Politics

Attorney General Lynch Meets Gray Family in Baltimore

Published

9 years ago

May 6, 2015

Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks with members of Congress and faith leaders at the University of Baltimore on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, in Baltimore. Lynch met with the family of Freddie Gray in private earlier. The FBI and the Justice Department are investigating Gray’s death for potential civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, Pool)

BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Attorney General Loretta Lynch pledged Tuesday to improve the city’s police department after meeting with the family of a man who was fatally injured in police custody.

“We’re here to hold your hands and provide support,” Lynch said in a meeting with faith and community leaders, including members of Congress.

The new attorney general met privately at the University of Baltimore with Freddie Gray’s family, days after the state’s attorney charged six police officers involved in Gray’s arrest. Gray’s injury in police custody and death a week later sparked protests and riots that prompted Maryland’s governor to bring in the National Guard.

Lynch was joined by the head of the Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Director Ronald Davis and Community Relations Service Director Grande Lum. Lynch met with Reps. Elijah Cummings, John Sarbanes and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin.

“This is a flashpoint situation,” Lynch said. “We lost a young man’s life and it begins to represent so many things.”

The FBI and the Justice Department are investigating Gray’s death for potential civil rights violations. The Justice Department is expected to release results of a separate review of the police department’s use of force practices in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Baltimore City Council President Jack Young renewed his request that the Justice Department conduct a comprehensive, civil rights investigation into the policies, procedures and practices of the city’s police department.

Lynch later met privately with Police Commissioner Anthony Batts at police headquarters. She then met about a dozen officers who had been on the streets when violence broke out, telling them they joined a noble profession.

“We are here to help you work through these struggles,” Lynch said. “To all of you on the front lines, I want to thank you. You really have become the face of law enforcement. ”

Lynch also met with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at City Hall.

Lynch returned to the University of Baltimore on Tuesday afternoon to meet with a group of residents who have protested against police brutality and excessive force.

Lynch, who is in just her second week on the job, has spoken repeatedly of the need to mend relationships between police and minority communities. At her January confirmation hearing, she described herself as being personally “pained” by the ongoing tensions, and spoke at her swearing-in ceremony last week of the need to “restore trust and faith both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them.”

___

Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report in Washington.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.