Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Diversion Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and housing-authority staff urge York County to support two juvenile-diversion federal grants
Summary
A York County Housing Authority staffer told commissioners the county should back two federal juvenile-diversion grants that include mental-health services and school counseling; she said federal housing rules can disqualify households when juveniles face certain charges and emphasized rural resource gaps.
A member of the public told the York County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 29 she supports two federal juvenile-diversion grants and urged the board to back them because they would bring counseling and mental-health resources to local schools and families.
The speaker said she works at the York Housing Authority and told the board that federal housing rules can force families out of housing programs if a household member under 18 is charged with drug possession, even when the youth completes diversion or drug court. She said that federal funding rules have made housing placement difficult for families and that the larger grant’s mental-health services could help address youth suicide and connect students with counseling.
The commenter said rural communities lack the range of services available in larger cities and that the grants could help bring those supports to York County. She added she had discussed grant details with county officials Tristan and Gary.
Board members thanked the speaker for her comments. The meeting record shows the board did not take a formal vote on the grants during the public comment period.
The speaker's remarks point to two intersecting issues local officials may consider in evaluating grant applications: whether diversion programming will sufficiently protect families' housing eligibility under federal rules, and how mental-health services proposed in the grants would be coordinated with local schools and providers.
