Housing & Shelter

Housing Related Coordinated Entry

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.

Rent Payment Assistance

Programs that make rental payments for people who are at risk of eviction without assistance. Rent payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Rental Application Fee Payment Assistance

Programs that provide financial assistance to help people pay the processing fee(s) that individuals in search of rental housing must submit with their application form. The fee may cover criminal background checks, rental history checks, reference checks, employment verification, income and asset verification, and/or credit reports that some landlords require and use as a screening tool for potential tenants.

Rental Deposit Assistance

Programs that provide cash grants or loans for people who are in the process of acquiring rental housing and who can handle the monthly rental payments, but who do not have the assets to pay the first month's rent, in some cases, the last month's rent, and any security deposits required to move in.

Community Shelters

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.

Domestic Violence Shelters

Programs that provide temporary emergency shelter for individuals, primarily women, who have experienced domestic violence/abuse, and for their children. Such facilities usually provide in-house individual, group and family counseling and the full range of secondary services related to domestic violence including referral to appropriate resources. Also included are similar facilities for battered men and those that can accommodate both men and women, where they are available.

Transitional Housing/Shelter

Programs that provide extended shelter and supportive services primarily for homeless individuals and/or families with the goal of helping them live independently and transition into permanent housing. Some programs require that the individual/family be transitioning from a short-term emergency shelter. The length of stay varies considerably by program. It is generally longer than two weeks but typically 60 days or more and, in many cases, up to two years or more. The supportive services may be provided directly by the organization managing the housing or may be coordinated by them and provided by other public or private agencies. Transitional housing/shelter is generally provided in apartment style facilities with a higher degree of privacy than short-term homeless shelters; may be provided at no cost to the resident; and may be configured for specialized groups within the homeless population such as people with substance abuse problems, homeless mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, veterans or homeless people with AIDS/HIV. In some cases, a "transition in place" option allows families to continue living in the same complex (if not the same unit) where their transitional housing unit is located when they are ready to move to permanent housing. In other cases, the permanent housing option is either public housing or private rental housing supported by a tenant-based voucher subsidy. Included are post-domestic violence shelter housing programs that make affordable rental housing (or other accommodations) available to women, generally those who are coming directly out of a domestic violence shelter or other crisis shelter, often in apartment complexes owned by the shelter; and programs that provide transitional housing and support services for other targeted groups such as military and veteran families and others who need a temporary supportive living environment to maintain stability and begin to thrive.

Extreme Cold Warming Centers

Programs that provide daytime or evening access to heated facilities during times of extreme cold for people who are temporarily at risk for exposure due to a power failure, fuel shortage, road closure, homelessness or other situations which make them vulnerable.

Extreme Heat Cooling Centers

Programs that provide air conditioned facilities which are open to the public during dangerously hot weather. Spending a few hours in an air-conditioned environment can bring down the body's core temperature and make it easier to handle the heat. Older and/or frail adults, homeless people, parents with small children and persons with health conditions that may be made worse by the weather should consider spending time in a cooling center, particularly between 1pm and 5pm when temperatures are at their highest. Cooling centers may also have water and other liquids available to protect against dehydration, and some allow pets.

Extreme Weather Shelters

Programs that provide overnight accommodations during times of extreme heat or cold for people who are temporarily at risk for exposure due to a power failure, fuel shortage, road closure, homelessness or other situations which make them vulnerable.

Drop In Centers

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.

Homeless Drop In Centers

Centers where homeless people can spend time during the day or evening. Services may include counseling and/or medication monitoring on a formal or informal basis; personal hygiene supplies; facilities for showering, shaving, napping, laundering clothes, making necessary telephone calls or attending to other personal needs; and other basic supportive services. Some centers may also provide meals or facilities for cooking. Programs that focus on homeless youth may provide case management, living skills training, family reunification assistance, classes and other educational supports, pre-employment training, health education (including HIV prevention), help in obtaining valid ID and other services that help youth successfully exit street life and transition to independent living.

Maternity Homes

Programs that provide shelter, care and support services, which often include counseling regarding future plans and instruction in child care and development, for pregnant women who are unable to remain in their own homes.

Post Pregnancy Shelter/Transitional Housing

Programs that provide a safe, secure living environment and supportive services (which may include educational opportunities, life skills training, financial planning, parenting education and counseling) for single mothers and their infants following birth. The objective of the program is to help residents become self-sufficient and move ahead with their lives by finishing school, acquiring job skills and learning to be good parents.

Housing Search Assistance

Programs that assign a staff member to assist people who are looking for housing to survey the available residences and to choose and obtain the most suitable option.

