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The City of Williamsport's homelessness crisis is at a point where shelters are filled, makeshift tents are seen along the river's edge and beneath bridges and two women were recently sleeping in their cars because of a lack of a place to lay their heads.
To combat this, the city will serve as a pass-through entity of $888,000 in addition to available funds in the American Rescue Plan heading toward non-profit organizations such as the YWCA, American Rescue Workers and STEP Inc., to name a few, that help daily to prevent and care for homeless needs, whether they are military veterans, indigent individuals without jobs, abused individuals or those down on their luck.
The funding has been made possible by the Williamsport Department of Community and Economic Development working with Delta Development Group Inc. on a plan to use the federal funds.
City Council did its part Thursday helping to address and tackle the growing homelessness crisis.
By a 5-0 vote, with abstentions from Council President Adam Yoder and Councilman Randy Allison, both of whom serve in a capacity on boards or are affiliated with potential subrecipient nonprofits that manage homelessness issues in the city, the council approved a resolution.
The resolution is a substantial amendment to the fiscal year 2021 annual action plan to approve the HOME - ARP allocation plan, according to August "Skip" Memmi, city director of the department.
What it allows is the department to submit the plan for the $888,000 in funds available, he said.
Delta Development Group Inc., the city economic development consulting firm, with representatives Teresa Sparacino and Dane Higbee, helped get the plan into a phase where there was a survey, a public hearing and input collected and data gathered from the nonprofits, such as the YWCA, STEP Inc. and American Rescue Workers, Memmi said.
The plan can be adjusted as the city goes forward as it finds options to adjust submission either higher or lower in each of the categories.
Councilman Eric Beiter, chair of the city Economic Revitalization Committee, which heard the proposal earlier this week, said the big item to note about this plan is the city is being awarded the money from the federal government, in addition to American Rescue Plan funds.
These funds are not held by the city to go out and solve the homelessness problem. Rather, the money will be used to pass-through to local nonprofits to let them do what they already do very well, Beiter said.
Councilman Jon Mackey asked how each organization gets whatever amount of money. He was told by Memmi they will submit proposals and the department will figure out which can give the biggest bang for the amount of dollars. Mackey asked if the nonprofits were aware of this amount of money available and was told they were.
Notice was given in December of 2022. It will be used to support several organizations in Williamsport that help counter homelessness. They provide safe shelter, emergency assistance and food to the homeless, to individuals subject to abuse and military veterans in need.
The city will act as a pass-through for the funds and the various non-profits will have to submit proposals to the department to determine the most prudent use.
The end of many of the federal subsidies is making homelessness worse in the city, according to Yoder.
Memmi noted the shelters are full and there are waiting lists for housing and this money will be used for provision of housing units to deal with the overflow of homeless that these organizations are managing as best they can.
Allison noted that there are homeless that are living on the streets in the city.
Councilwoman Liz Miele said she was notified two women were sleeping in their cars because they had nowhere to live and she noted that the city of Williamsport. because of the having more space that is a less populated areas such as the land down by the river and under bridges. and all tend to be a location for many of the homeless.