TOPEKA – Kansas Housing Resources Corporation has announced the award of approximately $8.4 million in homelessness prevention grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The funds will allow 11 units of local government and eligible nonprofit organizations to provide services through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP).

"HPRP is the first step in completely transforming emergency shelter services for the homeless,” said Karen Davis, Director of Community Development for the City of Manhattan. “Instead of waiting for clients to enter shelter, we now have the ability to intervene early and keep families in their homes, preserving the stability and well being of not only the family, but also our community,” said Davis.

ARRA appropriated $1.5 billion nationwide for homelessness prevention services and the rapid re-housing of homeless or near homeless persons. HPRP will focus on housing and services that either assist with obtaining housing or maintain housing, but is not a mortgage assistance program.

“We’re pleased to have been selected as the processing center for eastern Kansas to facilitate funding of short-term housing and rental assistance to benefit persons who are homeless,” said Pete Zevenbergen, CEO of the Wyandot Center for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. and Kim Wilson Housing in Kansas City. “This funding clearly recognizes the significance of housing as a critical component of recovery for persons with mental illness,” said Zevenbergen.

Organizations awarded funding is listed below.
Funding Amount
Communities Served

City of Wamego
$78,000.00
Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee Counties

City of Manhattan
$495,000.00
Riley County

City of Salina
$163,000.00
Salina

City of Lawrence
$648,000.00
Lawrence and Douglas County

Examples of assistance funded by HPRP are utility payments and arrears, short and medium term rental assistance, moving costs, credit repair, housing search and case management. Eligible families must be at or below 50 percent of the area median income and be either homeless or at-risk of losing their home, without appropriate subsequent housing options and without the financial resources and support networks available to obtain immediate housing or remain in existing housing.

Individuals who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless are advised to contact their local HPRP service provider directly to determine eligibility for services and schedule an initial consultation with a case manager.

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is quasi-public agency that finances and develops affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate-income residents throughout Kansas.