Annual Report 2018-19

HOMELESS AND HOUSING PROGRAMS  Certified Housing Counselors assisted 100 households to access or maintain permanent housing.

Housing Counseling includes rental rights and responsibilities, homelessness assistance,housing search, post-purchase guidance, foreclosure prevention, budgeting, and financial literacy. • Renter Education Workshops prepared 53 households for stable housing. NRCA uses the curriculum developed by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) for Renter Education Workshops . Topics include credit, housing search, application process, understanding lease agreements, security deposits, rights and responsibilities of both tenant and landlord, maintenance and repairs, and terminating a lease including the eviction process. The curriculum also includes a discussion on fair housing and utility energy savings tips. • Rapid Rehousing assisted 63 homeless households to obtain permanent housing. NRCA’s Rapid Rehousing program assists literally homeless individuals and families. Funding helps those families with rent and utility deposits, housing application fees, moving costs, and temporary rental and utility support. NRCA’s Homeless Prevention program assists families who are in imminent danger of homelessness. Assistance may include temporary rental payments including arrears. Housing Counseling helps the client create a spending plan and set goals to maintain stable, affordable housing. • Temporary Emergency Shelter program housed 13 households in crisis. NRCA’s Temporary Emergency Shelter program meets the crisis needs of homeless couples with no children who have access to no other local shelter. Housing Counseling helps clients explore options and develop goals leading to stable housing. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT In August 2018 NRCA’s Homeless and Housing Programs (HHP) Prevention component received a referral to assist a single father and his young daughter facing certain eviction. The client, a veteran, lost his employment due to health issues leaving him unable to pay his rent and meet basic needs. The HHP staff assisted the client with Homeless Prevention funds to temporarily stabilize his housing situation.  While providing casemanagement, HHP staff discussed applying for disability with the client, a process he thought he had already begun on-line. After some research and a trip to the disability determination center in Roanoke, the client and staff discovered that the disability process was not complete. Staff immediately began working with client to resume the process, assisting with the application. Staff also helped him obtain healthcare coverage.  In August 2019 after several months of appointments and paperwork, the client received an approval letter for disability benefits. He and his daughter are now living a self-sufficient lifestyle again, with the hope of home ownership as a future goal. Housing Counseling helps the homeless develop a road map to safe, permanent housing. • Homeless Prevention helped 39 household to maintain their housing.

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