Codington County Approves $34K Housing Grant, Expands Health Services as Assistance Needs Rise in Watertown

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County Community Service Director Sara Foust delivered an extensive update to commissioners Tuesday, detailing rising demand for economic assistance, multiple active grants, new housing initiatives, and ongoing efforts to expand community health worker services. The discussion covered more than a dozen program areas and included commissioner clarifications on grant coordination and agency roles.

Caseloads Remain High; Assistance Needs Increasing

Foust reported that her office served 61 unique individuals in September, down slightly from 73 in August, but still indicating sustained demand. She noted staffing absences contributed to the month‑to‑month fluctuation.

“Continues to be busy,” Foust said. “Paige was gone for a week on vacation… Tiffany has also been—numbers have increased, but was down a little bit in September as well.”

For September, the office provided:

·         Two funerals

·         One utility assistance case

·         One rental assistance case

·         One emergency bus ticket

Foust told commissioners she will begin providing these specifics monthly.

“Truthfully, we haven’t had to do a lot of utility and rental assistance over the past several years because of other programs,” she said. “But other programs are drying up… so a lot of people that would qualify for other programs don’t anymore. And so that’s coming back to the county more.”

She emphasized that all county assistance requires a lien and participation in case management. She added that bus tickets are limited to one every five years.

Medicaid and Grant Billing

Foust reported billing $880 to Medicaid in September and $1,558 under the Department of Health’s Community Health Worker (CHW) grant.

She also attended a homeless consortium meeting in Pierre, a requirement tied to one of the office’s grants.

Major Federal Grant Submitted for Jail Support

Foust confirmed the county submitted a drawdown for the COSSUP grant, a three‑year, $1 million federal award dedicated entirely to jail support.

“All of that grant… will be for jail support pieces,” she said. “Staffing and equipment in the jail.”

County Declines to Apply for $3 Million Public Health and Safety Grant

Foust said the county did not apply for a separate $3 million grant intended to support public health, public safety, and mental health initiatives.

She initially attributed the decision to miscommunication with law enforcement, but Commissioner Troy VanDusen explained that communication and timing, not opposition from law enforcement, kept the county from pursuing the grant. He said the agencies involved determined it was not the right time to move forward with the opportunity.

Foust agreed with VanDusen’s clarification of the reason the county did not apply.

County Awarded $34,355 Emergency Solutions Grant

Foust announced the county received $34,355 through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program to support rent and housing assistance.

“That will take some of the burden off of the county,” she said, noting ICAP previously held the grant but did not renew it for Watertown.

Commissioners unanimously approved accepting the grant.

Financial Literacy Program and Strategic Planning

Foust said staff is working with First Interstate Bank to launch a financial literacy program. The office also held an interagency meeting last week and continues planning a centralized location for emergency adult services.

“We’re waiting to hear back on funding and still hoping to be in the building by the end of the year,” she said.

The office also launched an employer childcare survey and convened its advisory council, with 16 community members participating in strategic planning for social services.

Commissioners Request Grant Overview

VanDusen said he asked Foust for a comprehensive list of grants because he was confused about how many programs and teams were involved.

“With so many grants out there and so many different groups working together, we wanted to make sure we were not putting all of the resources into one pot,” VanDusen said. “I myself was confused… so I asked Sara to kind of put this together.”

Foust then outlined each grant:

Active Grants

·         COSSUP Grant — $1 million (federal) Funds diversion, deflection, and reentry programming for justice‑impacted individuals.

·         Opioid Grant — $50,000 (state) Addresses community norms around substance use; includes marketing and outreach.

·         Department of Health CHW Grant — $20,000 per CHW (state) Supports community health worker staffing; renewal application due Nov. 4.

·         Emergency Solutions Grant — $34,355 (federal/state) Provides rental and utility assistance for individuals at risk of homelessness.

·         Transitional Housing Grant (pending federal approval) Submitted by South Dakota Housing; would create a transitional housing program operated by the county.

·         COSSUP Jail Support Grant (submitted): Additional federal funding for jail support services.

Commissioners praised the overview's clarity.

“This is very helpful the way it’s done,” Commissioner Randy Schweer said.

Commission Approves CHW Grant Application

Commissioners unanimously authorized Foust to apply for the 2027 Department of Health Data to Action CHW grant, a renewal of the existing program.

Foust said the CHW certification program at Lake Area Technical College remains “incredibly helpful.”

County to Join South Dakota Health Link

Commissioners also approved allowing the Community Service Office to join South Dakota Health Link, the statewide health information exchange.

“This would just give our community health workers access to the Health Link system,” Foust said. “It’s helpful for them to know if their clients are frequently accessing the emergency room or have significant medication changes.”

Commissioners asked questions about privacy, background checks, and auditing.

“Our community health workers are health care providers,” Foust said. “They have to have a doctor’s order to bill Medicaid… and they sign all legal documents saying they won’t misuse that information.”

The county will not contribute data to the system — only access it.

With no further questions, commissioners voted unanimously to join the statewide system.