LMH Awarded New Emergency Housing Vouchers and Funding Through American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Toledo, Ohio, May 25, 2021 - Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) announced today that it has been awarded 123 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) and $745,512 in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Through the award of these EHVs and funding, effective July 1, 2021, LMH will be able to help more people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, and victims of human trafficking.

"Lucas Metropolitan Housing keeps building momentum as we have demonstrated fiscal and operational capacity, responsibility and ownership," said LMH President and CEO, Joaquin Cintron Vega. "This additional allocation of vouchers and the financial resources of consideration is evidence of the credibility and reputation that we have built," he said.

"We are paving a path, inclusive of strong and expanding partnerships that are working in the best interest of the people we so proudly serve," continued Cintron Vega. "Our effective partnership with the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board is now opening the doors to manage the new Emergency Housing Vouchers. These vouchers will provide more permanent supportive housing opportunities, facilitating the connections to services and helping us solve issues of housing instability and homelessness," he said.

"We're grateful and committed to walk alongside Lucas Metropolitan Housing in putting these emergency vouchers into the hands of those most vulnerable in our community," said Rachel Gagnon, Executive Director of the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board.  "Toledo Lucas County is fortunate in that our local housing authority and Continuum of Care maintain a strong relationship that works together regularly to solve issues of housing instability and homelessness," she said. 

"This relationship, coupled with the unprecedented influx of voucher resources, will offer us an opportunity as a community to make a monumental shift in our ability to respond to these issues," said Gagnon. "Our two agencies believe that housing is a basic human right and we're eager to offer this right to many more individuals in the very near future."

The American Rescue Plan Act allowed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allocate additional vouchers to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) through an allocation formula designed to direct emergency vouchers to PHAs operating in the areas where EHV's eligible populations have the greatest need, while also taking into account PHA capacity and the requirement to ensure geographic diversity.

These EHVs are specifically provided to assist individuals and families who are homeless, recently homeless, at risk of homelessness, fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov/EHV. To contact LMH, visit www.lucasmha.org or call (419) 259-9400.

About Lucas Metropolitan Housing

Established in 1933, Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) continues to provide affordable housing to adults, seniors and children in its Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Mixed-Income and Market Rate housing units. LMH also provides a myriad of programs and opportunities designed to improve the total quality of life for our residents, with the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency. The programs and services are the results of successful collaborations with numerous community partners.

Our current housing portfolio consists of 2,633 Public Housing units; 4,657 Housing Choice Vouchers; 322 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units; 198 Market Rate units and 107 Homeownership Properties. There are approximately 17,500 people who reside in LMH properties. Lucas Metropolitan Housing partners with ALL people and organizations willing to exchange ideas and efforts to enhance Toledo, Lucas County and the world.                                                                                                   

About Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board

The Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board (TLCHB) coordinates service delivery across an array of partner agencies, serves as the HUD-mandated Continuum of Care organization and engages in long-term planning for homelessness prevention. TLCHB has recently taken several important steps to enhance operations and build a stronger service delivery model for our community - one with the capability of providing the most vulnerable members of our community with a place to call home.

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