Chester County Awarded $800,000 in State Funding to Combat Homelessness

Chester County Government's focus on ending homelessness recently received an $800,000 boost with a grant awarded by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). PHFA's Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement - or PHARE - funds will expand the County's current effort to support those who are experiencing homelessness, with the goal of helping them to become safely and permanently housed.

"This grant is great news for Chester County, and it is a testament to the staff in our Department of Community Development who, every day, seek to find homes for those who do not have them, and help those who have homes keep them," said Chester County Commissioners' Chair Josh Maxwell. "The team prepared a compelling application for the funding, noting the effective programs and strategies that we have in place, and how the additional funding will be effective and measurable.

The activities that will be funded under the PHARE grant include support for Chester County's 211 Call Center, expansion of the County's Street Outreach Team, emergency housing coordination and strategic plan effort for Chester County's Partnership to End Homelessness initiative.

Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz said, "A large portion of this grant will contribute to the 211 Call Center - located right here in Chester County - which is the single point of entry for people experiencing a housing crisis or who need emergency housing resources. Calling 211 helps to determine the housing need, which can lead to connections with Chester County's Street Outreach Team - another service that will be expanded thanks to this PHARE funding."

Since the PHARE funding began in 2018, Chester County's Department of Community Development has received a total of $3.1 million to enhance and expand efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

"One of the greatest benefits of the PHARE program is that the funds are provided to meet locally-identified needs," said Chester County Commissioner Eric Roe. "Our application explains how the grant can best support our strategies, programs and efforts to prevent and end homelessness right here in Chester County, which leads to real impact.

In addition to Chester County's Department of Community Development, 14 other county organizations received PHARE grants totaling more than $3 million. Many of these organizations are part of the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness network.

Funding for the PHARE awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in Pennsylvania with a goal of addressing the housing shortage caused by the impact of drilling. That is supplemented with funding provided by a portion of the realty transfer tax.