Members of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners gather for a photo following a reorganization meeting on Jan. 2, 2024 in Norristown. Pictured, from left, is Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija, Chairwoman Jamila Winder and Commissioner Tom DiBello. (Credit: Rachel Ravina / MediaNews Group)
On Friday, Montgomery County Commissioners made a public ask for the release of $5 million in overdue federal funding for critical housing and homelessness services. The funding had been awarded to Montgomery County by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) last month, but to date, the County has not received any grant agreements, funding, nor guidance from HUD.
On January 17, 2025, Montgomery County was awarded a $5 million federal Continuum of Care (CoC) grant. This grant is the main source of funds for Your Way Home, the County’s partner in housing-first initiatives, including rental assistance programs, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. The delayed grants are already impacting these programs, and the Commissioners are advocating for the vulnerable residents who will be negatively affected.
“As a direct result of the federal government’s inaction, nearly 400 Montgomery County residents—120 of them children—are at risk of facing homelessness,” said Neil K. Makhija, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “HUD never delivered the standard obligation letters to us. Funding for permanent supportive housing that was supposed to arrive this month is not here. Delaying this funding without so much as a word from the federal government is reckless. We are demanding that the federal government uphold its end of the deal to fund these essential housing programs in Montgomery County.”
“There is no federal directive or order that we know of that is stopping the Continuum of Care funding from being delivered to the County on time,” said Jamila Winder, vice chair of the Board of Commissioners. “Instead, we were told that these contracts are stalled because of ‘confusion’ at the federal level. For over a decade, Montgomery County has received funding from the federal government to help keep families safe and in their homes. This system is now broken and we are being ghosted by the federal government. Without this funding, our neighbors here in Montgomery County are going to suffer.”
The CoC Grant Program Awards announced a total award of $5,012,740 to Your Way Home PA in January, reflecting an increase of $777,616 over the previous year’s award total. These awards go directly from HUD to nine Montgomery County nonprofit organizations within Your Way Home, funding vital services for residents in need, including rental assistance, eviction prevention, and street outreach.
“Without these grants, many of the Your Way Home programs and services would no longer be able to operate. This would set back our efforts significantly and increase the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community,” said Stacey Woodland, CEO of YWCA Tri-County area and chair of the Your Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC) Governing Board. “I urge all community leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to recognize the immense value of federal CoC funding for Your Way Home and to advocate for its continuation. Together we must ensure these resources remain in place so we can continue our work toward ending homelessness. The threat of losing this funding is real, and the danger it poses to our community cannot be overstated.”
“It is because of our CoC funding that victims and their children are not forced to sleep in their car, come to an unknown shelter, or return to a home where their lives are constantly under threat,” said Stacey Dougherty, executive director of the domestic violence agency Laurel House, a Your Way Home Partner. “These federal dollars provide rapid rehousing, supportive services and a path to stability, so that families and individuals don’t have to choose between homelessness and abuse. Without these resources, we are putting the lives of victims and their children in danger.”
"This funding freeze hinders our work. Our residents are people who have been through tremendous journeys from homelessness to living in shelters to finally having a roof over their heads. Each passing day without funding for this program brings them one day closer to being homeless again,” said Thomas A.K. Queenan, CEO of Mission First Housing Group. “Mission First and its partners in the Montgomery County Continuum of Care program urge lawmakers to please take action and support the reinstatement of these important funding resources.”
The County is currently working with grantees to create contingency plans for gap funding until the federal government honors their commitment. Members of the public can also donate to Your Way Home via www.yourwayhome.org/donate.
