For a few area families, a federal grant Buchanan and Andrew counties receive will be the difference between a place to live and a place to leave.

But for a growing population of area residents who continue to slip below the poverty line, the federal stimulus dollars will do little or nothing to improve their dire situations.

Buchanan and Andrew counties applied for and received a combined $120,271 that they can start directing toward the prevention of homelessness Oct. 1 (About $100,000 for Buchanan and $20,000 for Andrew). The Community Action Partnership will screen the applicants and administer the funds for both counties during the course of the three-year program, and the grant could increase if other counties don't use their money.

Recipients must be renting and prove that without the money, they would be homeless. While CAP will use a wide range of criteria to evaluate applicants, a family of four making more than $30,000 a year likely wouldn't be eligible.

The money also comes with the requirement of attending classes on managing budgets and job training, and families can't receive financial assistance for more than a year.

"It will have an immediate, significant impact on a few people," said Dave Leyland, CAP's executive director in St. Joseph.

But Mr. Leyland doesn't expect the program to create a sweeping shift in the current climate. From 2000 to 2007, the poverty rate in Buchanan County went up from 12 percent to 15.2 percent of the population. That's an additional 2,664 people.

Andrew County's rate is up .58 percent to 8.4, or 102 people. Meanwhile, unemployment in Buchanan County jumped from 5.3 percent last year to 8.9 percent this year.

"There is a lot of concern about those numbers. There is nothing in sight that that is going to change," Mr. Leyland said. "Expenses continue to go up and the risk of homelessness continues to rise. This is not a silver bullet program. It's not going to address the total homelessness issues in the community."

With state budgets stretched to the breaking point, Mr. Leyland believes federal assistance, like the upcoming grant, is crucial. But he also said this is a community issue that requires grass-roots ownership.

"Private citizens need to help out their neighbors whenever possible," Mr. Leyland said.

Yet, that ideal dims when many of the new jobs created in the community don't include health insurance, and health costs and co-pays for those with insurance continue to rise. Mr. Leyland said visits to emergency care facilities around the area reveal Buchanan and Andrew county residents are making sacrifices when it comes to their health care and daily needs.

"That system, something has to be addressed. Whether it's a total major change is for the policymakers to figure out," he said. "But at the local level, we need to have some relief."

R.J. Cooper can be reached

at rjcooper@npgco.com.