PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Commissioners have unanimously approved funding for hotel leasing and rapid re-housing.
The funding approved Tuesday — $300,000 allocated from the state Department of Commerce to Clallam County Health & Human Services — is intended to provide money to agencies to pay for hotel leasing, emergency and continuous-stay shelters, rental assistance, outreach to people needing housing, and associated operational and service costs.
Applications from agencies for hotel leasing and re-housing must be received by Clallam County Health & Human Services Offices on the second floor at 111 E. Third St. by 3 p.m. June 14.
Applications will be reviewed by the department’s homeless program coordinator, deputy director and director, according to criteria outlined in the application.
Criteria for eligible applicants can be viewed at the Department of Commerce website, https://tinyurl.com/PDN-Criteria.
Commissioner Randy Johnson applauded the Commerce allocation, describing it as another step forward in combating Clallam County homelessness and related travails.
“Having this money is fantastic, but you have to keep taking small bites to try and alleviate the problems because that’s all we can do,” he said.
“You have seniors on Social Security living in their cars and students who are homeless, too. So all of us working together is what it’s going to take.”
In other action last Tuesday:
• Commissioners adopted a contract agreement between the state Department of Health and Health & Human Services to add supplemental budgeting to the following HHS programs:
Women, Infants and Children Farmers Market Nutritional Program, $572; Drug Overdose Prevention, $34,252; COVID-19 Vaccine Services, $78,809; and Maternal Child Health Program, $6,077.
• The board approved a $1,038,280 federal grant received by the county Public Works-Road Management Department to resurface in asphalt South Airport Road between U.S. Highway 101 and West Edgewood Drive.
South Airport Road is a 0.68-mile urban arterial located in the western Port Angeles Urban Growth Area. The last significant resurfacing — chip seal — was done about 20 years ago, according to information from Public Works.
• Commissioners approved a client service contract amendment between Peninsula Community Health Services and Health and Human Services, allowing continued support to assist the HHS care navigator negotiate the state opioid response. The contract adds $53,581 in funding to the contract.
• The board approved allowing the Conservation Futures Program Advisory Board to make annual and more frequent recommendations to the county commissioners projects related to the county’s Conservation Futures Fund. The advisory board will also recommend criteria for selecting projects to be funded.
The purpose of the fund is to acquire real property to maintain, preserve, conserve and continue adequate open-space lands that produce food, fiber and forest crops. Additionally, the fund seeks to assure the use and enjoyment of natural resources for county citizens.
• Commissioners voted to restructure membership of the county Board of Health.
The board will now consist of three elected members of the Board of Clallam County Commissioners, one city council member, one public health/health care provider, one public health consumer, one tribal representative and one community stakeholder. Board members serve three-year terms.
• The board issued a proclamation recognizing the accomplishments of the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society.
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Paul Dunn can be reached at reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at paul.dunn@soundpublishing.com.
