Diana Steck, Michael Pardus and Bob Mason: Westmoreland County needs a people’s American Rescue Plan

The historic American Rescue Plan passed because working people of all races stood up, turned out and demanded a government that works for all of us. By the end of January, Westmoreland County commissioners have to finalize a plan to use the first portion of the $100 million the county is receiving. Voice of Westmoreland (VOW) is working to ensure that the county uses these funds to address years of racial and economic inequity in the county. The county has never before received this level of investment.

Too many in our community were suffering before the pandemic, and now our needs are even more urgent. It’s critical that the commissioners use these funds to build back from the pandemic and address immediate and long-standing inequities.

VOW conducted a countywide survey to provide county residents with the opportunity to voice their needs. We engaged in thousands of conversations and held community roundtables on mental health, affordable housing and access to quality health care. We heard how there are more than 400 teens in our community who don’t have a place to live; how the United Way receives hundreds of calls per month from people desperately in need of affordable housing options; how depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol use have increased because of isolation during the pandemic.

The results were clear: We need a people’s American Rescue Plan for Westmoreland County.

The people’s ARP reflects community needs for mental health services, affordable housing and access to quality health care, and calls on our county commissioners to dedicate $42 million in ARPA funds to improve mental health care, address the county’s housing crisis and increase access to affordable health care.

It calls for a county community planning and advocacy coalition, which would bring commissioners, safety net providers, county stakeholders and those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic together to create a transparent, publicly accountable plan for fair and equitable use of the funds.

County residents already developed specific solutions and recommendations the commissioners should consider:

• Invest in training for certified nursing assistants, bonus payments to retain health care workers in the county and commercial driver’s license training to address transportation barriers to health care access.

• Expand broadband to rural and disproportionately impacted communities for telemedicine for medical, wellness and behavioral health care.

• Establish a flexible financial assistance fund to help those disproportionately impacted by covid for medical/behavioral health and medication co-pays.

• Convene a roundtable of mental health and substance abuse professionals, county representatives, social service and nonprofit agencies, and people who are receiving services to develop solutions to address gaps in services and development of new mental health providers located in Westmoreland County.

• Establish a de-escalation and stabilization unit that could prevent the need for hospitalization and a 24/7 drop-in crisis center that is welcoming, warm and staffed by well trained professionals.

• Create an Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund to acquire and develop property for use as noncongregate shelters and for permanent affordable housing with rent-to-own and rehabilitate-to-own options.

• Provide supplemental funding of the county’s HOME Investment Partnership Program Fund for reimbursements to localities for their 25% match and to provide directed funds to families and individuals making between 121% and 135% of the county median income.

For decades, Westmoreland County residents have been left behind, lacking desperately needed services. The pandemic shined a spotlight on these long-standing issues, especially in our rural areas and communities of color.

Time is running out, and we need the commissioners to decide: Will their plan to spend $100 million take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or leave working people behind?

Our commissioners must seize this moment to create a people’s American Rescue Plan that provides the substantial mental health, housing and health care supports people in our community need.