GOVERNMENT Judge urges budget adjustment to assist homeless youth
Fort Bend County nonprofits asked commissioners on Feb. 28 to reallocate $13 million from three federal funding pots to a multifaceted program to counter homelessness. requesting funds
BY ASIA ARMOUR
these federal funds, which could be exhausted as early as the end of March. This does not include families who receive assistance from nonprof- its in the county, he said. The primary reason for this issue is what Groff called a lack of diversified housing stock, with prices that are unaffordable to families who are at risk of homelessness. In Fort Bend County, Groff said rent for a one-bedroom apartment will cost over $1,500 per month, and two- bedroom units usually exceed $1,800 per month. According to RentCafe, a national apartment listing service, the average rental price in the county is $1,497 per month. The project will provide a long-term solution for residents experiencing homelessness in Fort Bend County, Groff said. It would offer both short- and long-term housing; a centralized resource center to provide housing identification, rent, move-in assistance and case management services; and affordable homeownership.
those students, 193 were unaccompa- nied by a parent or guardian, he said. “How did we miss that,” George said. “We [have spent] money ... [in] so many places; how did we miss the children?” At the following Feb. 14. meeting, the court reserved $2 million from its Emergency Rental Assistance budget. On Feb. 28, the nonprofits asked for a combined $13 million from three federal funding pots to be reallocated toward this multifaceted program. In May 2021, the county was appropriated $157.42 million in ARPA funds, said Pamela Gubbels, director of finance and investments. All but $47.5 million of those funds remain unspent, she said. “At this time, 100% of those funds have been allocated to various projects,” Gubbels said in an email. “If commissioner[s] choose to add more projects, they would have to reduce funding from other projects.” Groff said there are 900 families receiving rental assistance through
On Feb. 28, Fort Bend County commissioners tabled the decision to reallocate funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act budget for a transitional housing program to address homelessness in the county. Judge KP George implored the court on Feb. 7 to consider amending the budget by the end of February. At the same Feb. 7 meeting, Fulshear Mayor Aaron Groff addressed the court on behalf of several area nonprofits— including Attack Poverty, Abigail’s Place and Parks Youth Ranch—that named affordable permanent housing as one of the county’s greatest needs. “Fort Bend ISD and Lamar CISD have identified over 1,600 students in [the] 2021-22 [school year] who were homeless,” Groff said. “Some of our numbers suggest that in Fort Bend County alone, there are as many as 6,500 kids who are at risk of being homeless at any given moment.” As of Nov. 17, there were 803 home- less students in FBISD, George said. Of
Lamar CISD students were homeless in the 2021-22 school year. Fort Bend ISD students were identified as homeless as of Nov. 17. children are at risk of being homeless in Fort Bend County at any given moment. Fort Bend ISD homeless students were identified as unaccompanied youth.
682
803
193
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SOURCES: LAMAR CISD, FORT BEND ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
“[A] diversionary project like this will make a meaningful difference for those [who are] facing or are on the verge of homelessness,” he said.
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