Comment Submitted by Keli Forney, Central Nebraska Community Services

I am writing in regards to the possibility of matching rental assistance dollars by 25%. I would like to say that I feel this would be detrimental to the overall existing programs. Our agency has been providing services to homeless since 1997 through several HUD grants and we cover a very large area with limited resources. By doing this you would be putting the agency in harms way of liability with leasing and the clients themselves would not be taking ownership of their property if their name is not on the lease. Furthermore having to come up with a 25% match during such difficult economic times with competitive grants will affect all agencies with the mission of helping the homeless. Our efforts to assist homelss individuals and families have been great but this will give these agencies hurdles that are not needed and in some cases impossible to meet. Please reconsider this proposal. Thank you for your time in this matter.