Agency to lose grant if no homeless people found, qualify
Thursday, September 28th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
By Paul R. Jefferson
Staff Writer
In the wake of two failed attempts to open shelters for the homeless in Brunswick County, a key question has emerged: Does the county have any homeless people?
Some local leaders who have dealt with homeless concerns doubt it, but they’re trying to find out for sure.
Sherri Jordan, Brunswick Family Assistance executive director, said the agency has embarked on a new mission to document homeless people in the county.
But one early indication of the answer may be the difficulty in finding anyone who qualifies for a program called Haven Housing, designed to put either three homeless couples or three homeless individuals into rental housing for two years.
The agency is having a hard time finding eligible applicants within the 60-day time period stipulated, she said, and it could soon lose the $42,080 grant.
One complicating requirement is that the recipient or family member have a recognized disability but still be able to work or train for work.
"They’ve got to help themselves," Jordan said.
The BFA director said even the county’s Department of Social Services was unable to nominate possible grant recipients.
Jeanette Threatte, a DSS supervisor in the Work First employment division, said many who might otherwise qualify for grant aid are totally unable to work and are simply awaiting final approval of disability status to start receiving other aid. In any event, the DSS clients are not homeless and usually live with a relative or have a place of their own, she said. (more…)
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