Upper Darby earmarks $100K to boost aid for homeless population
The Upper Darby Township Council on Jan. 7 approved a resolution to reallocate $100,000 for an emergency homelessness assistance program, which officials hope will help local shelters that are struggling with funding issues.
One resident, Lisa Cosper, voiced support for the resolution.
“It’s just so important right now that we do whatever we can to support people with housing,” she said. “I know that the people from Breaking Bread who were finding a little bit of hope are really in a panic right now about what’s going to happen, and if they will be able to stay at the Watkins [Center] or not.”
The Breaking Bread Community Shelter was forced to close its doors earlier this month due to code violations, according to a Facebook post by founder and CEO Stephanie Sena. Upper Darby Township posted recently that those needing shelter during a cold spell should go to the Watkins Center, and a recent bulletin from the Delaware County Health Department confirmed that Breaking Bread is currently closed for renovations.
Breaking Bread has also reportedly struggled to maintain operations amid funding cuts and uncertainty related to the state budget.
During a council meeting in December, Rita LaRue, the director of community and economic development, explained that Upper Darby Township “has kept a close eye on the effect that changes in funding at the federal, state and local levels have had on our organizations, our nonprofits that serve these [unhoused] populations.”
Thus, the township opted to reallocate a grant previously given to the Bywood Community Association that it did not end up using, as well as excess Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds that the township had collected for a first-time homebuyers program. “One thing HUD does not want is funds just sitting – they’d rather have them spent on eligible activities,” LaRue said.
The township aims to earmark the reallocated $100,000 for things like Code Blue services (which mobilize outreach, warming centers and extra shelter beds during extreme weather), shelter services and rapid-rehousing services, according to LaRue.
Laura Wentz, an at-large council member who was replaced by Noah Fields in January after losing her bid for reelection, asked LaRue at the December meeting whether there was a guarantee that Breaking Bread would be the recipient of the reallocated funds.
LaRue responded that the township’s resolution “does not name any potential subrecipients, because we have not selected them, and there may be more than just Breaking Bread.”
