Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council Receives $400,000 of Federal Grant Funds for Emergency Rental Assistance from City of Port St. Lucie
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EDIT – 10/08/2024 – We have already received the maximum amount of requests for assistance and funding through the ERA2 Program is currently paused. St. Lucie County states that
“We have reached the maximum amount of applicants that we can process for the month of October. If funding is still available, we will look to re-open the program in November. If funding is exhausted the program will officially close in November.”
It is important for everyone to be reminded that this funding is specifically set aside for individuals experiencing literal homelessness, and is not intended to be used as prevention dollars.
Vero Beach, FL – 10/02/2024 – The Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council (TCHSC) is pleased to announce a grant award of $400,000 from the City of Port St. Lucie that will provide emergency rental assistance to individuals who are at imminent risk of or are currently experiencing homelessness.
The City received funding through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance 2 (ERA2) program. Those funds are then used to assist Port St. Lucie residents facing homelessness through a Rapid-Rehousing program, which seeks to connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with stable, permanent housing solutions. The Rapid-Rehousing program can also provide supportive services such as housing stabilization case management, housing navigation and referrals to help participants successfully transition into permanent housing.
“We are incredibly grateful to the City of Port St. Lucie for recognizing the critical need for emergency rental assistance in our community,” said Rayme L. Nuckles, Visionary Leader at TCHSC. “This grant will allow us to provide vital support to individuals and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads.”
The ERA2 Rapid-Rehousing Program will begin accepting applications Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. Local non-profit service providers are welcome to refer any clients that may be of need. Residents who are interested in applying can fill out a form on the City of Port St. Lucie’s website, or call the Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council directly at (772) 213-9040 for more information.
The $400,000 in funding will be available to assist program participants until the funds are exhausted or by Sept. 30, 2025, whichever comes first.
“The Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council provides services that are incredibly valuable for some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Carmen Capezzuto, Director of Neighborhood Services for the City of Port St. Lucie. “This is a wonderful example of how we can develop programs by working together that will keep residents housed, which has a tremendous benefit for the community as a whole. We look forward to continuing our partnership and seeking opportunities to acquire additional grant funding for these programs.”
TCHSC is committed to working with the City of Port St. Lucie to address homelessness and are eager to provide this critical assistance to the community.
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