FAYETTEVILLE — Holly Perry was recovering from back surgery in April when she heard the news.
Money for a federal program she’s relied on for three years to make rent was about to run out.
“For the past month, I’ve been worried sick about what’s going to happen,” Perry said Wednesday outside her place at the Appleby Apartments on North Gregg Avenue.
Perry is one of about 30 people in Fayetteville, Springdale, Prairie Grove and Lincoln receiving rental assistance through a program called Shelter Plus Care. The program is paid for by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and has been administered by the Fayetteville Housing Authority for 10 years.
Perry, 27, said when she began receiving Shelter Plus Care benefits, the program paid all of her rent and gave her about $55 per month for bills. Since taking Social Security disability payments, Shelter Plus Care checks have covered all but about $80 of her rent, Perry said.
Those checks will stop at the end of the month.
“It’s going to be a big deal for these people,” said Fredia Sawin, executive director for the Fayetteville Housing Authority.
Sawin said a clerical error by a volunteer grant writer at the Northwest Arkansas Continuum of Care led to the loss of federal money. Continuum of Care is a nonprofit group distributing federal money to organizations working to end homelessness.
Brian Sullivan, a spokesman in Washington for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, emphasized Thursday the local drop in money wasn’t a result of cuts at the federal level.
“In this case, the applicant actively rejected the program request,” Sullivan said.
Anthony Rocko, chairman of Continuum’s board and director of residential services for Youth Bridge, declined Friday to discuss issues related to the grant application. He said Youth Bridge stands to lose about $100,000 at the end of November. Youth Bridge is a nonprofit group that provides housing, child care, life skills training and financial planning for young adults dealing with abuse, addiction, homelessness and mental health issues.
The Seven Hills Homeless Center, a nonprofit group that provides support services and permanent and transitional housing, will lose about $20,000 at the end of August through the Continuum of Care grant, according to Jon Woodward, Seven Hill’s executive director.
Woodward said cuts especially threaten the Shelter Plus Care program, which received about $140,000 last year and is first to run dry. Some recipients, with no place to go, will be out on the street, Woodward said.
“Rather than looking at a place to point fingers for what has gone wrong, I’m really trying to use this situation as an opportunity to say how important these programs are for our community,” he added. “If we work together, we can solve the problem of homelessness in the region.”
Woodward said he’s been working with HUD officials in Little Rock to qualify some Shelter Plus Care recipients for another program. The problem, he explained, is recipients must be classified as homeless to receive money, making it difficult for Shelter Plus Care recipients to make the transition.
At A Glance (w/logo)
What is Shelter Plus Care?
The Shelter Plus Care program provides rental assistance that, when combined with social services, provides supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities and their families.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
“I can tell you that our (HUD) office in Little Rock has been very supportive and has been doing what they can to expedite the matter,” Woodward said.
Seven Hills is one of four organizations seeking roughly $469,000 for new programs from HUD. While this year’s renewal requests for programs were rejected, the new programs, through Seven Hills, Youth Bridge and Havenwood, a transitional housing provider for single-parent families in Bentonville, could receive money. Woodward said he expects those awards to be announced in early July.
For Perry, any solution will come too late. Her final Shelter Plus Care check came earlier this month.
Perry said she’s not sure what she’s going to do. Signing a lease for a new place with a roommate would help keep rent down. Or Social Security disability and food stamp payments could increase once the Shelter Plus Care money goes away.
“I’m not banking on it, but I’m hoping so,” Perry said. She added that she’ll likely have to deplete what savings she has to get by in the short term.
Another rental assistance program isn’t immediately available. According to Sawin, the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is at its maximum in Washington County with more than 500 recipients. A waiting list is kept, but Sawin said the wait is usually 18 to 24 months.