Lawrence County again has received the One Stop Shelter Plus Care grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“This is a grant for people who need long-term assistance,” Cindy Anderson of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, said. ”You have to be disabled and homeless and it helps to stabilize them. We give them medical attention, mental health care, make sure they get their food stamps and SSI.”

The goal is to get the individuals into permanent subsidized housing.

“They will have permanent safety,” Anderson said.

The housing is based on the individual’s income, which is typically SSI of approximately $700 a month.

“We work with all the mental health agencies,” she said. “We give you shelter plus the care you need.”

This year the grant was $46,325, which is the same amount as last year. The county has received the grant for the past eight years.

HUD awarded $17.4 million in grants for homeless programs in Ohio. This was the only grant the county received.