The Chester County Department of Community Development (DCD) recently received a $375,000 Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) award from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. DCD will use the funds for its Street Outreach and Data Team reinforcement efforts, which help to serve the needs of unsheltered Chester County residents. The funds will help the team to enhance its data tracking capabilities, noted Dolores Colligan, director of the Chester County DCD.

The DCD award was part of more than $3 million in funding given to organizations throughout Chester County that help ensure housing security, assist people experiencing homelessness, build new affordable housing, and provide case management. Many of these organizations are partners of the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness, located within the DCD.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, the Street Outreach Team has assisted unsheltered Chester County individuals and families in finding suitable shelter. For more information on Chester County's Partnership to End Homelessness and how to participate in ending homelessness in Chester County, go to https://endhomelessnesschesco.org/partner-with-us.