Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cowlitz County anticipates larger consolidated homeless grant; staff outlines HEN and eviction-prevention use
Summary
Staff briefed commissioners on an estimated increase in the Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) to roughly $11 million for the upcoming biennium, current spending levels, and program guidelines for the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program and eviction/homelessness-prevention services.
Cowlitz County staff told commissioners the county expects a larger Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) award for the next biennium and summarized how the county has used prior CHG funding for HEN, eviction prevention and other homelessness services.
"Our state contract for last year was $8,000,000. The providers that we contracted with, Lower Columbia CAP and the mediation center," Gina James said. James described Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) as a state benefit program administered locally; state DSHS determines individual eligibility, including a requirement that someone demonstrate inability to work for 90 days due to disability in order to qualify for the HEN housing benefit.
County staff said they have used CHG and supplemental document‑recording fee allocations for emergency housing and to support coordinated-entry contracts, shelters and transitional housing. Through April of the current biennium the county had expended about $4.7 million of an $8 million award; staff said an estimated award for the upcoming biennium could be about $11 million, subject to state contract and guidance.
James said the state has added new budget lines in the CHG estimate—labelled inflationary increase, document-recording backfill, and a new emergency housing line—and that program guidelines may be updated with the contract. Lower Columbia CAP and the Mediation Center are named local partners for HEN and eviction-prevention services; staff said they plan to move forward with pass-throughs to existing partners once the state contract is received.
Commissioners and staff discussed overlapping funding sources—document recording fees, state grants, and other contract funds—and the need to align allowable uses across sources when planning programs.
