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Alabamians who have become homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic may soon receive help.

Governor Ivey awarded $22 million to help those who have been left homeless or are on the brink of becoming homeless in Ala. The funds are coming from the federal Emergency Solutions Grant program. There are 15 regional agencies that the money will be divided between. These agencies provide shelter, legal and health services, as well as other services to individuals and/or families who may be facing the possibility of losing their home. Montgomery Area Coalition for the Homeless Inc. covers Lowndes County and has received a $1.7 million grant from the $22 million Governor Ivey awarded.

Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (MACH) formed the Montgomery Area Coalition for the Homeless in 1996. Twenty community representatives that were associated with agencies that provided health/mental health/social services in the community were appointed to the coalition by the City of Montgomery.

The mission of MACH is to serve as a vehicle to secure HUD funding and to provide support and resources for organizations that provide for the homeless in the area.

If you are in need of assistance, please call 334-261-6182 or email mach@midalhomeless.org. You can also visit them at 101 Coliseum Boulevard, Montgomery, AL.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (CARES) Act provided approximately $1.9 billion in funding for the state of Ala. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community affairs will distribute the grants as part of the CARES ACT funding to the following agencies:

• City of Huntsville– $1.8 Million (City of Huntsville)
• Northwest Alabama Housing Services-$117,785 (Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion, and Winston Counties)
• City of Florence– $828,300 (Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Marion, Winston, and Lawrence Counties)
• Legal Services Alabama, Inc– $1.5 million (Cherokee, DeKalb and Etowah Counties)
• YWCA of Central Alabama– $114,125 (Blount, Jefferson an St. Clair Counties)
• Shelby County Commission– $219,892 (Shelby County)
• Montgomery Area Coalition for the Homeless Inc.- $1.7 million (Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, Bullock and Lowndes Counties)
• First Christian Methodist Episcopal Church– $830,632 (Montgomery, and Bullock Counties)
• City of Tuscaloosa– $742,539 (Tuscaloosa County)
• Salvation Army– $448,224 (City of Mobile)
• Family Counseling Center of Mobile Inc. – $710,058 (Baldwin, Clarke, Mobile and Washington Counties)
• Housing First Inc.- $1 million (Mobile and Baldwin Counties)
• Family Promise of Baldwin County Inc.- $993,819 (Baldwin County)
• Penelope House Inc.- $1 million (City of Mobile)
• Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless Inc. (ARCH)- $10 Million (Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Escambia, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Washington, and Wilcox Counties)