KILLEEN, Texas — The battle against homelessness is often an issue of funding and resources rather than finding willing community partners. Now, thanks to the work of the Killeen Community Development Department, it's actually the other way around.
Since last October, Killeen has been working to secure a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under section 3205 of the American Rescue Plan Act. They secured the grant in January.
Killeen now has access to up to $1,778,641 in HUD grant money for addressing homelessness. The only catch?
The city must put together a plan with local community partners describing how there are going to use it. Killeen Community Development Administrator Cinda Hayward spoke to 6 News about the opportunity Thursday.
"This is a huge opportunity," Hayward said. "An opportunity for Killeen, for property owners, for social service agencies and public service agencies to get involved and make an impact."
That plan, which the City of Killeen will submit to HUD, can tackle homelessness from several different angles at once.
First, the city can work with local property owners who agree to accept low-income housing programs which can then be funded by the grant. Those properties could then be rented by either homeless individuals or those at-risk for homelessness. It could be a tough sell to property owners at first.
The cost of rent is rising and there are many opportunities to make more money at the market rate. Still, Hayward told 6 News there are some additional benefits to accepting low-income renters through this plan.
"We have money to help you bring your property up to code with guaranteed rent receipts," Hayward said.
This means property owners or management companies can use grant money to rehabilitate older units while on this program. Hayward said any rental property is eligible for that benefit.
There are also partnership opportunities for people who simply own land in Killeen. The funding can be used to build a housing option called a non-congregate shelter unit.
These are essentially mini-apartments that are equipped with a bed, toilet, shower, sink and possibly a microwave. They can be used for people that are chronically homeless, or unable to pay bills for a time, while an agency works to provide support services to that individual. The City of Killeen would help organize the construction of the units. Landowners would not necessarily need to manage it but Hayward said it would be "a joint effort between the city and the owner."
Finally, Killeen can use the money to help support local agencies that would then provide services to the local homeless population. Hayward said both large and small organizations can take part as long as they serve the homeless in Killeen.
Property owners, landowners, and service providers call all contact the City of Killeen Community Development Department and learn more about the partnership here.
The Community Development Department can also be contacted by phone at 254 501 7845 or 254 5017847.
The City of Killeen also hosted a meeting at city hall on Thursday night to hear from the public about additional issues the local homeless population faces.
Opinions expressed in the meeting will be combined with priorities received through consultations with area providers, according to the city. This is required by the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan process and will be presented in a draft document for further citizen comment, as stated by the city.
For more information about these meetings, visit here.
Hayward said the City of Killeen hopes to have its plan approved by HUD and ready for implementation by August.