April 12, 2021 3:20 a.m.

On Friday, Congressman Peter DeFazio announced that more than $5.8 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan will be awarded to the cities of Eugene and Corvallis to help combat homelessness.

DeFazio said, “The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the ongoing homelessness crisis SW Oregon is facing”. DeFazio said the funds will help hundreds of families get a roof over their head. He said that will include minority families, who have been disproportionately harmed by the impacts of the pandemic.

A release said the City of Corvallis is expected to receive just over $1.1 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City of Eugene is slated to receive over $4.7 million. The funding is allocated through HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership Program.

DeFazio said while the nearly $5 billion in national HOME-ARP funding will deliver near-term relief to people experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness, President Biden’s American Jobs Plan would build on this relief with additional robust funding to bring the United States closer to ending homelessness and housing instability.