City of New Orleans Announces Recipients of $1.14 Million in ARPA Funding for Homeless Shelter Support

May 22, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

City of New Orleans Announces Recipients of $1.14 Million in ARPA Funding for Homeless Shelter Support

NEW ORLEANS - The City of New Orleans today announced the organizations selected through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) released by the Office of Homeless Services and Strategies (OHSS) for projects that provide assistance to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Orleans Parish. A total of $1.14 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding is being dispersed to seven different recipients.

According to the 2023 Point-in-Time Count conducted by UNITY of Greater New Orleans, 553 people were sleeping on the street or in a location not intended for human habitation. Another 837 people were living in shelters. Ending homelessness requires a collaborative effort across public and private partners. As of May 22, OHSS has closed three large encampments and housed 145 individuals.

The City's approach, developed in conjunction with nationally recognized consulting group Clutch Consulting, is to get people off the street, into housing and provide them with access to services and support that they might need to remain stably housed. The organizations and projects funded by this NOFA will not only increase capacity at local shelters but also improve access to services and support.

The funded organizations and programs are:

• Ozanam Inn will receive $310,000 to increase services, perform maintenance and hire additional security. The expansion of services will include 24-hour access, which provides the City with a second 24-hour shelter in addition to the Low-Barrier Shelter.
• New Orleans Women & Children's Shelter will receive $250,000 to enhance services for unsheltered homeless families. The funding will allow the agency to serve 50 percent more families through the grant period.
• Harry Tompson Center will receive $200,000 for facility improvements, including new shower facilities, restrooms and expanded laundry facilities.
• Covenant House New Orleans will receive $155,000 for facility repairs and renovations, including improvements to their lobby and intake area.
• Hotel Hope will receive $110,000 for increased case management services. A family navigator will help unhoused women and children access critical resources.
• Grace at the Green Light will receive $60,000 to install free public water fountains at strategic locations throughout the city. Providing 24/7 access to clean drinking water is particularly critical during the long New Orleans summer.
• Louvis will receive $55,000 for the construction of a duplex tiny home pilot. In addition to housing, residents will receive wrap-around support services.

"This is amazing! We now have a team dedicated to bringing services to the people who need them the most and what an awesome time to participate in something like this," said OHSS Director Nathaniel Fields. "I am very hopeful that this project will be successful, and I hope that we can continue this work to get folks off the street and into the housing process faster than we have done from a shelter process using this Low Barrier Model. A friend of mine always said, housing is healthcare. With this new team, they know that this is true, and I can't wait to see this in action."

"Unsheltered homelessness is a significant public health concern, causing poor health outcomes and early mortality for individuals without stable housing," said New Orleans Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno. "Strengthening and expanding our capacity for safe, low-barrier and easily accessible shelter will improve our community's coordinated response to homelessness and enhance everyone's wellbeing and quality of life."

For further information and updates on the City's ARPA investments and initiatives, please visit the official website at nola.gov/arpa/.

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