JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Jacksonville institution is receiving a grant of federal money to help in it's care of the River City's homeless population. The Sulzbacher Center is getting more than $200,000 in stimulus dollars over the next 2 years to help deal with an increase in people seeking help.

In fact, administrators at the Sulzbacher Center said that from February of 2008 to February of this year, the Center saw a 31 percent rise in the number of people needing their services. The increase comes without any additional budget money for the center.

But things are about to change, according to officials at the Center.

"We are getting some of the stimulus funding, we're getting $215,000," said the Sulzbacher Center's Cindy Funkhowser. "We're going to be using that money to expand our substance abuse and mental health programs.'

Funkhowser said they plan on hiring two new staffers: a mental health professional and a substance abuse counselor, both of whom will be supported by a staff of interns. Some of those interns will come from the University of North Florida, while others will be drawn from Florida State University.

The move is heralded by local leaders as absolutely necessary

"To get them help, but we need to get them off the streets, out of the places where they're living in the woods, get them into the shelters where people can work with them so they can have some hope so they can make something out of themselves," said Jacksonville City Councilman Don Redman.

www.sulzbachercenter.org