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TLC Inc. possible lead for county housing assistance program

The Lycoming County commissioners will consider contracting Transitional Living Centers Inc. Thursday as the lead agency to assist the county with a master leasing program, a new initiative toward housing assistance.

If approved, the comissioners then will vote to award TLC $292,500 out of a $300,000 state Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement grant from 2015, said Tom Krajewski, community and economic development planner.

“The lead agency will develop and administer the program for the county,” he said. “The goal of the program is to help hard-to-place persons gain housing stability, such as those re-entering from prison and other institutions, persons with serious mental illness and at-risk homeless individuals and families.”

The program includes direct housing assistance for long-term lease holders, what Krajewski said is coined permanent supportive housing.

“The master leasing program is designed for the lead agency to enter into a lease agreement with a landlord on behalf of an accepted program client and be responsible for a selection of rental payments,” he said. “The program will set a goal to support at least 15 longterm leases with area landlords for rental apartments. This would include payment for security deposits and rental payment for at least 12 months.”

It also may include some utilities depending on the circumstance, he added.

Prior to being placed into housing, program participants will receive a case management plan and develop a long-term release plan. They’ll also be required to pay a program fee of “up to 30 percent of their bare net income, depending on their financial status,” Krajewski said.

Participants will be required to attend classes and programs determined to be needed so they may become self-sufficient, he said.

In other business, the commissioners also will consider approving an additional temporary, part-time assistant position in the Veterans Affairs office. There are two full-time positions in that office, however, one of the employees is no longer able to work full-time. He has agreed to work part-time while the county seeks a full-time, credentialed candidate to take his place, said Roxanne Grieco, deputy director of human resources.

In another matter, the commissioners appointed John Gramling to the county Water and Sewer Authority and Dave Abernathy to the county Industrial Development Authority.

Other items to be considered at 10 a.m. Thursday include multiple agreements with Teamsters, a professional service agreement with a California-based doctor and several personnel actions.

Commissioners Tony Mussare and Rick Mirabito were present, Commissioner Jack McKernan was absent.

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