Basic Needs: Housing/Shelter

Results: 17

• Community Shelters (4)
  BH-1800.8500-150

  Community Shelters

  BH-1800.8500-150
  
  Programs, usually sponsored by community organizations or coalitions, that provide temporary shelter for homeless people, generally in dormitory-style facilities with very little privacy. Most community shelters offer support services which may include counseling, advocacy, referrals and help with future plans; and enforce house rules including curfews and mandatory household chores. Participation in religious activities is either optional or not a part of the program. There may be differences in intake, length of stay and amenities in family oriented facilities and those that target other specific populations.
• Crisis Nurseries/Child Care (1)
  BH-1800.1500-050

  Crisis Nurseries/Child Care

  BH-1800.1500-050
  
  Programs that provide temporary shelter/residential care for infants and children who are at risk for or who have experienced child abuse or neglect in the home or whose families are experiencing an emergency that makes it untenable for the child to remain in the home. Care is generally provided by licensed family child care homes that are available on a 24-hour basis when needed. Some providers are able to accommodate children to age 12 or 14 and will consider older children on a case-by-case basis, while others limit their services to very young children, generally from birth to age five or six.
• Drop In Centers (3)
  TC-1700

  Drop In Centers

  TC-1700
  
  Programs that provide an alternative, non-residential environment that people with any of a variety of issues can visit on an informal basis to find mutual support and access to social and recreational activities. People can drop by whenever they like without the need to make an appointment and have the option of participating in whatever activities are currently underway.
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) (1)
  BH-3800.1920

  Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

  BH-3800.1920
  
  A rental assistance program that has made grants available to assist households that are unable to pay their rent or utilities, a situation many have faced but which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic. To meet this need, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) working with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has made funding available to assist households that qualify. Two separate grant programs have been established: ERA1 provides funds under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and ERA2 which provides funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The funds are provided directly to states, U.S. territories, local governments, and (in the case of ERA1) Indian tribes or Tribally Designated Housing Entities, as applicable, as well as the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Grantees use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance services.
• Homeless Diversion Programs (4)
  BH-0500.3100

  Homeless Diversion Programs

  BH-0500.3100
  
  Programs that help people seeking shelter identify immediate alternate housing arrangements (e.g., a shared housing arrangement, reestablished lease arrangements with a previous landlord, moving in with friends/relatives) and if necessary connect them with services (such as short term case management, conflict mediation and moving in expenses) to help them return to permanent housing. The main difference between diversion and other permanent housing-focused interventions centers on the point at which intervention occurs. Prevention targets people at imminent risk of homelessness, diversion targets people as they are applying for entry into shelter, and rapid re-housing targets people who are already homeless.
• Homelessness Prevention Programs (4)
  BH-0500.3140

  Homelessness Prevention Programs

  BH-0500.3140
  
  Programs that provide financial assistance and supportive services that stabilize households in their current housing or help them to move into new housing without first entering the shelter system or experiencing homelessness. Services may include financial assistance (short or medium-term rental assistance, security or utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance), housing relocation and stabilization services, legal assistance (generally mediation), credit counseling and case management. The goal is to help households resolve their crisis, secure short-term financial or rental assistance as needed, and access ongoing sources of support in the community in order to remain housed. If the individual or family is unable to stay in their existing housing, the prevention program helps the household to find an alternative housing arrangement that is safe, reasonably affordable and adequate.
• Housing Authorities (1)
  BH-8300.3000

  Housing Authorities

  BH-8300.3000
  
  City, county, or state housing offices that provide information about eligibility for and vacancies in the subsidized housing properties that are under their jurisdiction. Housing authorities accept Section 8 applications, provide Section 8 vouchers, make approved Section 8 rental payments and administer public housing communities while in certain rural areas, the housing finance agency may play this role.
• Housing Expense Assistance (1)
  BH-3800

  Housing Expense Assistance

  BH-3800
  
  Programs that pay current housing bills or finance new living accommodations for people who are otherwise unable to provide for their housing needs. Housing expense assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.
• Housing Related Coordinated Entry (7)
  BH-0500.3200

  Housing Related Coordinated Entry

  BH-0500.3200
  
  Organizations that are part of a community-wide, coordinated effort to identify, assess and find appropriate options for homeless individuals and families seeking housing or related services, and/or for those at imminent risk of becoming homeless. The number of physical access points in the community for intake and assessment may vary (no wrong door), but all sites use the same assessment and targeting tools; make referrals using the same criteria and have access to the same set of resources including homelessness prevention (e.g., rent assistance), shelters, shelter diversion programs, service centers, transitional housing programs, permanent housing programs and outreach programs. Most coordinated entry programs also include real-time knowledge about program inventory and capacity, referral and waiting list management, and enrollment/admission decision criteria as process components.
• Public Housing (1)
  BH-7000.4600-600

