ORLANDO, Fla. – Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Service Network of Central Florida, said they submitted U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Award applications for federal money used to pay renewals for projects, services, and programs for the homeless community in November. The charity normally gets a response this time of year, but they haven’t heard anything.
“We have not heard yet about the awards,” Are said. “That affects contracts that would start in the next couple of months.”
“Last year we were awarded around $19 million for the region. Those funds pay for a lot of services, case management, and also a lot of rent,” Are explained.
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She said the proposed major changes and spending cuts on Capitol Hill are causing the delay.
“That’s our understanding. The new administration is reviewing these types of decisions before they’re announced,” Are added.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show the Trump administration wants to cut thousands of jobs at HUD, including 84% of the staff in the Office of Community Planning and Development, which handles the homelessness funding grants.
More than 16,500 people applied for some kind of housing help for homelessness in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties in 2024.
Without that money, Are said it would be close to impossible to help all those people.
“The program truly supports some very vulnerable people. They all contribute towards the rent. They are all engaged in the services,” Are said.
She also mentioned that organizations they subcontract with, like Family Promise, Pathway Homes, and Coalition for the Homeless, could be in jeopardy of losing staff and resources.
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