Right, Diane Anderson, county certification director, and Christine Schuyler, county social services commissioner and public health director, discuss the temporary assistance report with the Chautauqua County Legislature Human Services Committee Wednesday. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

MAYVILLE — The amount of funding spent to house the homeless has decreased this year compared to 2018.

On Wednesday, Christine Schuyler, county social services commissioner and public health director, and Diane Anderson, county certification director, discussed the temporary assistance report with the Chautauqua County Legislature Human Services Committee.

The report details that from January to May of this year the county spent $270,267 for temporary housing for the homeless. In 2018 from January to May, the county spent $630,870. Altogether in 2018, the county spent $1,104,832, which was a $728,248 increase compared to the 2017 total of $376,584.

In 2015, the county started tracking individuals and families needing temporary housing assistance due to homelessness. In 2015, there were 110 individuals and families in need.

Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order in 2016, county officials had to take homeless people to a shelter, voluntarily or not, once the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below.

The new policy was a departure from the former, which allowed a police officer or outreach worker to take people from the street only if they appeared to be in imminent danger or displayed signs of mental illness.

In 2016, there were13 people put in homeless shelters due to weather, with an additional 170 due to homelessness. In 2017, 61 people were put in homeless shelters due to weather, with an additional 293 due to homelessness.

In May, there were a total of 52 cases of people residing in temporary housing — 20 single men, 15 single women and 17 families. In addition, there were 13 due to parole or released form jail.

Anderson said the total cost in May was $52,292.

The temporary assistance caseload in the county has decreased. In January 2012, there were 2,635 cases and in May there were only 1,673. This was a decrease of 962 cases, or 36%.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program caseload is increasing.

In January 2012, there were 10,500 cases and in May there were 11,497, and increase of 997, or 9%.