County asks state for Code Blue homeless assistance

Delaware County Council approved submitting a grant application for

$78,355 to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for “Code Blue” homeless services for assistance during the winter months in the midst of a pandemic.

Linda Hill, director of the Delaware County Planning Department, explained that this would be a part of the Emergency Solutions Grant from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

According to DCED, the CARES Act allows for “allocations of homeless assistance funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by coronavirus.”

It also noted that Pennsylvania had received

$19.9 million for this specific type funding, which is based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding formulas.

Hill explained how this funding would be directed in Delaware County.

“We are proposing that these funds be used to provide for the cost of 960 hotel vouchers and they would be provided to persons who can’t access the shelter system due to occupancy limits that are necessary for social distancing as well as to provide rooms for persons who need to be isolated or quarantined due to COVID exposure,” she said. “These hotel placements are critical to ensure that we don’t have any indiv iduals unsheltered and on the streets.”

Hill said she estimated that 10 vouchers would be used per night per room over 96 nights.

Hill said the county Department of Human Services has identified the non-profit Horizon House who will be providing street outreach and engagement services to identify those who need temporary shelter.

Delaware County Council Vice Chairman Dr. Monica Taylor spoke of how helpful this money will be.

“I know we had been worried ... as the winter months come along and knowing how strict the regulations are on our shelters and how they can fill up quickly and we’ve been using hotel vouchers currently for quarantining anybody who has COVID or other individuals who are coming into the system,” Taylor said. “So, I can see how useful this is going to be.”