PITTSBURGH — A homeless shelter for battered spouses and their children has settled its lawsuit against the county’s Department of Human Services.

The 21-year-old shelter in Shaler Township is called HEARTH, short for Homelessness Ends with Advocacy, Resources, Training and Housing.

The shelter sued in September, claiming the county agency wrongly denied the shelter a designation as a “victim service provider” under federal Housing and Urban Development funding rules. As a result, the shelter said the county was trying to make it accept all homeless people, undermining its specific mission to abuse victims.

Under a settlement announced by both sides late Wednesday, HEARTH will continue to get county funding for this fiscal year and the 2016-17 fiscal year “and will serve homeless families with a preference for those families fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence.”

The lawsuit said the previous ruling had jeopardized $530,000 in federal housing funds, which was about half the shelter’s annual funding, according to Judy Eakin, the shelter’s executive director.

When the lawsuit was filed, DHS spokesman Mark Bertolet issued a statement saying the agency “remains committed to meeting our mission. That includes addressing the needs of our community’s homeless residents and those at risk of homelessness through the Allegheny County Continuum of Care Board (as required by HUD).”