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Hinesville grant aids less fortunate
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As the month of July rolled in, so did more than $300,000 in state and federal grants for the city of Hinesville to assist those less fortunate.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which handed out $7,071,000 to 181 cities and organizations statewide, awarded Hinesville a $10,000 grant to support the city’s continuing efforts to combat poverty and homelessness.
“The $10,000 is an Emergency Shelter Grant that will assist those individuals that may have rent, utility or other arrears and need some assistance paying those bills," Hinesville Community Development Manager and Assistant City Manager Kenny Howard said. “It will also help those individuals in need of transportation and shelter assistance. We can put them up in a hotel for a few days and transport them to Savannah for shelter, if we can't assist them with our homelessness program here in the city.”
The grant funds are available for the next year and will be administered by Hinesville’s homelessness prevention program, the Next Step Program, he said.
Another $305,787 was awarded to the city from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Community Development Block Grant program.
Part of the annual CDBG funds the city receives due to its Metropolitan Statistical Area designation, the bulk of the grant is expected to go toward the 6-year-old Azalea Street Redevelopment Project.
The ASRP, a project initialized after a 2001 charrette study recognized Azalea Street as the worst neighborhood in Hinesville, is a three-phase plan to "redevelop the worst first" and create affordable quality housing for local low- to moderate-income families.
About $45,000 of CDBG monies is also set aside to help five area public service agencies. The organizations have not been selected yet, but Howard said his office would be recommending the funds be allotted for the Coastal Area Court Appointed Special Advocates, Liberty County Family Connections, Liberty County Board of Education, Senior Citizens, Inc. and the Coastal Medical Assistance Clinic at this week’s city council meeting.
As the city moves forward with creating and supporting programs to stem the growth and impact of poverty and homelessness in the area, Howard said it is his staff that deserves the credit for working to ensure these programs continue to get their much-needed funding.
“We’re fortunate that we have these types of programs in the city that can assist those who are less fortunate,” the manager said. “But we’re also fortunate that we have a great staff and employees that pay attention to details in applying for and receiving these grants.”

Shelter awarded grant
The Tri-County Protective Agency, a local domestic violence shelter that specializes in family crisis services, was also awarded a $6,000 grant from the Georgia DCA.
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