Abilene, TX has reached the halfway point of the Home Again West Texas 100-day Challenge, which involves finding homes for 50 homeless people. So far, the West Texas city has found homes for 25 people in the “housing first” program, with the challenge focused on signing leases and finding permanent homes, and not just temporary housing. Housing ranges from single-family homes to apartments, with landlords paid through a housing voucher or with funds from a nonprofit organization.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is requiring nonprofit organizations to work together to receive federal money for the homeless. In Abilene and elsewhere, the idea behind the challenge is to coordinate efforts of nonprofits that work with the homeless and streamline processes to get them into permanent housing.

The issue is to provide housing first, then address other homeless issues, such as jobs and alcohol usage.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter