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Nearly $1.4 million has been designated for street outreach services in Montgomery County to aid the growing homeless population.
An agreement between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and two Pennsylvania providers was approved by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Fort Washington-based Access Services Inc. was awarded a more than $1.16 million contract, and $222,535 was awarded to Valley Youth House, of Bethlehem.
The one-year agreement that took effect earlier this month stipulated assistance related to “comprehensive outreach and engagement services to households experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County.”
Those outreach services included homeless crisis response, case management, encampment resolution, housing assistance, as well as connections to resources, behavioral and physical health services.
Homelessness and lack of affordable housing continue to be issues that local municipalities are grappling with in Montgomery County. More than 1,000 single adult county residents reportedly experienced homelessness last year, according to figures from the Philadelphia-based Resources for Human Development, and the county has gone two years without an operational brick-and-mortar homeless shelter.
Funding for the seven-figure award was sourced through several grants, according to the contract, including an emergency solutions grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as state HealthChoices reinvestment funds. The language specified four optional annual renewal terms.
County commissioners also authorized the issuance of a series of requests for proposals, two of which dealt with housing and homelessness.
A request for proposals crafted for the county’s health department seek assistance with home ownership and emergency housing programs.
One request for proposals solicits consultant services for the county’s First Time Homebuyers Program in an effort to “engag(e) more first-time homebuyers to increase successful closings in a calendar year for moderate and at or below median-income households.” Funding for that initiative would be sourced by way of the county’s proceeds of federal COVID-19 relief dollars.
“Montgomery County has successfully run a first-time homebuyer program for over 10 years. However, with increasing housing prices and increasing competition, we are looking to implement even more best practices. We want to be as helpful as possible to moderate income first-time homebuyers in this very competitive market,” Montgomery County Office of Housing and Community Development Administrator Kayleigh Silver said in a statement.
Another request for proposals aims to “provide for a contractor or contractors to operate short-term, non-congregant 24/7 emergency shelters and supportive services to those experiencing homelessness.” Funding is expected to come from grants, however, county officials did not specify which types or when bids would be due.
The next Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 18 on the eighth floor of One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St., Norristown. Those interested in attending the meeting can also do so virtually. Visit montgomerycountypa.gov for more information.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Wissahickon Now and North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.