  Public Housing

  BH-7000.4600-600
  
  Housing developments or scattered single family dwellings that are owned and managed by local housing authorities and rented to income and program eligible individuals and families, including older adults and people with disabilities. The units are governed by federal regulations which determine the application process, eligibility requirements, and tenant payment and lease obligations. Eligible households pay approximately 30% of their adjusted gross income for rent.
• Rapid Re-Housing Programs (3)
  BH-0500.7000

  Rapid Re-Housing Programs

  BH-0500.7000
  
  Programs that help individuals and families experiencing episodic or transitional (as opposed to chronic) homelessness transition more quickly out of the shelter system or avoid it altogether, and move into permanent housing ideally within 30 days of becoming homeless. Rapid re-housing assistance is generally offered without preconditions (such as employment, income, absence of criminal record, or sobriety) and the resources and services provided are typically tailored to the unique needs of each household. Services include housing search and selection support, assistance in negotiating the terms of a lease, short term rent subsidies and move-in assistance, individualized case management after the individual/family has moved into the home, ongoing crisis prevention and crisis management services as needed, facilitated access to community resources (e.g., benefits, employment) and other supportive services.
• Rent Payment Assistance (10)
  BH-3800.7000

  Rent Payment Assistance

  BH-3800.7000
  
  Programs that make rental payments for people who are at risk of eviction without assistance. Also included are rent supplement programs that provide assistance with ongoing monthly rental costs. Rent payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.
• Safe Havens for Abandoned Newborns (1)
  LJ-5000.8000

  Safe Havens for Abandoned Newborns

  LJ-5000.8000
  
  Hospitals, health centers, police stations, fire houses and other facilities that are willing to accept, without questions, newborn babies delivered by mothers who are unwilling or unable to care for an infant and are thereby at risk for abandonment. Police reports are generally not filed and no attempt is made to contact the mother's family, even in situations where her identity is known. Infant safe haven statutes vary by jurisdiction with regard to who may leave a baby at a safe haven, the age of the baby at the time of relinquishment, the facilities that can be designated as safe havens, the responsibilities of safe haven providers, anonymity protection for parents and the consequences of relinquishment.
• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (1)
  BH-7000.4600-700

  Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

  BH-7000.4600-700
  
  A federally-supported, tenant-based housing program administered by local housing authorities that provides assistance in the form of vouchers that enable income-eligible families to find and lease approved privately owned housing where the landlord has agreed to enter into a contract with the housing authority and/or finance agency. Tenant-based assistance provides rental subsidies that move with a household into any qualifying housing within a certain area. The housing can be (and often is) private housing that may not have been built with the intention of accepting solely low-income tenants, but if the quality and cost of the unit fall within a specified range, it may qualify. Eligible households pay approximately 30% to 40% of their adjusted gross income for rent and the housing authority subsidizes the balance.
• Street Outreach Programs (4)
  PH-8000

  Street Outreach Programs

  PH-8000
  
  Programs that are staffed by outreach workers who spend time with people who live on the street, build relationships with them, identify and address their immediate needs (e.g., crisis intervention, food, clean clothing, hygiene kits, blankets, someone to listen) and provide information about and linkage to longer-term forms of support such as shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, care/case management and, where applicable, family reunification services. Street outreach programs may be staffed by volunteers or peers who were formerly homeless; and may target special populations such as homeless youth at risk for sexual abuse or exploitation, veterans, or people with specific medical or mental health conditions, or be available to the larger homeless population.
• Sweat Equity Programs (1)
  BH-7000.8100-800

  Sweat Equity Programs

  BH-7000.8100-800
  
  Programs that make low-cost housing available to people who have very low incomes by organizing a group of volunteers to design and construct houses which are then sold at cost and at no interest to individuals who qualify by making a small down payment and investing a specified number of hours of "sweat equity" working on the project.
• Youth Shelters (1)
  BH-1800.1500-960

  Youth Shelters

  BH-1800.1500-960
  
  Programs that provide shelter and a safe place to sleep as well as access to food, medical care and other types of assistance for children and/or youth who have run away from or been pushed out of their homes, or who are acting out and at risk for abuse pending return to their own families or a suitable alternative placement. The most common causes for youth becoming homeless, in addition to being kicked out of their homes or running away, are being abandoned or neglected, experiencing financial hardship, aging out of foster care, conflicts related to their sexual orientation, having a substance use disorder or experiencing the death of a family member or guardian. Such facilities usually provide in-house individual, group and family counseling and the full range of other secondary services related to runaways and other homeless youth including referral to appropriate resources. Homeless youth are different than homeless adults because they often have not learned the essential life skills needed to live on their own such as how to drive or ride a bus, get a job or pay bills. Homeless youth are also more likely than other youth their age to experience mental illness, suffer poor health, drop out of school, and become involved with or victims of criminal activity, including being exploited, abused or even killed.