Norristown Hospitality Center seeks funds to aid in Montgomery County homelessness operations
NORRISTOWN — Addressing the ever-present homeless problem in Montgomery County comes at a cost, as one nonprofit leader recently made clear to county commissioners.
Sunanda Charles, executive director of the Norristown Hospitality Center, addressed commissioners last month to share her perspective on the crisis plaguing the county.
Charles was one of several advocates participating in a presentation about National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The agency held a sleep-out to raise further awareness. Around 50 people attended the Nov. 16 event.
Participants included state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, county Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr., and several individuals experiencing homelessness, according to Charles, who added that around 20 people stayed through the night-long session.
Her comments surrounded the Norristown-based social service organization, located at 530 Church St., which offers case management services and other resources to those experiencing homelessness.
“For years I believed if I kept my head down and did great work the funding would follow, recognition would follow,” Charles said. “But that is not necessarily true. The recognition followed — not the funding.”
The Norristown Hospitality Center offered housing assistance and other case management services to 487 unsheltered people last year, according to Charles, who stressed the area’s uptick in homelessness is leaving more people in need. Another 178 new clients have been reported at the center since July, Charles said.
“That is a lot, and this year we’re seeing an increased amount of people at the center. Every day traffic’s increased and we get no funding to do the work every day. So here I am,” she said.
In her remarks, Charles asserted a lack of county funds to aid in the center’s operations. She added that she previously applied for a “rapid rehousing program” and county COVID-19 relief dollars. She said both proposals were rejected.
“I find it hard to believe that out of $161 million, we did not get a single dollar in funding, while we are the only organization in the county that is on the front lines doing this work as much as we are,” Charles said.
She invited county officials to engage in further dialogue.
“I’m here to ask you all if there is an opportunity to open up conversations about funding whether there is any ARPA money that is still unallocated or otherwise,” Charles said. “An organization like ours that is seeing a huge uptick in numbers needs funding to sustain what we do.
“I urge you to consider my request on behalf of the 487 unsheltered individuals that we provided intensive case management to last year and the 178 and [more] that we are supporting this year,” she continued.
“Thank you. Thank you for the update and we really appreciate all that you’re doing,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh following the conclusion of Charles’ remarks.
Lower Merion Township resident Adrian Seltzer expressed her own thoughts on the matter during the public comment portion of the Nov. 17 meeting.
“I was somewhat dismayed at the response from the commissioners after the heartfelt pleas of the people working to help people who are experiencing homelessness,” Seltzer said. “I would have liked to have heard directly from their finance department to find extra dollars to be able to help them.”
When asked about Charles’ comments, Kayleigh Silver, administrator of the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Development, said action had been taken to assist the organization by way of contracts.
“I do believe we continue to both fund and seek and ask for more and new funding,” Silver told MediaNews Group.
Silver said $43,675 was allocated to “support the Code Blue shelter last year,” another $85,000 “last year to support the day shelter, and $40,300 for this year’s Code Blue operations.”
Silver added that many pieces are needed to tackle the complicated issue of homelessness.
“Funding alone will not solve homelessness in Montco,” Silver said. “We need awareness, we need action, we need partnership across so many levels and sectors as well.”
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