County helps Eastbrooke residents and others in need

For more information about help from Pennington County's Health and Human Services Department, or to set up an appointment, call 394-2156.

By Scott Aust, Journal staff | Thursday, November 08, 2007

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

RAPID CITY -- Pennington County's Health and Human Services director says a number of services are available for people of modest means such as residents of Eastbrooke Mobile Home Park who still need help with moving expenses before a Dec. 1 deadline forces them out.

Karen Romey said case workers planned to spend most of the day Wednesday helping an Eastbrooke resident resolve an issue with his mobile home. She said the man has received conflicting information about whether the trailer can be moved or must be destroyed. Romey said her agency planned to help get straight answers on his behalf.

"He's very frustrated. The first he knew about all of this was when he read it in the paper," she said.

Residents of the park were given about 45 days' notice to vacate the park, leaving many families scrambling to find the means to move trailers or find other living accommodations. A number of organizations, including The Salvation Army and the city's community development department, have been helping, but about $18,000 was still needed as of Tuesday.

Pennington County Commissioner Gale Holbrook said the county commission has asked various departments, such as HHS, to prepare options that the county might pursue to help the Eastbrooke families.

"If there are permits and that sort of thing that we can legally do to benefit those people down there, I'm quite sure we will," he said.

Holbrook said government can't simply offer cash to help individuals, something the county learned in the past when it tried to use county funds to help members of a local National Guard unit travel home from Texas for Christmas before the unit was to ship out.

"We thought it would be a nice gesture to help them fund their way home, and we found out we couldn't do it. It would be a total nightmare for our auditor because she would be responsible for where that money goes," he said.

Holbrook isn't sure if Pennington County has an ordinance dealing with landlord-tenant issues, but he understands state legislators including Rep. Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City, plan to offer legislation during the next session about the issue. Kirkeby has indicated he will propose requiring trailer-park owners to give tenants more than 30 days' notice when forcing tenants to move.

"I think that's where it belongs, really," Holbrook said.

Romey said the county, through the Health and Human Services office, offers a variety of services to people in similar circumstances as Eastbrooke residents, such as assistance with utilities, deposits and even rent.

"This is what this office does on a daily basis. It does my heart good to see there are so many people involved in the situation, but as a county department, this is what we do every day," she said.

Romey said advocacy is a big part of what the county provides. Money helps, she said, but people more often need someone to fight for them and help them find the correct resources.

"Part of the advocacy we do, for instance, is to negotiate between a landlord and tenant to work out an agreement," she said.

People in crisis come to Romey's office seeking assistance for evictions, terminal illness, transportation, Social Security or disability claims, veterans' services and even funeral expenses.

"It's endless what we do on a daily basis and how much the county is involved in everyday people's lives and indigent care," she said.

Her department can also help with mental health, health care, prescriptions, groceries and transportation.

But accessing services is not free. Romey said the county applies a lien on a person's property, if he or she has any. If not, the lien is against the person's name.

The county expects to be paid back when individuals have the means. However, she said because some people have difficulty repaying services, the county accepts as little as $5 a month, which shows at least some effort is being made.

Individuals must be county residents and meet certain income criteria to qualify for indigent services. Romey said it is important for people in need to make an appointment and visit with a caseworker who can assess the situation and determine if they qualify.

For more information about services Pennington County Health and Human Services Department offers, or to set up an appointment, call 394-2156.

"We are a huge safety net for individuals," she said. "My county commission and my caseworkers are really silent heroes. We change people's lives every single day. We're all in this together."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com