Mayor Slay Announces “Hope Is Moving In” Initiative

Mayor Francis G. Slay was joined by Ron Levy, Director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, Dee Ann Ducote of HUD, and Bill Siedhoff, Human Services Director, in announcing that the City of St. Louis was launching a new initiative this month titled “Hope Is Moving In.” This was made possible through funding received through HUD’s Homelessness Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Program resulting from the passage of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The City of St. Louis received a total of $8.4 million to develop programs designed to prevent homelessness, rapidly re-house persons who are homeless, reduce barriers to securing housing and provide permanent housing. While St. Louis has reduced homelessness by 30% in the last three years, this new funding will accelerate those efforts dramatically resulting in many more of the remaining homeless people to be housed.

“While St. Louis has achieved one of the lowest rates of homelessness in the entire nation, we believe this new funding source will mean that many more homeless people will have a permanent place to live instead of being in emergency shelters, on the streets or in city parks,” Mayor Slay said.

Central to “Hope Is Moving In” is the establishment of five hubs which will be located throughout the city where people can receive assistance. One hub will be located downtown at the Housing Resource Center, 800 N. Tucker, and will provide rapid re-housing assistance. The other four sites, that will begin operating in November, will be located within Community Education Schools of the St. Louis Public Schools. They include Clay School, Mullanphy School, Sigel School, and Stevens Middle School.

“This is the most massive undertaking to date in addressing the needs of homeless people and represents a tremendous partnership within our continuum of care that is unprecedented,” said Bill Siedhoff, the city’s Human Services Director. The city’s continuum of care that was involved in the development of this program consists of homeless providers, city and state government, business, faith-based organizations and advocates.

For more information, go to the website www.hopeismovingin.com or call 1-314-657-1705.

Bill Siedhoff; DHS Director, Antoinette Triplett;Homeless Services Manager, Karen Wallensak, Housing Resource Center, Mayor Francis G. Slay

Bill Siedhoff, Antoinette Triplett, Rodney Jones; Grace Hill Settlement House, Mayor Slay

Mayor Francis G. Slay
Mayor's Office web site