FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry announced today plans for the city to put federal funding toward providing shelter for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

As part of the recent CARES Act, the City will receive around $1.7-million in emergency funding from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. In the first phase, the City plans to address an immediate need for shelter for people experiencing homelessness or for those who need to quarantine but cannot safely do so in their own home.

“Now more than ever, our community must pull together and help our neighbors in need,” said Mayor Henry. “These much-needed federal dollars will be put to work quickly to help ensure residents have a safe place to sleep at night, as well as provide our shelters with critical supplies.”

Services and projects include:

• Temporary shelter for homeless women. The Fort Wayne area has long had a need for a shelter for single women without addictions and this need is now more prevalent. The City will provide approximately $60,000 to assist Just Neighbors Interfaith Homeless Network in offering immediate shelter, meals and case management for single women experiencing homelessness. The Lutheran Foundation is the fiscal agent for these services.
• Emergency housing. The City is granting $60,000 to Brightpoint to provide hotel vouchers, case management, and meals for individuals and families experiencing homelessness that have no other option for shelter.
• Quarantine Shelter. Approximately $200,000 will help fund northeast Indiana’s regional quarantine shelter set up by a coalition of local non-profits as a place for people who do not have safe, stable, or secure housing to quarantine or isolate. The lead agency for this effort is United Way of Allen County and The Lutheran Foundation is the fiscal agent.
• Cleaning Program. Approximately $50,000 is helping Blue Jacket provide deep cleaning and sanitizing services for area homeless shelters and non-profits.
• PPE and supplies. The City has already purchased and delivered 24 cases (288 bottles) of hand sanitizer to area shelters and will also be providing additional hand sanitizer and masks to local non-profits.