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Council reviews winter motel funding increases and new flexible assistance access-point program
Summary
Council and staff discussed higher-than-expected stays in the winter motel shelter program, a funding increase to the Community Action Council, and a pilot flexible-assistance program using Arbor Youth Services and Community Action Council as access points.
Councilmembers questioned staff about recent winter motel shelter spending and a new pilot to provide flexible financial assistance intended to prevent or quickly end homelessness.
Director Herron, from the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention, told council the Community Action Council’s winter motel program served about 40 families in the most recent season, above the earlier projection of roughly 35 households. “The length of time that individuals were in hotel was often longer than projected, with some families staying, a hundred or more days in hotel,” Herron said, and staff attributed delays primarily to difficulty finding affordable housing and moving families into units.
Herron said the initial projection assumed about 30 nights per household but that many families exceeded that due to the lack of available housing. Councilmember Lynch pressed for clarity about funding going forward; Herron said the initial amount used remaining ARPA funds and that the additional spending uses local dollars.
On the related item for flexible assistance, Herron said the first access-point agencies will be Arbor Youth Services and the Community Action Council. “This is the first time that we, have tried a program of this nature, which provides a little bit more flexible source of financial assistance to either rapidly end homelessness or to prevent individuals from entering literal homelessness,” Herron said. He said the access points will take referrals from emergency shelter providers, street outreach teams, housing providers and Fayette County Public Schools, and that the program could expand if continued.
Councilmembers asked whether the locations used during winter shelter operations are publicly listed; Herron said, as an example, hotel use included Bluegrass Extended Stay on Richmond Road and that staff can provide additional details.
The funding adjustments and program items were included in the new business packet the council approved as a group during the work session.
