Lancaster County housing organizations are seeking proposals from hotels willing to shelter people experiencing homelessness.
The Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities and Lancaster County Homeless Coalition are looking for hoteliers to partner with them on emergency housing for four to six months, and possibly longer.
Officials are anticipating a significant increase in people experiencing homelessness as eviction moratoriums related to the coronavirus pandemic expire in coming weeks.
Preference will be given to hotels in East Lampeter Township, but the organizations are looking for properties throughout the county, according to a request for proposals.
Due to an effort led in part by Tabor Community Services, East Lampeter Township supervisors approved a policy in December that allows hotels and motels in its jurisdiction to become temporary shelters.
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East Lampeter Township supervisors unanimously approved a policy that allows hotels and motels in its jurisdiction to become temporary shelters for people who have lost housing due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution waives the 30-day maximum tenancy for hotels and motels and allows local housing organizations to work with hoteliers in the township to house individuals facing homelessness for several months.
âI appreciate the collaboration between staff and the organizations,â board Chairman Corey Meyers said right before the vote. âItâs heartwarming this time of year that weâre all doing this.â
âThis would fit within the broader homeless coalition and the services therein,â said Mike McKenna, president of Tabor Community Services. âWe have a pretty robust system for screening individuals who are homeless and connecting them with the shelter that best fits the circumstances for that household.â
Justin Eby spent months sounding the alarm about the stateâs $150 million rent relief program.
Ebyâs concerns began in July when the program was launched and his team at the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority was tasked with creating a process to disburse the countyâs share of the relief funds â $2 million â to renters who had experienced job loss due to COVID-19.
It was immediately evident to Eby that the program was plagued by problems: the application process was complicated and time consuming; the requirement that renters be 30 days in arrears limited the pool of eligible renters; and the legislatively mandated monthly rent cap of $750 discouraged some landlords from participating, meaning their tenantsâ applications would be denied.
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