Douglas County Sentinel – Wednesday, April 6, 2005
County receives grant for homeless
By Winston Jones: Staff Writer

The Douglas County Community Services Board (CSB) has received a $1,494,600 federal grant to help local homeless as part of CSB's established mental health and addiction treatment services.

CSB will partner with MUST (Ministries United in Service and Training) of Cobb County to offer housing in Douglas County and to develop a network of services to help people address issues, such as addiction, that led them to homelessness.

"This grant will allow us to use the expertise of two agencies to provide clinical and support services in Douglas County,” said Tod Citron, CSB executive director. “We’ll be able to provide a new level or stability and security for chronically disabled and homeless individuals and families in Douglas County.”

Grant funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the state Housing Trust Fund.

The grant will fund leasing of 27 apartment units in Douglas County to house the homeless, as well as providing support services to help them become self-sufficient.

“We’ve found that the more stable the environment, the better the progress and recovery,” said Gina Cogswell, CSB program director. “The long-term goal of our program is to help people become independent and self-sufficient.”

Cogswell said CSB opened 15 apartment units last year and has already been successful in helping get homeless people under a roof.

“Some of these people are already working but not making enough to live on,” she said.
The new grant program will be the first time CSB has partnered with Must Ministries.
“MUST Ministries will provide ongoing case management services for the apartment units and will be a referral source for potential participants,” said John Moeller, MUST executive director. “MUST through its existing program, will also offer a physical care clinic, food pantry services, a clothes closet and outreach services, in collaboration with area churches.”

MUST also offers housing programs for the homeless in Cobb and Cherokee counties.
The Cobb and Douglas Community Service Boards provide mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services to more than 13,000 residents each year in the two county area.