A new state fund will help feed West Virginians in times of great need, and the Homeowners Assistance Program is still offering aid.
During his press briefing Wednesday morning, Gov. Jim Justice highlighted the Posey Perry Fund, an emergency food bank fund created in the 2024 state budget.
The governor declared that “nobody in West Virginia needs to be going hungry.”
“What it is, is $10 million of emergency assistance if something breaks through and we need an emergency level of assistance and for lots and lots and lots of our pantries and food banks,” Justice said. “Literally, we don’t need people going hungry in West Virginia.
He said the fund is named after his uncle, who worked at his local food pantry after his retirement from mining.
“He was the last survivor of my mom’s brothers and sisters,” Justice said. “Yet after he retired from the coal mines, Posie Perry made trip after trip almost on a daily basis to the food bank in Huff Creek. He worked it night and day.”
Housing Stability
Justice also declared this April Housing Stabilization Awareness Month with the signing of a proclamation Wednesday. The recognition was a way to highlight the achievements of the West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program over the past year.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist West Virginia homeowners facing a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice was joined by Erica Boggess, the executive director of the state’s Housing Development fund.
She said that despite the more than 4,200 West Virginia families helped in the past year, there are more people in need of assistance.
“We really want to encourage people to apply for this assistance,” Boggess said. “It’s important to apply sooner rather than later. You don’t want to wait till the day your utilities are going to be cut off to seek help – act now.”
Boggess said homeowners can get help paying for their mortgage, as well as real estate tax and insurance.