Monroe County holds public hearing on human services plan; officials outline homeless, transportation services
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Summary
County grants staff presented the 2025 human services plan covering the Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) and Human Services Development Fund (HSDF), listing service targets, provider roles and a notable drop in the county—s point-in-time count.
Monroe County grants staff presented the county—s 2025 human services plan during a public hearing July 16, outlining how the Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) and the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) will be administered and funded this year.
The county—s Office of Fiscal Affairs will administer HAP funding of $50,195 and HSDF funding of $93,587, the presenter said. The plan sets service targets including 50 people to be served through Pocono Area Transitional Housing (PATH) and 200 people to receive emergency shelter services through Women—s Resources of Monroe County, The Salvation Army and Family Promise of Monroe County. The HSDF component proposes assistance to 125 individuals, including 73 people with visual impairments who would receive escorted transportation services from Sites for Hope and 12 people with mental health or developmental needs assisted by Carbon, Monroe and Pike mental health and developmental services.
The presenter said PATH will provide short-term housing and support services intended to help participants secure permanent housing by connecting them to counseling on personal finance, employment, education, job training and housing searches. Women—s Resources was described as offering counseling focused on safety planning and access to transportation and childcare; The Salvation Army and Family Promise were described as offering case management aimed at obtaining permanent housing or resources.
The presenter also summarized the county—s 2025 point-in-time (PIT) count results. "I—m happy to say that the PIT count this year showed a 75% decrease in unsheltered households between 2024 and 2025, a 30.77% decrease in unsheltered homeless persons," the presenter said. The presenter reported 109 total homeless households (sheltered plus unsheltered), a 17.9% decrease from 2024, and 159 total people, a 2.33% decrease from 2024. The presenter cautioned that reductions reflect several factors, including increased affordable and rapid-rehousing programs and additional federal and state funding.
The presenter told commissioners the Stroudsburg Wesleyan cold-weather shelter expanded capacity this winter and that the county continues to emphasize emergency shelter because of limited affordable housing and extended shelter stays the presenter described as "approximately 90 days per household." A copy of the human services plan was left on the meeting table for commissioners to review and the presenter invited feedback via the grants office.
The public hearing on the plan was described in the meeting as informational only; no vote was required.
Why it matters: Monroe County directs HAP and HSDF dollars and contracts with local providers to deliver emergency shelter, transitional housing and transportation supports. Targets and PIT counts guide planning and funding decisions for homelessness services across the county.
