Federal homelessness grants renewed for North Dakota agencies

Federal grants supporting homeless services in North Dakota have been renewed, according to the North Dakota Monitor. Erin Prochnow, CEO of the YWCA that serves Cass County, credited Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., with helping to ensure that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding was extended after uncertainty about expirations in 2026. North Dakota agencies received $3.3 million in federal grants last year to assist people experiencing homelessness.

The funding supports about 1,600 beds statewide, including at the YWCA and Fraser Ltd. in Fargo, the Abused Adult Resource Center in Bismarck, the Grand Forks Housing Authority and the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center in Dickinson, according to the North Dakota Monitor. Prochnow said about 36% of families in the YWCA’s supportive housing program are Native American. Hoeven said the grants are secured for this year and he is working with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to provide more certainty in the future.