Butler County agencies will receive four federal grants totaling more than $535,000 to help the homeless.

On Tuesday, officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the release of $108.6 million for 445 homeless housing and service programs in Pennsylvania.

The county's Human Services Department received three of the grants.

Allyson Rose, the department's community housing development coordinator, said while the county normally receives the grants, it must apply and wait to hear whether it has received them.

Because of the pandemic and its affect on homelessness, HUD decided to renew the grants for agencies that received them last year.

Home Again Butler County, a permanent housing program for families whose head of household has a disability, received a grant of $194,229.

Rose said there are 23 dwellings in Butler used by Home Again Butler County families.

The HOPE program, which provides permanent housing for chronically homeless individuals with disabilities, received $190,944 from HUD.

Rose said 18 apartments in Butler house people in the HOPE program.

According to the HOPE Butler County Facebook page, the program was founded in 2018 by the county's Drug and Alcohol program, Cranberry Township EMS, the county Sheriff's Office and Gateway Rehabilitation to aid those struggling with addiction.

The program, according to the post, supports members as they fight addiction and connects them with resources and strategies for recovery.

The third human services program to receive a grant is the Path transition age project, a housing program for chronically homeless youth ages 18 to 24 who have substance abuse issues.

There are nine apartments in Butler that house young people in the Path program, Rose said.

She said all three grants, which increased slightly from last year, pay for the majority of the programs they cover.

The three grants totaled $463,832 in 2020. This year's total is $482,783.

The Housing Authority of Butler County also received a HUD grant of $52,822 for five units in the Franklin Court housing facility near Father Marinaro Park in Butler.

Martha Brown, director of grant management and resident services for the authority, said the grant is received each year, but is normally competitive.

Like the three county grants, the funds received by the housing authority were renewed instead of being awarded in a competitive grant.

The Franklin Court units involved in the grant accommodate individuals who are in treatment for addiction or have a disability, Brown said.