Governor Rell: State Directs $10.8 Million in Stimulus To Combat Homelessness

October 7, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the state has directed $10.8 million in federal stimulus funds to prevent homeless through a community-based program that provides assistance for rent and utility bills, intervenes during evictions and offers emergency lodging and other services aimed at keeping Connecticut families and individuals from losing their homes.

Governor Rell cited the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program as a “vital safety net, especially in these difficult economic times.”

“The basis of this program is to help those in need of housing as quickly as possible,” Governor Rell said. “Our Rapid Re-Housing plan uses a swift and well-coordinated approach from experienced, local providers. The funding will make a real difference for those going through great financial difficulty because of the loss of a job.”

The $10.8 million was awarded to six community service providers from around the state. The agencies begin services this week, following competitive bidding and contracting by the Department of Social Services:

• CTE, Inc., based in Stamford, southwestern region – $1,637,837;

• Columbus House, Inc., New Haven, southern part of the south central region – $1,318,506;

• Mercy Housing & Shelter Corp., Inc., Hartford, northern part of the south central region – $927,671;

• Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc., Griswold, eastern region – $1,029,498;

• Journey Home, Inc., Hartford, north central region – $3,041,698; and

• New Opportunities, Inc., Waterbury, northwestern region – $1,403,861.

The service agencies can use rental aid payments, security deposits, utility deposits and utility bill payments, moving cost assistance, motel or hotel vouchers, and housing relocation payments in helping eligible families and individuals. Outreach, housing search, legal services and credit repair assistance are among critical support services.

A similar state program served just over 200 people last year. The Governor said the infusion of dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) will allow the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program to help more than 1,000 people a year over the life of the three-year stimulus grant.

“Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing is an especially creative initiative because it pulls together a variety of tools and measures that really work,” said Social Services Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski. “Human service professionals in the community will be able to quickly customize services to help people from slipping into homelessness, and to help get people back into an apartment if they lose housing. This prevention aspect is perhaps the most important factor. The federal stimulus dollars will help us build on the thinly-stretched services we already have in the way of preventing homelessness.”

Service Partners

Partnering with DSS and service contractors will be the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), providing training, technical assistance and data analysis; and the United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 service, providing screening, information and referral, and application intake.

“This program provides the opportunity to transform Connecticut’s homeless intervention system from one that temporarily shelters people who are homeless to one that provides housing for those facing homelessness,” said Carol Walter, CCEH executive director. “It is a new approach that leaders across the state and the Governor have supported and embraced this year, even before federal funds became available. With our shelter utilization higher than ever before, there is no better time to innovate, and the Rapid Re-Housing program will allow us to do just that. CCEH and its partners look forward to working with government and providers across the state to help make this program successful.”

Richard Porth, United Way of Connecticut president and CEO, said, “People from all over Connecticut have called 2-1-1 for years to find help on a range of housing concerns, including homelessness. Thanks to the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing project, our 2-1-1 staff can now have access to more service options to help people avoid homelessness. Housing experts agree that strategies aimed at prevention and rapid re-housing reduce the personal toll on children and families, and can help save tax dollars in the long run. United Way 2-1-1 appreciates the state’s leadership on this important issue and we are proud to be part of the solution.”

Eligibility for services

The state-contracted program will serve families or individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Programs will target prevention to those who would be homeless “but for this assistance,” and rapidly re-house and stabilize families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Examples of risk criteria may include:

· Eviction within two weeks from a private dwelling (including housing provided by family or friends);

· Discharge within two weeks from an institution in which the person has been a resident for more than 180 days (including prisons, mental health institutions, and hospitals);

· Residency in housing that has been condemned by housing officials and is no longer meant for human habitation;

· Sudden and significant loss of income;

· Sudden and significant increase in utility costs;

· Severe housing cost burden (greater than 50 percent of income for housing costs);

· Homeless in last 12 months;

· Young head of household (under 25 with children or pregnant);

· Current or past involvement with child welfare, including foster care;

· Extremely low income (less than 30 percent of Area Median Income).

· High overcrowding (the number of persons exceeds health and/or safety standards for the housing unit size); and

· Credit problems that preclude obtaining of housing.

Service areas

Following are the service areas for the state-contracted regional service providers:

CTE, Inc. (Region 1 – Southwest) – Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

Columbus House, Inc. (Region 2 – South Central, southern area) – Greater New Haven Valley: Ansonia, Bethany, Branford, Derby, East Haven, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, Seymour, Shelton, West Haven and Woodbridge.

Mercy Housing & Shelter Corp., Inc. (Region 2 – South Central, northern area) – Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Guildford, Haddam, Killingworth, Madison, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland, Westbrook, Lyme, Old Lyme, Meriden and Wallingford.

Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc. (Region 3 – East) – Ashford, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, East Lyme, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Mansfield, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Scotland, Sprague, Sterling, Stonington, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Waterford, Willington, Windham and Woodstock

Journey Home, Inc. (Region 4 – North Central) – Andover, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Plymouth, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

New Opportunities, Inc. (Region 5 – Northwest) – Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Canaan, Cheshire, Colebrook, Cornwall, Danbury, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Oxford, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Winchester, Wolcott, and Woodbury.

Governor Rell also noted that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded over $6 million in Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing funding directly to the cities of Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven and Waterbury, bringing the total Connecticut allocation to over $17 million.

For more information about the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, members of the public who are at risk of becoming homeless or who are currently homeless may call 2-1-1.

Contact:
860-524-7313