Editorial: Stimulus funds rightly rebounding poor

The stimulus funds that the government awarded to the states several months ago had two primary… The stimulus funds that the government awarded to the states several months ago had two primary functions: get the stagnant economy churning and help create thousands of jobs. Pennsylvania has received a sizeable stock of funds so far — $39,190,000 — and 495 jobs have been created as a result, according to www.recovery.gov.

But Pennsylvania is using the money in a variety of ways, one of which is for human services projects. The state was awarded $2,035,150,000 total in stimulus funds — an amount second only to Washington state’s $2.2 billion. Yesterday, spokesmen for Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh announced the formation of a program intended to offer financial assistance and services to homeless individuals and families. The program aims to help the economically destitute more than to serve as a direct economic stimulator. There’s a plethora of outlets for stimulus money, but given Pennsylvania’s decent batch of funds, such programs aren’t necessarily shirking money from more appropriate uses. Everyone wants to see the economy recover, but there are clearly more people in need than there are unemployed middle-class Americans.

The new program is known as the Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Program. Allegheny County received more than $14 million for human services programs from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The program intends to grant quick-fix aid with rent and utility payments, as well as access to counseling and relocation services.

To meet the criteria for assistance, participants must be homeless or on the verge of homelessness. They also must not have means of financial support to obtain housing or any available housing options. Applicants must be below 50 percent of the area median income to apply — for a family of four that measures in at $31,250.

Potential qualifiers might be caught up in economic crisis but could potentially make a turnaround under the program’s policies. Some homeless suffer from mental handicaps and other hindrances that prevent them from carrying out a traditional, independent lifestyle. Yet, for the individual or family who’s down on their luck, such a measure should, at the very least, help in starting over. Keeping this in mind, the program doesn’t provide a clear immediate economic boost. The program could provide that much-needed check for next month’s rent and, if carried out correctly, a second chance that seems too hard to come by in an unforgiving economy.