Homeless funding

Helping individuals and families with short-term housing needs, often the difference between having a roof over their head or homelessness, is the aim of several agencies in Southeast Missouri. All of these agencies have limited sources of revenue and can help only so many of those seeking assistance.

Some $12 million of Missouri's federal stimulus funding has been set aside for programs to combat homelessness. The funds must be requested by county commissions across the state. The management of the extra funding is left to agencies already dealing with housing issues.

Cape Girardeau County has applied for its share of the funding, which is also available to Scott, Bollinger and Perry counties.

Cape Girardeau County's bid to secure this funding is another example of how agencies working together continue to address the needs of the homeless in our area. These agencies, in partnership with various levels of government, are well-suited to distributing limited funding as it becomes available without creating additional administrative expense.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones acknowledges that "we can have a million dollars worth of requests and $171,000 to work with," but local agencies are well-versed in providing the most help with whatever funding is available.