St. Louis city, county get aid to fight homelessness

ST. LOUIS -- The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County announced Thursday they have been awarded $11 million in federal funds to help fight chronic homelessness. Mayor Francis Slay said the grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were pursued as part of the region's 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness. St. Louis will receive $9.7 million; the county will receive $1.3 million. The money will be distributed among groups that provide housing and support services for the chronically homeless, many of whom suffer from substance abuse, mental illness or developmental disabilities, he said. The largest amount -- $2 million -- will go to St. Patrick Center in St. Louis to build 42 apartments for the homeless and provide them with individualized services aimed at stabilizing their lives. The city of St. Louis estimates its homeless population at 2,000 on any given day, including 300 who are chronically homeless, William Siedhoff, the city's Human Services director, has said.

St. Louis also draws homeless people from its surrounding counties, leaving the city to deal with what is really a regional problem, he said.

In August, St. Louis city and county announced a 10-year plan for ending chronic homelessness that calls for 700 apartments and six drop-in centers or "safe havens," where homeless people could be assessed and referred to services.

HUD requires that cities have action plans for addressing homelessness. The agency espouses a plan to move the homeless out of emergency shelters into permanent housing with supportive services on the premises.

The biggest obstacles to ending homelessness are the mental illness and substance abuse that disintegrate people's stability, Siedhoff said, adding that funding for mental health services is inadequate.