(The Center Square) – Building modular homes through the use of a two-year $400,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies will fuel the hope of reducing homelessness throughout Shreveport.
A resolution to authorize the acceptance of the grant is on the City Council agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, which also gives Mayor Tom Arceneaux authority to execute the grant documents.
The money will help fund housing units built from repurposed shipping containers. These modular homes will be transitional or permanent housing for families and individuals in need in Shreveport.
While recent homelessness statistics are not available for Shreveport, in 2019, it was estimated that anywhere from 40 to 45 people were unhoused on a given night in the city. At the time it was an overall 41% drop in Shreveport’s homelessness rate over a five-year period.
Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded a reported $3.7 billion in 2024 to many causes, including the unhoused population. Last year, they worked with Newark to open a housing community called Hope Village that helps homeless residents. The project reduced the city’s unhoused population by 60% and permanently housed 53 people, according to a 2024 annual report.
Following introduction, the resolution could be passed as soon as Oct. 28.
