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17 <br /> diversion. He said that it comes with a case manager and is time limited to two years and hopefully <br /> they can get a voucher after that. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked who the program was from. <br /> Blake Rosser said the Partnership to End Homelessness. <br /> Chair Bedford said that vouchers aren't open to the general public, but just to the low <br /> income and homeless. <br /> Blake Rosser said that is correct and has been the practice since the pandemic. He said <br /> they hope to open the waitlist sometime this year. <br /> Chair Bedford asked if$173,000 would help at all. <br /> Blake Rosser said it always helps, but they would have to see how to stretch it as far as <br /> possible. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if Blake Rosser could find out the number of tenants <br /> who have multiple evictions who come to the county for assistance. <br /> Blake Rosser said he can try but they may not have that data. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they find that the eviction remains on the history for <br /> seven years, would that change the strategy to ask for additional documentation or would they <br /> still have the eviction filed. <br /> Blake Rosser said that based on the funds, he does not know of any way to change the <br /> policy to assist folks before eviction that would not blow through the funds in a matter of weeks. <br /> Vice-Chair Greene said that was this Board's policy decision that was made last year when <br /> they realized they were running out of money. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked how the shifted contract services, such as Community <br /> Home Trust, are held accountable as outside agencies. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said they are held accountable the same way and they must submit <br /> quarterly reports. She said that Community Home Trust has never been an outside agency <br /> because it is a quasi-governmental organization that was created by government. She said they <br /> come to the county and towns with the amount they need. She said that based on the agreement, <br /> everyone pays that amount because it has been agreed upon by everyone. She said it was in the <br /> group of outside agencies, but it is really a quasi-governmental agency. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked if they are measured against what the terms are in the <br /> Memorandum of Understanding. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said the department director is responsible for that and there has <br /> been no amendment or changes to that agreement since she became county manager. <br /> Commissioner Richards said except that no elected is on the board anymore. <br /> Chair Bedford said that was the Board's choice. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked if that was incorporated into the agreement. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said that she did not think it was incorporated into the agreement. <br /> She said they talked, and, in the end, it was really the same way of funding, and it possibly could <br /> be updated to reflect membership. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she did not remember the conversation last year. <br /> Chair Bedford said it was before Commissioner Portie-Ascott became a commissioner. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said the eviction requirement was because they were running out of <br /> money, and they chose that option because it let the funds remain the longest. <br /> Vice-Chair Greene said that they picked the middle option, because the high option would <br /> cost the county around $9 million. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said she did not know the impact of an eviction filing on <br /> someone's credit. <br />