Youngstown could use $2.5 million in ARP funds to improve housing conditions, decrease homelessness
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The City of Youngstown is one step closer to using $2,516,342 of it's ARP dollars for the city's HOME ARP Plan after it was unanimously approved by council Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will now look over the plan, in effort to improve housing conditions and decrease homelessness in the area.
These funds are separate from other ARPA funds the City received and allocated to housing-related services in the past.
"When we help those that are underprivileged and underserved, that raises up the whole value of the community," explained Samantha Turner, 3rd Ward Councilwoman who voted for the plan.
"These funds will go directly to the citizens," explained Mayor Tito Brown. "That's what I like about HUD. It is direct funding. This will focus on homeless individuals and housing and those are two big topics across the nation that we want to continue to battle."
"We really appreciate that HUD and general funding programs are focusing on homelessness because that is a problem that has in the past maybe been ignored," said Beverly Hosey, Community Development Director with the City of Youngstown.
The plan looks to improve housing conditions and decrease homelessness in the city, detailing preserving affordable housing, offering rental assistance, supporting homeless prevention services, developing non-congregate shelters, and assisting nonprofit operations.
"Nationwide, there's all types of projects and different types of funding to try to eradicate homelessness and we're starting to have more focus on it also in our community," Hosey added. "We want people to be able to come and get immediate help."
The City has worked with several stakeholders and analyzed data throughout the past year, finally creating the drafted plan in December.
"This plan allows us to really reach out there, find out what resources people need and provide it to them directly with our partners right with us," Turner added.
"We focus, with many of our social service agencies, that when individuals are out there and they know they need help, these are the agencies you work with," Brown explained. "Those are our partner agencies and they're the sub-recipients of these funds."
The City has until the end of the month to submit the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan to HUD.
The City would then have until 2030 to spend those funds.
