PORT ANGELES — Clallam County lawmakers Tuesday endorsed a multijurisdictional grant application for housing assistance for veterans and their families.
Partners in the grant are Jefferson, Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties.
The goal is to provide to homeless assistance and housing stability for underserved veterans in rural areas, said Kathy Wahto, executive director of Serenity House of Clallam County.
“It is a multicounty grant,” Wahto told the three Clallam County commissioners before they signed a letter of support.
“It would benefit existing veterans projects and multiple organizations in the county because it provides the kinds of transitional housing services and supportive services to benefit those programs.”
The Opportunity Council of Whatcom County is the nonprofit sponsor of the proposal.
The application is due Friday, March 11, with recipients announced in early May. Grant projects will begin in June.
If approved, Clallam County would be in line for an allocation of about $120,000.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs sent notice of the grant earlier this year. It is based on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program from federal stimulus funds, Wahto said.
“This is a new approach for the VA,” she said.
The five counties decided to work together at a conference in January.
Wahto said veterans assistance is mainly accessed in urban centers, but a good percentage of veterans live in rural areas.
Counties work together
“In these five counties, there just is too much need,” Wahto said.
“People have to travel two or three hours to get to some help.”
The one-year VA grant is renewable.
Martha Ireland, executive coordinator of Serenity House of Clallam County and a former county commissioner, said the Shelter Providers Network and Voices for Veterans have each endorsed the multicounty grant application.
“We appreciate very much the support of those groups,” Ireland said.
Commissioner Mike Chapman thanked Wahto and Ireland for their work on homeless and veterans’ issues in the county.
In other news from Tuesday’s business meeting, commissioners appointed Leslie Bergman — and reappointed Daniel Duncan — to the Agricultural Commission.
Valerie Proctor and Robert David Hiner were reappointed to the Homelessness Task Force.
Jane Hielman was appointed to the Planning Commission.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
