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Hudson County to use $7 million DCA award for reentry housing, officials say
Summary
County docketed acceptance of a $7 million Reentry Pilot Program award intended for emergency housing and reentry services. Deputy County Administrator Frank Mazza said funds can pay for housing for people who do not qualify for emergency assistance and support jail reentry programming; commissioners asked about statewide distribution and other counties receiving line items.
Hudson County commissioners included on the Aug. 12 caucus agenda a resolution accepting a Department of Community Affairs Reentry Pilot Program award listed at $7,000,000.
Deputy County Administrator Frank Mazza described the award as flexible reentry funding that can be "used for emergency housing" and to "offset for all of our reentry programming," including housing for people who do not qualify for other emergency assistance. "We are allowed to use the funds for emergency housing, so it pays to offset for all of our reentry programming," Mazza said.
Commissioner William O'Dea asked whether the funding was county-specific or statewide; Mazza said Essex County also receives a state line item for reentry services and that two statewide nonprofit providers also receive funding. "Essex County also gets a line item from the State for reentry services...and then there's two non-profits that get funding for reentry," Mazza said.
Commissioners asked for a follow-up memo with specifics about which local school and community providers applied to related youth programs and which vendors received awards. The clerk recorded the resolution and sponsors for the reentry award; the transcript shows Commissioner Aponte-Lipski sponsored the Reentry Pilot item and Commissioner Rodriguez seconded the motion on the caucus agenda.
Next steps: the administration indicated it would provide additional detail about vendor and county allocations and about how the DCA award integrates with existing state and nonprofit reentry funding streams.
