News Release

VETS News Release: [09/30/2004]
Contact Name: Jane Norris or Mike Biddle
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or x 5051

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Awards $3.5 Million in Grants to Help Two Key Groups in Nation’s Homeless Population

WASHINGTON—Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao has awarded six grants worth $3.5 million targeting two key groups in the overall homeless population. These grants were announced at the Interagency Council of Homeless (ICH) today and are the latest in a series of Department of Labor (DOL) grants totaling $46.4 million that have been awarded since the last ICH meeting in April to combat the homeless problem.

“This grant will help teens transitioning out of foster care and disabled homeless veterans get the services and support they need to get a fresh start in life,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “Employment services are crucial to connecting these at-risk individuals with their communities, so they can take positive steps toward a better future.”

One grant for $1.5 million is awarded to the Corporation for Supportive Housing based in New York City to provide intensive employment-related technical assistance over 36 months under the Ending Chronic Homelessness through Employment and Housing Initiative, a cooperative effort of DOL's Office of Disability Employment Policy, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS).

A new $2 million grant program is awarded under ETA's Youth Office to help teens transitioning out of foster care become employed and self sufficient. The five grantees, each receiving $400,000, are the California Employment Development Department; Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; New York State Office of Children and Family Services; Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth; and the Texas Workforce Commission.

Other homeless-related grants awarded by DOL since April fall under the following programs:

• VETS' Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program gave $17 million to 78 grantees in 31 states;
• ETA's Ready4Work program recently received an additional $10 million for 18 faith-based and community programs that provide mentoring and other transition services for ex-convicts;
• ETA's Youth Offender Demonstration Project, which awarded $9.2 million to the National Urban League to assist inner-city African American youth; and
• A Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) and ETA joint effort to provide local workforce investment boards with $5.8 million for employment assistance to disadvantaged individuals, and $1.2 million awarded to 48 faith-based and community organizations which help the hardest-to-serve homeless in the poorest neighborhoods.

For more information, go to: www.dol.gov/dol/audience/aud-homeless.htm.

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