In collaboration with the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness and the York County Coalition on Homelessness, the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition was awarded $990,057 as part of $51.1 million in Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement Grants (YHSI) to 38 communities across 26 states nationwide. Berks County will act as the administrator for the award while the Office for the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition, as part of the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority’s Human Services department, will oversee the Youth initiatives and collaboration including hiring a Youth Program Coordinator for the three-county region. Representatives from the tri-county area believe that the opportunity afforded by the YHSI grant for Berks, Lancaster, and York counties to work together to improve the youth homelessness response system is a valuable one. The funding received will strengthen each county’s coalition with a youth voice and perspective, create system mapping and racial and gender equity survey to identify gaps/barriers and develop new resources and connections for youth.
Elise McCauley, Assistant Director of the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness states that, ” The Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) grant is a critical investment for Berks County. Our current youth homelessness response system is limited, and we know there are many young people in need who aren’t being served. This grant will allow us to finally understand the true scope of the problem by gathering much needed data. With that information, we can develop actionable plans to bridge the gaps and create a truly effective response system for our most vulnerable youth.”
The financial support afforded by the YHSI grant will strengthen the youth homelessness response systems across the tri-county area. Kelly Blechertas, Program Coordinator at the York County Coalition on Homelessness expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity, “As part of a regional grant collaboration with our partners Berks and Lancaster Counties, we are excited to have the opportunity to broaden the scope of our youth systems building, to ensure those youth who are moving between communities can still access the important resources they need. YHSI provides a unique opportunity within federal housing assistance to partner across communities, and we are excited to show the impactful growth that can come from allowing these types of collaborations.”
The YHSI grant program’s focus is on making systemic changes to improve or create response systems for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness but does not provide funding for direct services or housing for homeless youth. The goal of this tri-county initiative is to address youth homelessness by incorporating the voice of youth with lived experience, mapping of the youth services system across the three counties, and performing a racial and equity analysis of the three counties, strengthening each county’s youth action board.
“This grant is vital because it involves youth in the development of programs and services tailored to their unique needs and compensates them for their valuable contributions. Their insights will shape solutions that bring about positive change for our vulnerable community members.” – Marjorie Shaffer, Homeless Housing Coordinator, who serves as the Youth Homelessness Liaison with the Lancaster County Office for the Homelessness Coalition
The Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition envisions a future with a sustained, safe, and quality home for all who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Lancaster County. To learn more about the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition or to support our work please visit https://lchra.com/our-organizations/homelessness-coalition/.
The offices of the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities will be closed on Friday, March 29, 2024 in observance of the Good Friday holiday.
The offices of the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities will be closed on Friday, January 19th due to forecasted hazardous winter weather conditions. Offices will reopen for in-person assistance on Monday, January 22nd at 7:30 AM.
The LCHRA Offices will be operating on a two hour delay schedule this morning, Wednesday 1/17/24, and will open at 9:30 AM.
The LCHRA offices will be closed today, 1/16/24, due to current winter weather conditions.
The Lancaster County Land Bank Authority (LCLBA) has issued a Request for Bids (RFB) for work related to the rehabilitation of the residential property at 318 Poplar Street in Columbia Borough.
Responses are due by 4:00pm on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, and should be submitted to Sean Krumpe, Program Coordinator – Acquisition and Rehabilitation at [email protected].
A copy of the RFB is available for review on the website at https://lchra.com/resources/requests-for-proposals/.
LCLBA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive proposal informalities, and to accept the lowest responsible proposal that serves the best interest of the organization.
LCLBA encourages women and minority-owned firms to submit bids.
Lancaster County received funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to administer the COVID-19 ARPA Whole-Home Repairs Program, commonly known as Whole Home Repair.
The Whole Home Repair program can assist homeowners throughout Lancaster County, including Lancaster City residents, in addressing livability concerns and code violations, providing modifications for residents with disabilities, and taking steps to improve water and energy efficiency in the home.
Eligible homeowner applicants can receive assistance of up to $25,000 as a grant. Applicants must meet income eligibility criteria and complete the application process in order to qualify for the funding. More information on the program is available at www.lchra.com/whrp.
This program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The staff of the Lancaster County Redevelopment and City of Lancaster’s Department of Community Planning and Economic Development will be holding a public meeting to review each organization’s Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2023.
The meeting will be held at 3:00 pm on Thursday, April 20th at the offices of the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Lancaster, located at 28 Penn Square, Suite 100, Lancaster PA 17603, or virtually over Zoom.
Please reach out to Jocelynn Ritchey at [email protected] with any questions or written comments on the plan.
The Annual Action Plan serves as the formal application to HUD for entitlement grant funds received for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.
Lancaster County is expected to received $2,891,771 in CDBG funds, $258,410 in ESG funds, and the City and County HOME Consortium will received $1,974,295 which will be split based on the 2023 Participating Members Percentage published by HUD in March 2023.
A copy of the Citizen Summary and Draft Plan are available for download below:
Notice is hereby given that the March 16, 2023 meeting of the Lancaster County Vacant Property Reinvestment Board is cancelled.