Dec 28, 2016 3 min read

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has notified Washington County about money it will be receiving to alleviate homelessness and provide services in upcoming months, including shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Two high-profile cases of domestic violence that resulted in murders in Washington County during a four-month period were those of Tierne Ewing of West Finley Township, as part of a murder-suicide committed in late August by her husband, Kevin Ewing, and the murder of Dalia Sabae as part of a murder-suicide committed by her husband, Michael Cwiklinski, in Canonsburg in early November that also claimed the life of police Officer Scott Bashioum.

A program providing transitional housing for victims of domestic violence through Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania will be $219,306.

Washington County did not see increases or decreases in HUD’s allocations, according to Jason Bercini, fiscal manager of the Human Services Department at the Courthouse Square office building.

Here is the list of other grant categories, recipients and amounts from a Dec. 20 federal announcement for the 2016 fiscal year from the HUD-Continuum of Care funding for Washington County:

• Shelter Plus Care II – Washington City Mission, $148,608.

• Shelter Plus Care I – ARC Human Services, formerly Residential Recovery, $195,823.

• Permanent Supportive Housing I – Connect Inc., $506,897.

• Transitional Housing for youth – Connect Inc.’s “You Can Do It” program, $158,601.

• Permanent Supportive Housing II – Connect Inc., $92,576.

• Permanent Supportive Housing III – Connect Inc. $138,997.

The total allocated to Washington County is $1,312,200, which will be submitted to the Washington County commissioners over the coming months for their approval.

According to HUD, homelessness continues to decline in the United States, specifically among families with children, veterans and individuals with long-term disabilities, according to the 2016 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress released in November.

Twenty Western Pennsylvania counties, excluding Allegheny, Beaver and Erie, reported 986 homeless individuals during a single night last January, known as the point-in-time count. The tally included 69 unsheltered individuals. This is down from a peak of 110 unsheltered homeless in 2013. The 20 Western Pennsylvania-county area includes Washington, Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland counties. Allegheny, Beaver and Erie counties conduct their own counts.

Over a seven-year period, HUD estimates the nation experienced a 23 percent reduction among homeless families, a 47 percent drop in homeless veterans and a 27 percent decline in individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. HUD Secretary Julian Castro noted the number of “doubled-up” or rent-burdened families, remains a problem. According to a national annual count taken in January, 549,928 people were homeless.