New Castle County committee hears plan to spend $1.44 million in Treasury funds for Family Hope Project evaluation

Grants Director Michael "Mike" Bowser told the New Castle County Council Community Service Committee on Jan. 27 that an ordinance before the committee would appropriate $1,440,000 in U.S. Department of the Treasury funds to cover the independent evaluator for the Family Hope Project.

"This ordinance will appropriate $1,440,000 in all federal funding from the U.S. Treasury, to cover 100% of the independent evaluator costs throughout the life of the project," Bowser said, adding the funding would cover evaluator work over seven years. He said New Castle County is one of three jurisdictions nationally to advance to the project-launch stage and that final financial agreements were nearly complete so cohort 1 could begin serving families at the Hope Center next month.

Council members responded with general support for the county’s grant work while emphasizing the urgency of street-level outreach and services. Councilman Jay Street said he appreciated the department’s work but pressed for faster results on visible homelessness, citing tent encampments at Christiana Park.

The committee heard Bowser’s presentation and asked questions but the transcript does not record a committee vote on the ordinance during this meeting. No public online comments were recorded during the presentation.

If adopted, the appropriation would pay for the independent-evaluation component of the Family Hope Project; Bowser said the evaluator cost is fully covered by the Treasury funds and is not expected to require local matching dollars. The ordinance is intended to create the financial pathway to permanent housing outcomes for participating families.

The committee moved on to other agenda items following Bowser’s presentation. The transcript does not record a final vote or further procedural steps on the ordinance during this session.