The Chautauqua County Department of Social Services is launching a new initiative to keep more people out of temporary housing or from becoming homeless.

The Public Assistance Shelter Supplement initiative is designed to better support families, single adults, and childless couples struggling with housing costs by bridging the gap between public assistance shelter allowances and real-world rental rates.

“As housing costs continue to rise, far too many of our residents — especially families with children — have found themselves without stable housing,” said Carmelo Hernandez, county social services commissioner. “This new program allows us to offer practical, long-term solutions that not only reduce the cost of emergency shelter placements but improve quality of life for our community’s most vulnerable.”

The PASS initiative, a part of New York state’s initiative to address the housing crisis, provides supplemental funding for rent payments, enabling eligible recipients to secure and maintain affordable, permanent housing. This supplement is available for families receiving family assistance or safety net aid who are homeless or at risk of eviction as well as single individuals and childless couples receiving safety net assistance in similar housing crises.

Hernandez and Jon Anderson, county deputy social services commissioner, told county legislators in September that often it’s difficult for those receiving housing assistance to move from emergency housing into long-term housing because the housing allowances don’t cover rents that have risen faster than housing allowances from the state. That has led the county to use hotel rooms because there isn’t affordable housing available – driving up the cost of temporary assistance programs for the county in recent years.

The county spent about $11,250,000 for its safety net program in 2024, roughly $4.5 million than originally budgeted. In 2024, the county had budgeted $6.75 million for safety net spending. The county has budgeted $8 million for 2025.

Currently, many in Chautauqua County are placed in temporary hotel rooms due to a lack of affordable housing. These accommodations are not only costly, according to county officials, but often unsuitable for raising children or achieving long-term stability. County officials say the PASS program will offer a more cost-effective solution while prioritizing stability, education, and mental well-being.

“This initiative is about more than cost savings — it’s about giving people a chance to build a better life,” said Charlene Johnson, principal social welfare examiner with Chautauqua County DSS. “We’re using a ‘housing first’ approach, which means getting people into safe, stable homes first, and then supporting them with employment, health, and recovery goals.”

By reducing reliance on emergency hotel placements and supporting up to 175 households per month across the county, at full capacity, the program has the ability to have up to $2 million local share savings for single/childless couples and up to $600,000 local share savings for families. Eligibility is determined based on public assistance status and current housing need, and supplements are tailored to household size and fair market rent rates.

For more information on the PASS program or other housing assistance resources, contact the Chautauqua County Department of Social Services at 716-661-8200 or visit chqgov.com.