State gets federal housing grants

The state has received two federal grants totaling more than $1.5 million to help homeless, elderly and disabled residents.

A $1.1 million federal grant will go to four social service agencies that help the homeless find permanent and transitional housing, according to the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii.

The other $450,000 grant will fund programs at Kalakaua Homes and the Makua Alii and Paoakalani housing programs to help elderly and disabled public housing residents become more independent, according to the state agency.

The four agencies that will split the $1.1 million grant include $361,440 for Steadfast Housing Development Corp.'s Shelter Plus Care Eono project on Maui and $349,020 for Gregory House Programs Shelter Plus Care program in Honolulu, which provide permanent housing for people who are homeless and have a disability.

Women Helping Women will get $77,536 to provide emergency housing for domestic violence victims. Lastly, Maui Economic Concerns of the Community Inc. will receive $204,899 to provide a literacy program and an outpatient substance abuse program.

The grants come from programs within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In addition to the two federal grants, Housing and Community Development Corp. officials said they supported the grant application of the nonprofit organization Kokua Kalihi Valley, which also was recently awarded a federal grant of $375,000 to help elderly and disabled residents of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kalihi Valley Homes.