Alerts Sign-up
Covington, Kentucky is seeking social service providers to allocate nearly $700,000 for assisting vulnerable populations. The funds come from the American Rescue Plan and are part of a federal initiative known as the HOME-ARP fund. Covington, leading the Northern Kentucky HOME Consortium, which includes seven other cities, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to utilize these funds.
John Hammons, Covington’s CDBG/HOME Program Coordinator, stated that the funds could be used for a variety of services aimed at supporting vulnerable groups across the eight cities. “We know that our non-profits are doing a lot of really good work, but we’re not looking to use these one-time funds for ongoing services,” Hammons said. “This is their chance to be creative, to fund something that’s in addition to what they normally do, or to meet needs that are not being addressed.”
The priority needs identified during consultations include supportive services such as case management, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance, housing navigation, transportation support, childcare services and homelessness prevention measures like shelter diversion programs and eviction diversion.
Proposals must be submitted by 10 a.m. on May 5. The Consortium plans to announce awards by July with implementation following soon after.
The funding is part of a larger $2 million allocation provided under the American Rescue Plan signed into law in March 2021. This money aims to assist families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and can be spent on developing affordable housing, tenant-based rental assistance, supportive services and acquiring non-congregate shelter units.
The current RFP will implement part of the Consortium's HOME-ARP Allocation Plan developed through extensive public engagement throughout 2023.
