10. Town of Union, New York, Encouraged to Spend Money It Did Not Request For a Homelessness Problem It Does Not Have
The Town of Union, New York, was surprised when it was notified that it would be receiving a $578,661 stimulus grant to prevent homelessness for several reasons.
First, the town never applied for the money and second, it doesn’t have any homeless problem.
“Union did not request the money and does not currently have homeless programs in place in the town to administer such funds,” said town Supervisor John Bernardo, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.
“‘We were surprised,’ Bernardo said. ‘We've never been a recipient before.’ Bernardo said he isn't aware of any homeless issue in the largely suburban town.”The money is coming from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program to pay for homeless prevention and emergency shelter programs.
Adam Glantz, a HUD spokesman, said the homeless funds were distributed based on population, housing needs and some poverty statistics. "We hope and encourage these new grantees to develop creative strategies for the funding," Glantz said of Union's homeless grant.
Regardless of how creative local officials get when developing strategies to spend this unrequested money, it does not appear that new jobs will be created as a result because the town has stated its intention to utilize existing employees.
In a May 12 report to HUD, Paul A. Nelson, the planning director of Union stated, “to the extent possible, the Town intends to operate the program with a combination of existing employees and” an agency “which is already under contract.”
That doesn’t sound very creative and the only problem it seems to solve is how to spend money that the town did not ask for and did not need.
First, the town never applied for the money and second, it doesn’t have any homeless problem.
“Union did not request the money and does not currently have homeless programs in place in the town to administer such funds,” said town Supervisor John Bernardo, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.
“‘We were surprised,’ Bernardo said. ‘We've never been a recipient before.’ Bernardo said he isn't aware of any homeless issue in the largely suburban town.”The money is coming from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program to pay for homeless prevention and emergency shelter programs.
Adam Glantz, a HUD spokesman, said the homeless funds were distributed based on population, housing needs and some poverty statistics. "We hope and encourage these new grantees to develop creative strategies for the funding," Glantz said of Union's homeless grant.
Regardless of how creative local officials get when developing strategies to spend this unrequested money, it does not appear that new jobs will be created as a result because the town has stated its intention to utilize existing employees.
In a May 12 report to HUD, Paul A. Nelson, the planning director of Union stated, “to the extent possible, the Town intends to operate the program with a combination of existing employees and” an agency “which is already under contract.”
That doesn’t sound very creative and the only problem it seems to solve is how to spend money that the town did not ask for and did not need.