Low Income/Subsidized Private Rental Housing

Privately owned rental housing that is made available to low-income individuals and families at reduced rates based on a contract between HUD or the state housing authority and the property owner. Subsidies are paid directly to the owner of the property who then rents units to income-eligible individuals and families. Also included are low-cost or below market rate housing that is operated or sponsored by religious or charitable organizations for the benefit of low-income individuals and families; and rental housing targeted to lower income households that has been purchased, rehabilitated or constructed by developers who are receiving a federal income tax credit under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program or are participants in other similar affordable housing incentive programs. Some privately owned rental units that were developed or improved with public funds are also required to rent a designated number of units at reduced prices to people who meet low-income eligibility requirements until the federal or state loans are paid. Some complexes or housing units may be reserved for low-income older adults, people with disabilities and/or other special populations. Included are income-based rental housing where tenants pay rent that is geared to their income; as well as fixed below market rate rental housing where rent is lower than what people would normally pay renting the unit but is based on a specified percentage of the median income for the area rather than on a percentage of an individual's actual income, and tenants may have to be within a specified income range to live there. Rental amounts and the level of "affordability" may vary considerably among programs.

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

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.

Single Room Occupancy Housing

Single room occupancy housing, which may include shared bath or kitchen facilities, that is owned and maintained by nonprofit and/or public organizations and is made available to eligible individuals at low rates. Also included are hotels that have been converted for use as single room occupancy housing.

Housing Advocacy Groups

Organizations that advocate for constructing, renovating or otherwise improving the availability of safe, affordable rental and purchasable housing for low-income individuals and families, older adults, people with disabilities, migrant workers and others who are unable to purchase a home or rent a home or apartment under current market conditions or who are forced to spend an excessively large proportion of their income on housing to the detriment of other necessities.

Landlord/Tenant Dispute Resolution

Programs that help tenants and landlords resolve disputes regarding security and other rental deposits, unsanitary conditions, failure to make repairs, privacy, notice requirements, excessive rent increases, nonpayment of rent, neglect or damage to property, overcrowding or other grievances.

Tenant Readiness Education Programs

Programs that offer classes which help prospective renters acquire and keep decent housing. Many programs are tailored for people who have been denied housing because of poor or no credit, bad references, past evictions, criminal history or other screening barriers. These classes help participants learn how to take responsibility for past rental issues, improve their credit, manage their money, understand the application and rental process, find affordable housing, develop a positive relationship with their landlord and neighbors, and be responsible tenants. Specifics may include information about credit reports and how they are used in the tenant screening process; resources for evaluating an available rental unit and their prospective landlord; the tenant screening process and their rights under fair housing regulations; rental agreements and typical legal (and illegal) provisions; maintenance responsibilities (who is responsible for maintenance and repair of rental unit features); and moving out including notice, security deposits and evictions. Some programs issue a certificate of completion that can be presented to landlords upon application for tenancy. Also included are tenant education programs for high school or college/university students or others who lack experience as a tenant and want to begin their rental experience on a positive note.

Tenant Rights Information/Counseling

Programs that provide information and guidance for tenants who need to know their rights and responsibilities regarding leases and rental agreements, deposits, legal eviction procedures, measures to protect themselves from unlawful or retaliatory evictions, rent withholding rights, rent control requirements, privacy rights and other issues that may be of particular interest to tenants. Tenant rights counseling may also include assistance in completing forms, advice regarding a particular dispute and contact with the offending landlord to provide notification that she or he is not in compliance with landlord/tenant laws.

HUD Approved Counseling Agencies

Agencies funded by the federal Office of Housing and Urban Development to provide prepurchase and mortgage default counseling, home equity conversion (reverse mortgage) counseling and information about the HUD rent assistance program for current and prospective purchasers and tenants.

Mortgage Delinquency and Default Counseling

Programs that provide assistance for people who are unable to make their mortgage payments and at risk of losing their homes through foreclosure or who are already in the foreclosure process. Services may include information about the foreclosure process, legal timelines and how to contact and negotiate with a lender; assessment of the homeowner's financial situation and development of a plan to address homeownership and financial issues; in-depth financial counseling regarding foreclosure avoidance options and/or options that involve leaving the home; advocacy with lenders, when necessary; and referrals to foreclosure prevention resources. Also included are programs that provide mediation services to negotiate a compromise between the individual and the financial institution that holds their mortgage in order to avoid foreclosure.

Mortgage Payment Assistance

Programs that make mortgage payments for people who are at risk of losing their homes without assistance. Mortgage payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.