NORRISTOWN >> After presenting the “State of the County” remarks at Thursday’s meeting, the Montgomery County Commissioners received an update on the Your Way Home and EPIC programs.
Your Way Home is a program designed to eradicate homelessness in Montgomery County by connecting the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless with housing and social service programs, and providing “wraparound services” consisting of ongoing support which typically lasts between six and nine months.
Emma Hertz of the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Development reported that homelessness in the county is down 37 percent since 2014 due to the combined efforts of Your Way Home and partner programs.
The Eviction Prevention and Intervention Coalition or EPIC program is another component of the county’s homeless eradication effort which provides free legal services and other support for individuals and families facing eviction.
Since its implementation last month, the program – which is a collaboration with the Montgomery County Bar Association, Legal Aid and Montgomery Bar Foundation – has already assisted around 20 families.
In addition, Your Way Home Program Manager Kayleigh Silver announced the county’s participation in the 2-1-1 SEPA program, which launches March 1.
By calling 2-1-1, anyone will be able to report if they or someone else is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and get help. Additional information is available at the Your Way Home website.
In other business, two amendments to contracts dealing with the One Montgomery Plaza renovation project were approved.
The first was a contract amendment for an additional $960,112 to Skanska USA of Parsippany, N.J., for added time and services needed to complete the renovation’s facade project.
The other is for an additional $219,561 to Design Inc. of Philadelphia for additional architectural and engineering services.
The commissioners also approved a contract with Whitmoyer Auto Group of Mount Joy, Pa., to purchase six new vehicles: Three Ford interceptor SUVs, a Ford Explorer and two 15-passenger Ford transit vans for $206,492.
The commissioners approved two 5-year, 10-month lease renewals for District Courts in Ambler, starting at $67,811 and Horsham, starting at $80,662. Each lease agreement includes a 2 percent increase for each year following the first year.
The commissioner’s unanimously approved the appointment of Timothy P. Woodrow as Public Director of the Montgomery County Preservation District.
Woodrow will serve for the remainder of 2018 as he replaces outgoing Director James Moulton.
Each of the commissioners reflected on Wednesday night’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. which took the lives of 17 students and faculty members. Arkoosh framed the tragedy in terms of her medical background. She talked about how seatbelts, anti-smoking programs and flu vaccines have saved lives, as could common sense gun-laws.
“There’s no solution here that’s magical. There’s nothing that’s going to end gun violence in this country, but there’s steps we can take,” she said, suggesting background checks on all gun sales and the use of safety devices to prevent children and unauthorized users from firing guns.
She also referred residents to the gun prevention page on the county’s website, montcopa.org/gunviolenceprevention, and urged voters to vote their conscious on the issue.
“It’s sad. It’s traffic. It’s horrific and it’s unacceptable,” Lawrence said. “I have two boys I send to school every day and I can’t imagine what those parents are feeling…Our federal and state governments need to look at this and we need to figure it out as a society.”
Gale said what happened in Florida was a “tragic and devastating event.”
“All the victims and the families of the victims are in my thoughts and prayers,” he added.
