Westmoreland's need for additional shelter will be topic of public hearing on Wednesday

Jan. 2—A public hearing is set for this week on Westmoreland County's plan to put about $2.5 million in federal funding toward a new non-congregate shelter for people who lack housing.

Janet Parker, deputy director of community development, said the proposal is the result of meetings with stakeholders across the county who helped identify needs and gaps in service.

"Westmoreland County needs additional shelters," she said. "We don't have enough."

The county was awarded in April 2021 a HOME-American Rescue Plan grant that must be used to address housing issues in an effort to reduce homelessness. It is part of $5 billion of American Rescue Plan funding that was set aside specifically for that purpose, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The hearing will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development on the fifth floor of the auxiliary courthouse building on North Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg. Written and verbal comments are being accepted until 4 p.m. Jan. 11.

The county commissioners might take action on the plan at their Jan. 26 meeting.

The plan, which is available online, indicates there is a lack of shelter bed and staff capacity and that emergency housing is a priority because of a dearth of quality affordable and accessible rental units. Shelter providers reported the average stay exceeds 45 days, and 60 days is not enough for a resident to find permanent housing.

Dan Carney, director of The Union Mission near Latrobe, said it's not just rent and a security deposit in those types of situations. Someone at the shelter might need help with building life skills and mental health or addiction treatment. Plus, the time it takes to find and secure living space can exceed the amount of time available at the shelter. Union Mission has room for 24 men.

"There's no cookie-cutter approach" to prevent homelessness, he said.

In Westmoreland County, there were 56 people experiencing homelessness in 2022 at the time of an annual count, according to the plan. About 1,100 people who did not have a home were served by programs in the county.

Most of the county's 154 beds, including 61 for adults only, are occupied, the plan states.

County officials intend to seek proposals to increase the number of beds from agencies that provide shelter services, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the county's Industrial Development Corp.

"We see this as the opportunity to be able to provide that capital support," he said. "Every community has a need. Westmoreland County is no different."

Parker said there is no formal plan for where the shelter would be, if approved. It is proposed to have individual, apartment-style units.

The total grant awarded to the county was $3.6 million. About $500,000 of it will be directed to support services for individuals who are at risk of homelessness, Parker said. The remainder will be used for administration and planning.

Wednesday's public hearing will be available virtually through GoToMeeting or by phone at 408-650-3123 by using the access code 559-203-181.

Written comments may be mailed or delivered to Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development, 40 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Fifth Floor, Suite 520, Greensburg, PA 15601 or emailed to jthomas@co.westmoreland.pa.us.

Verbal comments may be made by calling 724-830-3600 (TDD 740-380-3802).

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .