Funding for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program got a boost Thursday as the Phelps County Commission approved drawing down funds from the state grant.
Leading a seven-county initiative, Phelps County previously assigned Missouri Ozarks Community Action, Inc. (MOCA), as the provider that will screen applicants and offer options for either homeless Phelps County residents or those on the verge of becoming homeless.
The three-year $500,000 grant offered by the Missouri Department of Social Services covers seven counties: Phelps, Crawford, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Pulaski and Washington. The providers for other counties include MOCA, Washington County Community Partnership and Central Missouri Community Action.
Funding for the HPRP is provided by Stimulus funds created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The funds will provide a variety of services, including short, medium and long-term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization, mediation, credit counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, moving-cost assistance and case management.
The Commission also approved a list of fiscal agents for the seven-county initiative, which included Richard Cavender, executive director of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission; Bonnie Prigge, assistant director of MRPC; the three county commissioners, Randy Verkamp, presiding commissioner, Larry Stratman, District 1, and Bud Dean, District 2, and County Clerk Carol Bennett.
Phelps County contracted with the Meramec Community Enhancement Corp. to provide administrative and oversight management of the program. The MCEC is a related organization of the MRPC.
Residents of Phelps County who may be eligible for help from the HPRP may be referred to MOCA, located at 1051 Kingshighway in Rolla.
