County seeks HUD grant

Centre County commissioners unanimously approved the application of a Housing and Urban Development grant that county staff hopes will fill some gaps made when previous grant funds ended.

The Continuum of Care grant would be used to provide rental assistance, security deposit and case management support to homeless people and families for up to 12 months. Deputy Administrator Natalie Corman said the grant would allow for one- to two-bedroom apartments for the participants, while case management will work to provide long-term stability.

“This is our first foray into the Housing First model,” Corman said. “It’s aimed at getting people into stabilized housing first and building from there in terms of income, education and mainstream benefits.”

Housing Transitions has been identified as the sub-recipient to administer the program, according to the county. The grant totals $236,120, with a county match of $47,224 and the remaining $188,896 in federal funding.

The funding will help make up for funds lost when the county lost its Shelter Plus Care program funding several months ago, Corman said. Shelter Plus was specific to individuals with mental illness, she said, while the HUD grant focuses on the homeless and those with disabilities.

“The funds are less than Shelter Plus,” she said, “but it covers a wider range of issues.”

Responding to an inquiry by Commissioner Steve Dershem, Corman said that though the county would be providing funding, it would not be on the lease for an individual’s apartment. The county would not be held liable if the person defaulted on payment or damaged the unit.

The county would be applying for funds for nine one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments at a fair-market price, she said. The grant could fund as many as 26 people during the first year.

The grant deadline is this week, she said. The county expects to find out if it is a grant recipient by spring, with a projected start date for the program by October if the funds come through.

This story was originally published September 6, 2016 at 9:25 PM with the headline "County seeks HUD grant."