Montgomery County officials are demanding the release of $5 million in federal grant funding, writes Justin Heinze for the Patch.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has withheld the funding since January. The funds, allocated through the Continuum of Care program, are critical for Your Way Home. YWH is the county’s main provider of rental assistance, rehousing, and homelessness prevention services.
The funding delay has placed 400 residents, including 120 children, at risk of homelessness, county leaders said at a public plea outside the courthouse in Norristown. Officials blame the freeze on federal spending delays, though no formal order has been issued to withhold the grants.
Commissioner Neil Makhija points out that the county never received the standard letter of obligation. He called the delay ‘reckless’.
The grant was set to support nine local nonprofits providing domestic violence protection, eviction prevention, street outreach, and aid for at-risk children. Without the funding, much of Your Way Home’s operations could shut down.
“For over a decade, Montgomery County has received funding from the federal government to help keep families safe and in their homes,” said Commissioner Jamila Winder. “This system is now broken and we are being ghosted by the federal government.”
Read more about Montgomery County’s battle with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Patch.
