The Casebook Blog

Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term. Homeless case managers strategize plans for unhoused individuals and families. The job consists of much more than simply finding a house or shelter. These social workers must be prepared to perform assessments, allocate resources, advocate for clients' needs, and connect them with other service providers. This requires an organized and personalized approach for every client in your caseload. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. The following homeless case management best practices will help you determine the most effective approach for each client. 1. Take the Time To Get To Know Your Clients and Build Trust Targeted case management requires you to understand your clients' needs, strengths, and goals on a personal level. At a base level, this lets you implement the best management models and resources for their circumstances. For example, a family with children and a history of trauma may need a housing solution in a quiet neighborhood near a school. Beyond assessments, a personalized approach helps you build trust. This is critical when working with sensitive populations, as some people may feel uncomfortable following your guidance or giving away their personal information. Getting to know your clients communicates that you take their circumstances seriously. As a result, you can make clients feel safer and motivate them to fulfill their goals. A stronger relationship with clients gives them an easier channel to communicate their concerns or ask for help. 2. Assess and Prioritize Clients' Needs Like other human services, case management for homeless families and individuals must prioritize their needs. This requires you to thoroughly assess and understand your clients, their circumstances, and their available solutions. Unfortunately, case managers often encounter obstacles in allocating resources for unhoused clients. These obstacles include narrow parameters for help, housing market concerns, and other issues. Many case managers begin by searching for federal and state-level resources, though other solutions vary by region. Case management tools can simplify your assessment processes by managing client data, automating your workflow, and developing personalized analytics. These features let you skip time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time assessing their housing details. With all client data in one secure interface, you don't have to worry about missing important details. Additionally, you can access your intake and assessment notes at almost any time and seamlessly transfer them as needed. 3. Develop and Implement a Case Plan With Clients Homeless case management best practices should generally include clients in the decision-making process — after all, you're helping them find their future home. Clients who don't feel they have a choice in their future may feel less motivated to accept help, learn new skills, or reach their care goals. Even with a comprehensive assessment, developing an intensive case management plan without clients' input can cause you to overlook certain needs or safety risks. So, discussing your care goals can help you avoid further issues and build trust with clients for a "true team approach." 4. Coordinate and Collaborate with Other Service Providers Case managers for homeless individuals must allocate appropriate resources and services for each client's unique needs. These solutions must be identified within a Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model to provide clients with shelter as soon as possible. This time sensitivity requires you to have a pre-existing network of service providers with different specializations. This way, you can immediately reach out regarding particular clients rather than wasting time asking for referrals. Some cases will inevitably require additional research, such as for complex mental health concerns. However, homeless case management training and networking will keep you as prepared as you can be. You should also understand the community and government resources available based on clients' types of homelessness. For example, Housing First provides short-term financial assistance to unhoused individuals, but not all clients may be eligible. 5. Provide Support Services To Help Clients Maintain Their Housing An effective case management plan for homeless individuals doesn't end when they've found a home. The factors that caused them to lose their house initially, from poverty to discrimination, may still be active in their lives. This can leave them at risk of being uprooted again. So, your case management plan should also include backup solutions and additional resources to prepare for worst-case scenarios. These support services often vary for each client. Some cases may require you to find employment opportunities or other income resources so they can afford their new living expenses. Other cases may require peer support workers to help clients overcome addiction without impacting other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, a client's first housing solution usually isn't their ideal option. Though you certainly shouldn't become their real estate agent, helping clients find a better house or apartment guarantees all of their needs will be met long-term.

As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences. As a case manager, you can decrease the long-term impacts and risks of veteran homelessness. However, you must first understand its full scope, including contributing factors, societal impacts, and individual experiences.

Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here. Is your client homeless? How do you define homelessness? In human services It’s not a simple yes or no answer. Instead it’s multiple choice. There are four categories of homelessness used for federal housing programs. Then it gets complicated, but we’ll break it down. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of financial support for housing programs. Some HUD programs are dedicated for one category of homelessness only. Others are for multiple categories of homelessness. Some programs can differ at the state or local level. It’s a great big puzzle. (After you look at the puzzle pieces you might be inclined to call it something more colorful.) This article can explain the four types of homelessness that are set by HUD. Other federal agencies and many states use these definitions as well This article reviews some of the available resources for people who fit one or more of the definitions. By the end of this article you will understand the terms you will hear when you investigate housing programs. It introduces you to resources to investigate to stabilize your client’s housing. Category 1: Literal Homelessness Category 1 defines homelessness as people who are literally homeless. HUD’s verbatim explanation for a household follows: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution. Public or private spaces captures locations such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. In my years as a director of an agency serving homeless people we saw people get creative. One gentleman liked to sleep in our front garden; another slept under our large, outdoor utility box. (It gave them one advantage: they could enter our drop in center the minute we opened our doors.) If your client has been in an institution such as jail, hospital, or intermediate care facility for less than 90 days, and goes there from the street or shelter they retain their homeless status. In other words, there has been no break in homelessness. If they went to a temporary, but legitimate housing situation (consider a family member’s home who took them in until they healed) they lose their homeless status. You should also understand the term chronic homeless status. This definition is the most restrictive. Households must: Have a documented disability, and They have been homeless continuously for one year, or have had at least episodes in the last four years that add up to 12 months. When you are aware that your client is literally homeless, record each homeless episode in your case management software. If you document a single incident in a month HUD counts it for the entire month. There’s one more term on Category 1 to keep in mind if you are trying to document chronic status that adds up to 12 months. A “break” in homelessness is considered to be seven or more nights. For example, John has been in an emergency shelter for 30 days. He slept on a friend’s couch for six nights and then returned to the shelter for 30 days. He’s been homeless for 67 days continuously. Suppose John spent 30 days in a shelter, slept on a friend’s couch for eight nights and returned to the shelter for 30 days. He had two incidents of homelessness that add up to 60 days. See HUD’s flow chart to document chronic homelessness here.

Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program. Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... You might be one of those people who think a family is homeless just because it doesn’t have a place to live. Technically you are correct, but that doesn’t mean the family is eligible for housing for homeless people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the lion’s share of funding for homeless programs, making it the final arbiter of who counts as homeless. Before you read further let me clarify that homelessness is not an eligibility factor for Public Housing Authority housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Every client you serve who is homeless or low-income may be eligible and benefit from it’s long term stability. But it can take years to move up the Housing Authority waiting lists. If you have clients who are literally homeless, they may qualify for another pool of money designed specifically for people who experience literal homelessness. The programs for literally homeless people flow through local Continuum of Care programs (CoC) to nonprofit housing agencies. That is, they are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. That could be sleeping in their car, under a highway overpass or in an abandoned building. Residents of homeless shelters retain their homeless status. Sleeping under a bridge still might not be enough to get CoC help. HUD established a funding preference for people who have repeated or lengthy episodes of homelessness. If your client meets this criteria, they might just be homeless enough to qualify for this program and a relatively short waiting list. This article explains HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, documentation you will need, and advice for collecting it in Casebook. Categories of Homelessness HUD has four categories of homelessness. Only Categories 1 and 4 are relevant to HUD programs for CoC funds for homeless people. Clients must fall into Category 1 if they are seeking long-term housing assistance. For example, they want a rent subsidy that will not expire for as long as they need it, (assuming they follow program guidelines.) Category 1: Literally Homeless Literal homeless, which is the most restrictive category for eligibility. Individuals or families enter one of the permanent programs if they are in at least one of the following situations: A homeless shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements OR Living on the streets, in cars, abandoned buildings or other places not fit for human habitation Exceptions that don’t end their status as literally homeless: They entered an institution from the streets and leave within 90 days of entering it, and they will return to the streets or a shelter. Institutions include a jail, hospital or nursing home. They have a room in a motel room that is paid for by a non-profit or a government program.

Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency. Emergency assistance to help people with unpaid rent and utilities is on its way; this article reviews how you can help clients gather information for their applications. There’s nothing like a government program to generate paperwork. Ironically, since the Paperwork Reduction Act passed 40 years ago the documentation needed for housing assistance programs seems to increase regularly. And there’s no getting out of it. Housing agencies must collect all of this information as a condition of their grants. This burden rolls downhill. The good news is that you and your client can gather this documentation in advance and create a “housing portfolio” to simplify the application process. You may have to apply for housing at multiple organizations. Having a portfolio will prevent many headaches for you, your clients and housing providers. Casebook has functions to track information your client needs in their housing portfolio, as I will describe later in this post. Billions in Emergency Assistance are Pending The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Plan) added billions of dollars in rental assistance. Most of it is temporary to help people pay off rent arrearages and stabilize their housing. Emergency rental assistance: $21.5 billion to help households remain in their homes. Emergency housing vouchers: $5 billion for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. Homelessness assistance and supportive services: $5 billion to create new housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing assistance for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians: $750 million to reduce housing-related health risks Emergency assistance for rural housing:$100 million to help people in rural communities keep their homes during the pandemic. That adds up to $32 billion dollars, on top of rental assistance funds included in the December 2020 CARES act. That is a lot of money. But it has to go a very long way. At the end of February 2021 over 13.5 million people said they were behind on their rent -- nearly 1 in 5 of all renters -- according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis . Renters owe an estimated $57 billion in back rent. These numbers show the need is greater than the emergency help available. Your clients need to apply for the money early to get what they need. If you have the documents in hand your client can start applications as soon as housing agencies can accept them. The rules and regulations governing these programs were not yet issued at the time of this writing. This article reviews typical documents clients will need to provide, based on my 16 years of experience leading an affordable housing agency. They were created for permanent affordable housing such as Housing Choice Vouchers, meaning your client’s housing portfolio is valuable long after the Plan funding is exhausted. For now, it is likely your client will need this documentation plus proof the pandemic caused their housing emergency.