Over 430 households will keep their housing — at least for another month — thanks to a last-minute extension of Delaware’s pandemic-related motel voucher program that was previously slated to end on Aug. 31, Department of Health and Social Services spokesperson Jill Fredel said.
This means these households, many of which include children under 18, now have American Rescue Plan-funded housing until October.
Fredel said the state health department only recently learned that there was leftover funding from other state programs that could be used to extend the voucher program by another month. About 100 households have already moved out of their motel rooms ahead of the earlier Aug. 31 deadline, and they will not be eligible for these new vouchers. DHSS does not yet have data on where the members of these households are now living.
But for many, the extension of the voucher program means a chance to remain sheltered while tackling the increasingly volatile housing market.
BACKGROUND:As pandemic funds dry up, hundreds face homelessness when motel vouchers expire Aug. 31
“Now everybody’s got this little breather of an additional 30 days, so we can really be smart about where people are going,” Fredel said. “I think it’s going to lead to many more successful outcomes.”
Households remaining in the program must sign new contracts with the government, including an agreement that they will move to the first alternative housing offered to them and that anyone not in school and able to work is either employed or actively applying to jobs.
Fredel said households also must enroll in the Delaware Housing Assistance Program and check in with caseworkers regularly. If these conditions aren’t met, the households risk eviction.
“We can’t support them in making this transition unless they talk to us,” Fredel said.
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Families experiencing homelessness — regardless of their involvement with the ARPA voucher program — can also apply for DHSS’ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which awards households with children under 18 up to $5,000.
DHSS will continue to offer resources and meet with households in need throughout September to help them move out of the motels before the extended vouchers expire, Fredel said.
Resources
Call 302-434-3340 for a pandemic emergency shelter program support hotline, available on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For access to local resources including housing, food and treatment, call 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211. A live chat is available online at delaware211.org.
A list of emergency state service centers is available online at dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/ofclocations.html.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
