MID-HUDSON/CATSKILLS – Six area programs will receive a total of some $00,000 in federal Housing and Urban Development funds for new homeless programs.

HUD Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrion said the grants are vital to the local programs that keep families off the streets and in decent safe housing.

“The funds will be used primarily to assist these local organizations in providing housing, rental assistance, services such as mental health counseling, job training, educational assistance, substance abuse treatment and child care,” he said. “This comes at a time when we’ve seen this severe downturn in our economy and the impact of foreclosures on families, the loss of jobs leading to the inability to pay rent.”

• Community Action of Greene County in Catskill will receive $88,350;
• Gateway Community Industries in Kingston will receive $49,876;
• Independent Living in Newburgh will receive $60,315;
• PEOPLe, Inc. in Poughkeepsie will get $58,999;
• Rockland County offices in Spring Valley will receive $105,833; and
• Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties in Hudson will receive $29,932.