ATCOG updates on housing, homelessness initiatives

The Ark-Tex Council of Governments (ATCOG) presented updates on their housing assistance and homelessness prevention initiatives at their August end-of-month meeting. 

The rental assistance program currently helps 1232 families, according to ATCOG executive director Chris Brown.This program expends approximately $530,949 average monthly in rent assistance, Brown said.  

The family self-sufficiency grant program is required by U.S. housing and urban development to enroll 25 families, Brown said. However, ATCOG’s program has more than double that number at 51 enrolled families, according to Brown. Fifteen of those families are currently in escrow, meaning they will soon be able to purchase their own home. 

The homelessness prevention grant program, which ATCOG began only earlier in the spring, is designed to use direct cash transfers to help those facing homelessness. So far in its five months of implementation, the program has used $18,401.76 worth of federal assistance to keep 14 Northeast Texans from homelessness, Brown stated. 

ATCOG has more plans in the future to be able to deploy federal housing grants, and their staff members are currently receiving training on four different housing programs, Brown presented.