Congresswoman Beatty Secures Multi-Million Dollar Grant to Combat Central Ohio Youth Homelessness

Congresswoman Beatty Secures Multi-Million Dollar Grant to Combat Central Ohio Youth Homelessness

Today, the City of Columbus' Community Shelter Board was awarded a $6.07 million federal grant to tackle area youth homelessness. U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty's (OH-03) advocacy and ongoing bipartisan work on behalf of Central Ohioans experiencing homelessness proved critical to securing the two-year funding agreement.

Prior to the formal announcement made at the Columbus Foundation, Beatty sent a letter in May 2017 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development urging them to allocate federal funds for the creation of a demonstration project in Ohio to fight youth homelessness. In addition, Beatty signed on as the lead Democratic cosponsor of the Homeless Children and Youth Act, H.R. 1511, a bill that would expand federal assistance eligibility to young people bouncing from house to house. Commonly referred to as ‘couch surfing,' this unfortunate reality is forced on far too many children, teens and their families. Beatty has seen this tragedy firsthand, speaking with affected teens and families at the Huckleberry House in Columbus.

"Today represents an important victory in the battle to put an end to the scourge of youth homelessness," Beatty said. "Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to shine a light on the countless young people who do not know where they will sleep at night." Beatty continued, "I have no doubt this grant will help the City of Columbus better address and meet the needs of so many Central Ohio families who simply need a helping hand to get off the streets; and I pledge to do everything in my power in Congress to ensure the federal government continues to play a leading role in assisting our most vulnerable Americans."