Federal spending associated with the COVID pandemic has flooded the Big Horn Basin with so much money that recipient agencies are having trouble using the funding in the time frame allowed.

Julie Dunlap, CEO of the Yellowstone County Assistant Network (YCAN), has been seeking out new clients to serve so the funding the organization has received will be spent by deadlines. The federal government initially stated the deadline would be September 2022, but it’s possible that will be extended until sometime in 2023.

“It’s kind of up in the air right now. They put out money fast, and then they sometimes figure out the rules after,”  Dunlap said. 

The nonprofit received $183,186 for Park County clients and $44,048 for Hot Springs County clients through the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) program. 

Wyoming was classified as a smaller state, meaning it didn’t get its funding distributions until February 2021, whereas larger states received theirs by spring 2020. The shortened timeline has made it harder to spend the money by the initial deadline, Dunlap said.

YCAN doesn’t provide a lot of direct assistance to individuals. Most of its services are extended to other service providers —  such as Heritage Health Clinic, Park County Court Supervised Treatment Program, Crisis Intervention Services, Help Center at Common Ground and HOPE Agency.

Many of these organizations also received money through the CARES Act, as did churches and federal agencies. 

“Everybody has their own money to serve their clients, so they don’t need our assistance as much. It’s a good problem to have,” Dunlap said. 

YCAN is required to avoid duplicating the services of other government programs. So, for example, if people are getting assistance from the Wyoming Emergency Rental Assistance Program — which itself received CARES money — YCAN can’t provide the same assistance to the same people. 

Adding to the challenge is the change in what individuals qualify for under federal regulations. During the pandemic, the feds increased the income eligibility for the Big Horn Basin to 200% of the federal poverty level. But that rule sunsetted on Sept. 30, and the qualifying level dropped back to 125%. 

There is also low unemployment with lots of jobs available, meaning fewer people are requiring assistance. Even unskilled jobs are paying well, Dunlap said, so it’s hard to find people in need of help.

People “are getting as many hours as they want right now because employers need as many employees as they can get,” she said. 

Dunlap said there can be a lot of ebb and flow to the number of people needing assistance. So, while demand has diminished for the time being, the situation will likely reverse. In the meantime, YCAN has started building new partnerships with service providers who can use the nonprofit’s resources to serve their clients. YCAN is also working with the state to expand the services it can provide, such as educational support. 

“We’re trying to figure out some new needs,” Dunlap said.