Homeless Population

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development assesses the country's rate of homelessness. It releases a report of its findings, which includes not only the number of people currently living on the streets, but also the effectiveness of HUD's Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP).

According to this year's report, released in March, homeless numbers remained largely unchanged between 2009 and 2010 - an impressive accomplishment considering the country's economic and housing troubles. In addition, the number of people who remained homeless for long periods of time decreased.

The good news is partially attributed to a 34 percent increase in the number of supportive housing units made available during that time. An increase in the number of affordable housing units has also helped people move into permanent and stable homes, and so has an increase in the type and amount of assistance available to those who are already homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.

When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed by Congress in 2009, it allocated $1.5 billion for the HPRP. The name - Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing - perfectly describes its goals: to prevent homelessness among people who are at risk of losing their homes, and get those who are homeless into housing as quickly as possible. During the HPRP's first year, nearly 700,000 people received assistance. About 77 percent of them were kept from becoming homeless, and the remaining 23 percent benefited from "rapid re-housing," which got them quickly off the streets into either permanent housing or temporary shelters.

For those who have already lost their homes, the HPRP aims to do more than just put them in temporary shelters. The overall goal is to help them gain solid financial footing that enables them to maintain permanent housing of their own. HPRP programs are run by non-HUD grantees, and work in partnership with other government programs including HUD's Continuum of Care (CoC), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Program participants don't receive direct funding from HPRP. Instead, funding is directed to landlords, utility companies and other third party entities, as allowed by the scope of the program.

HPRP financial support can be given in the form of either short- or medium-term rental assistance (3 to 18 months), utility deposits and payments, housing security deposits, moving costs, and vouchers for short hotel stays. Of the $1.5 billion allocated for HPRP, over $820 million is designated for these and similar activities. Nearly $450 million is allocated for assistance related to legal services, credit repair and counseling, and housing searches and placement.

Despite the report's positive trends, there is some concern that homeless rates have remained steady primarily because families are sharing space; in a separate study, HUD found that over-crowding has increased five-fold - indicating there is still a significant need for assistance and affordable housing units.

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