CANTON -- St. Lawrence County has been awarded a share of a $2.1 million federal grant to provide housing assistance and supportive services for those experiencing homelessness.

Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the grant as part of a $3.16 billion Continuum of Care Program that will see over 7,000 projects receive grant funding across the country.

Officials say Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties will receive a combined grant of $2,100,877 as part of the program. Franklin and Essex Counties will receive $299,322. In contrast, New York City will receive $167,552,940 as part of the program.

In total, programs based in New York will receive $303,078,527, federal officials say.

“Now, more than ever, we are doing all we can to get people off the street and into permanent homes with access to services. That is why we are making sure the service providers on the frontlines of this crisis have the resources they need,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “At HUD, we have served or permanently housed 1.2 million people experiencing homelessness in the last three years alone. The historic awards we are announcing today will help expand community capacity to assist more people obtain the safety and stability of a home, along with the support they need to achieve their life goals.”  

HUD’s Continuum of Care Program is the “backbone” federal program supporting community homelessness response systems across the country, providing grants to nonprofit providers, States, Indian Tribes, and local governments for permanent and short-term housing assistance, supportive services, planning, data, and other costs.

The $3.16 billion announced today represents the largest-ever amount of CoC Program funding awarded to communities to address homelessness in history and provides a critical expansion of resources at a time when rates of homelessness are rising in most communities.

Included in the $3.16 billion of total awards, approximately $136 million was made available for competitive and non-competitive Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) renewal and replacement grants.

The 2023 awards also include approximately $57 million for new projects that will support housing and service needs for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.