The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grant to the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness to support youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including those aging out of foster care.
HUD also announced a $257.3 million Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) grant to the Reading Housing Authority to support public housing residents achieve financial independence, attain families’ goals, build economic mobility and prevent youth homelessness.
Regional Administrator Mathew Heckles made the funding announcements alongside Mayor Eddie Moran and other local and elected officials during a press conference at the Reading Housing Authority Thursday morning.
“As many as 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness within the United States each year,” said Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles. “The funding we celebrated today will allow Berks Coalition to End Homelessness and Reading Housing Authority to improve our programs and reduce that number.”
The Berks Coalition to End Homelessness, in partnership with Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition and York County Coalition on Homelessness, received a combined $990,057 in YHSI funding.
The goal of their project is to strengthen the youth homelessness response systems across the tri-county area by incorporating a youth voice and perspective in each county’s coalition, identifying gaps/barriers through system mapping and racial and gender equity surveys, and developing new resources and connections for youth.
Reading Housing Authority received $257.317 in ROSS funding to equip residents with the tools and resources they need to achieve financial independence, attain families’ goals, and build economic mobility. This funding follows up on the great success the Authority has had with previous ROSS funding.
Since 2021, more than 200 Authority residents have participated in career counseling, job fairs, GED classes and ESL programming, while receiving casework services designed to address childcare, transportation, and individualized coaching and support. Through this valuable program, Authority residents have earned college degrees and obtained jobs that produce an actual living wage, allowing some to move beyond life in public housing.
