Area programs get $870,000 in federal funds

A transitional housing program for domestic violence received federal funding Wednesday for two more years of operation in Huntingdon County.

Kathy Whalen, executive director of Huntingdon House, said that $160,428 isn't much for two years, but it helps serve a great need: getting women out of battering situations and onto a path of a new life.

"Ninety to 95 percent of the victims we serve really do reorganize their lives. They don't return to battering situations, they find permanent housing and their income increases," Whalen said.

The Huntingdon House grant is part of $67.3 million in homeless assistance grants given to keep 365 homeless assistance programs operating in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a news release.

The domestic violence victims in the program receive apartment-style living for up to two years while they reorganize their lives, Whalen said.

One of the first women in the program 11 years ago has remained in permanent housing, remarried with a very healthy relationship and has kept the same job for 11 years, Whalen said. Another woman went into the military and has been successful.

"This isn't the exception. They are the rule when a victim comes to our program." she said.

American Rescue Workers Inc. in Hollidaysburg will receive more than $116,000 to continue serving clients with food and life skills needs.

The grant for the Hollidaysburg religious organization will help its "Direction Connection" program.

The money comes at a time when the Rescue Workers are seeing an 15 percent increase in number of clients they have served this year, Maj. Evangeline Subisak said.

The total number isn't available for 2009 but 6,381 people were served in 2008. About 32,000 bags of groceries were distributed in 2008, Subisak said.

The grant will go toward the Rescue Workers' food pantry and counseling services, which includes life skills programs such as budgeting and cooking.

Blair County Community Action Agency will receive more than $462,000 for supportive services and transitional housing.

Northern Cambria Community Development Corp., Northern Cambria, will receive money for two rental housing projects: $80,634 for Campbell Place and Independence Gardens, $51,208.

Based on the HUD's latest homeless assessment, chronic homelessness has declined since 2005.

The decline is directly attributed to the homeless grants helping to create significantly more permanent housing for those who might otherwise be living on the streets, HUD said. However, data also indicates that family homelessness may be on the rise, particularly in suburban and rural areas.