We heartily welcome news that St. Joseph's Family Center has received a grant from the federal government to help solve a seemingly intractable problem: homelessness.

With the grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Development, St. Joseph's Family Center will target homeless individuals who are afflicted with mental illness or substance abuse problems, a particularly vulnerable and difficult population. They hope to have 10 individuals in apartments in a program that follows the housing first model by this summer.

Housing first is "an approach to ending homelessness that centers on providing homeless people with housing quickly and then providing services as needed," according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Family Center still faces two major hurdles before implementation

We applaud St. Joseph's dedication to improving not only the quality of life of the homeless people that this program will help, but also the quality of life of the entire community.

However, the grant is not a panacea. St. Joseph's faces two difficult challenges. The grant will pay for 80 percent of the program, leaving St. Joseph's to find an estimated $35,000 to fund the rest of the program. That's a difficult challenge in the best of times; a tall order in the current economic climate.

"We're going to be pounding the pavement, talking to foundations, any leveraging source we can," St. Joseph's Family Center Director David Cox told reporter Sara Suddes. "We'll have to look under every rock."

The second challenge is finding the necessary apartments. Cox is trying to find 10 one-bedroom or studio apartments. Landlords are sometimes reluctant to rent from mentally ill or drug- or alcohol-addicted program participants.

There are ways for the public to help improve community

"There is a little bit of nervousness," Cox said of prospective landlords. "But they will be helping to deal with the issue of homelessness. We are assuring rent, and with the help of proper support services, there shouldn't be too many serious issues."

You can help with a cash donation to St. Joseph's, or, if you have a suitable unit to rent, by participating in this program. Contact David Cox at St. Joseph's Family Center to donate or participate.

You can change a life and improve your community at the same time.

How to help

St Joseph's Family Center

7950 Church St # A, Gilroy, CA 95020

David Cox at (408) 842-6662

www.stjosephsgilroy.org