RIDGWAY — The Elk County Commissioners on Tuesday discussed plans to help families in Elk and Cameron counties through several housing grants.
Elk County Housing and Program Specialist Richard Gavazzi said a $38,000 grant was awarded to the county for its accessible housing program. He added the grant should be able to fund three projects in the county.
Gavazzi said the funds are used to help remove architectural barriers in a resident’s home that may otherwise force them to move.
The goal of the program is to allow residents with a physical or permanent disability to stay in their home and not have to move into a nursing facility.
Gavazzi said the $38,000 grant can be used to help homeowners and renters.
In addition to the $38,000 grant, a $25,000 grant was also awarded to the Cameron and Elk Behavioral and Developmental Programs and Citizens Against Physical, Sexual and Emotional Abuse (CAPSEA).
CAPSEA Executive Director Billie Jo Weyant said the funds will be used to help fill in some gaps in the organization’s current funding.
She said there are some items that CAPSEA cannot spend federal, state or county funds on, and this grant will help to pay for those items. Some of the items include safety items such as video surveillance systems for doorbells.
Additionally, the money could be used for emergency housing in a hotel or motel. Also, the funds could be used to help victims replace important documentation such as Social Security cards, driver’s licenses and birth certificates.
Weyant said there will be an application process for funding and Cameron and Elk Behavioral and Developmental Programs will be the leading agency for the grant money.
Both of the grants were received through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement fund.
In other grants discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, the county was approved for a $4,900 grant to pay for bulletproof vests at the Elk County Prison.
Additionally, a $385,837.40 grant agreement was approved between the county and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) for 911 statewide interconnectivity funding.
Elk County Commissioner Jan Kemmer said this was ongoing funding.
In the lone motion made that did not relate to grants, the commissioners reappointed Robin Dubler and Mike Keller to the Elk County Solid Waste Authority’s board for a new five-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2017.
