Now, more than ever, help is needed, not just for the literal homeless but for the many in the Commonwealth who are also at risk of becoming homeless. <\/p>\n
On Saipan alone, there are about 672 homeless individuals (a combination of those who are literally homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless)\u2014and they are either living on the streets, in dilapidated housing, or live by the beach, where it is unsafe, according to Jacob Muna, an environmental officer with the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan\u2019s Giovanni Restaurant, Mu\u00f1a said the Commonwealth has very limited resources when it comes to assisting the homeless.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, the CNMI does not have emergency shelters for the homeless,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
By participating in an upcoming homeless count in the CNMI, Muna said this could help establish ways to assist the homeless and at-risk homeless here in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
The count is one of the requirements needed for the Commonwealth to avail of the \u201ccontinuum of care\u201d grant, a program provided by Housing and Urban Development to aid in combating homelessness. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith the \u2018continuum of care\u2019 grant that we\u2019re applying for, there is a component to assist people in finding jobs to make them self-reliant,\u201d said Mu\u00f1a. <\/p>\n
In a separate interview, Mu\u00f1a pointed out that there are only a few agencies that assist the homeless of the CNMI. Of the few, Karidat Social Services is the only agency that offers opportunities for the homeless but even then, space is limited due to the lack of funding. <\/p>\n
Karidat is allocated roughly $70,000 to assist the homeless in the CNMI. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe do have a homeless program currently in place through HUD that provides assistance for up to 10 months\u2014the Emergency Solutions grant, which the sub-recipient is Karidat Social Services. This grant basically helps individuals who are literally homeless or are at risk of being homeless,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
At the end of 10 months, recipients are required to provide a plan to one\u2019s case management worker about what you\u2019re going to do to improve your life such as jobs, re-enrolling in school, etc. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe success rate for that program is about 90 percent. At the end of the program, the families or the individuals either have found a job and are currently staying in their provided apartment or their new apartment, or were transferred to the Section 8 program under NMHC,\u201d Mu\u00f1a said. <\/p>\n
It is hoped that the upcoming count will be a stepping-stone for more opportunities for the homeless in the Commonwealth. <\/p>\n
The count will take place on Jan. 27, 2018. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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