A non-profit corporation improving the lives of low-income families

• Holiday Giving
• Driving Toward Success
• Warren Lasko Memorial School Supply Drive
• Housing Counseling Plus Program
• Career Building Blocks
• Catalogue for Philanthropy 2010/11 Listing

Housing Counseling Plus Program

            Each year, an average of 55-60 families including 75 adults and 125 children leave homeless shelters in Montgomery County and secure permanent housing through the state-funded Housing Counseling Program.  However, before these at-risk families can move into a unit, they must pay application fees, security deposits, utility connection and utility security fees which are prohibitively high for families coming out of homelessness. Furthermore, homeless families living in transitional housing pay for utilities which have tripled over the last 12 months, prompting them to seek utility assistance, provided by the County only once a year. This makes them ineligible for assistance with move-in costs.  Also, they have little or no money for furniture and bedding. The waiting list for free furniture is three months and growing, amid a bed bug epidemic in the County.  With fewer resources it has become even more difficult for these families to move into permanent housing.

            Formerly chronic homeless families that are presently housed through the County’s Housing Initiative Program (HIP) and administered by the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) experience financial hardships as they try to maintain their permanent housing. Each year as many as one-third of HOC’s 90 household caseload are at-risk of losing their housing because they do not have the resources during their first year of housing to complete their transition from homelessness into their new apartment while paying rent and utililities.  HOC staff consistently report that these families struggle to pay for utility security deposits, the cost of transporting their belongings out of storage, bedding for their family (mattresses, beds, sheets, pillows, etc.), kitchenware and other basic living costs. As many as 80% have a physical and/or cognitive disability and 72% do not have steady employment.

         The Housing Counseling Plus Program (HCPP) is being expanded 1) to help homeless families meet their move in costs, thereby obtaining stable permanent housing and 2) to help formerly chronic homeless families maintain their housing during the first 12-24 months of housing stabilization.

1) As in previous years, the HCPP will augment HOC’s successful Housing Counseling Program which is partially funded by a State grant. HCPP helps with paying application fees, security deposits, utility connection fees and miscellaneous move-in costs. The state grant provides no funds for these costs. Because of the families’ poor credit and rental histories, landlords require security deposits which can amount to several thousands of dollars. HCPP will help 50 homeless families in Montgomery County successfully meet their move-in costs. The housing counselor provides case management to each family, helping to ensure that the transition from homelessness is as smooth as possible. On average, approximately $400 per household  is used to cover these eligible move-in costs.