Housing program to receive federal funding

By: Mario Hilario | NBC 10
Published: May 21, 2009

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- It's been a seven-year journey for Barbara Gallogly.

She has her own apartment and is employed thanks to Family Resources in Woonsocket and its permanent supportive housing program.

"It saved my life. I really was homeless, living in an abandoned warehouse, going nowhere and expecting to die. And here I stand," Gallogly said.

The apartment that enabled her to get off the street and back on her feet was funded by federal money that was recently re-authorized by President Barack Obama under the Hearth Act.

"It's providing much more local control, much more expanded array of services to makes sure that homelessness is dealt with in our state," said Jim Ryczek, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless.

In addition to continuing funding for housing and shelter programs, there was a last-minute addition to the new legislation that provides protection for renters who are in homes that have been foreclosed.

"We have 90 days of protection for people in foreclosed properties and mortgage lenders are now going to have to honor leases, neither of which they previously had to do," Ryczek said.

Advocates call the Hearth Act a bill that will go a long way toward preventing homelessness and help those like Gallogly, who now works for the agency that helped her.

"I guess there's no words to really explain how it feels. It's been going on the past seven years and it just keeps getting better, life just keeps getting better," she said.

Three of the five units in the supportive housing program that helped Gallogly will continue to be funded under the Hearth Act. However, the other two units are funded by the State Neighborhood Opportunities Program, which is not included in next year's budget.