Sanford task force flags sharp rise in housing-related general assistance; state grant keeps warming center open through April

City Manager Steven Buck gave the council a detailed update on homelessness-related spending and task-force activity, warning that current trends could push general-assistance (GA) housing expenditures much higher this year.

Buck said, "December housing assistance totaled a $113,000" and that year-to-date spending was "approximately $483,000," adding that a straight-line projection based on year-to-date figures put total GA utilization near $970,000 for the year.

Buck also reported the state provided a one-time award of $141,642 to support the Family Warming Center so it can remain open through April; he said roughly 30% of that grant had been expended so far. The task force reviewed pending state legislation related to emergency shelter funding and general assistance reimbursement.

On statewide administration of GA, Buck said the legislature had required a statewide database to be in place by June 2025 but the state did not fund its implementation. He said the state later submitted a bill that would remove the state's responsibility for creating the database — a change local officials and other stakeholders are tracking and opposing because they believe a common portal would ease GA administration.

Buck also summarized a local policy discussion about defining "grave disability" so medical professionals can refer people with severe mental illness or substance-use disorders to diversionary treatment; he credited Representative Anne Marie Mastracchio for advancing the concept as a bill that had a public hearing on Jan. 22.

Next steps: the task force will continue tracking state bills and funding opportunities, and the council said staff should bring more detailed budget options as GA projections are finalized.