Rep. Seth Moulton announced that the city of Lynn will receive a $4,004,861 to combat homelessness in the wake of COVID-19.
“The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on people’s health and on their bank accounts. In the richest country on earth, nobody should be forced out of their home because they lost a job or got sick, especially during a pandemic,” Moulton said. “People are doing their best to tread water, but communities need federal help. These funds are a start, but we’ll need more federal action to get through this.”
The Congressionally-appropriated money supports Americans who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless because they lost a job due to the economic and health consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributes the funds through it’s Emergency Solutions Grants program that Congress created with the passage of the CARES Act, a disaster relief package.
The grant announced today is part of a second round of the fund’s distribution. Lynn previously received $751,083 in the first round of ESG funding, as well as $1,456,642 in Community Development Block Grants, both of which were awarded on April 2nd.
The city can use the money for several purposes that ultimately prevent homelessness and support the homeless. Some of the ways communities use these funds include the construction of new emergency shelters, operation of existing shelters, hotel/motel vouchers for the homeless, and rapid rehousing for homelessness prevention. The funds can also be used for essential services like childcare, education, employment assistance, outpatient health services, legal services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and transportation.