Homeless Assistance Programs
Are you or someone you know in danger of being evicted from your apartment or home? Or perhaps, you have already been evicted and are currently homeless and do not know where to go for help. The Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) helps to assure that homelessness can be avoided, people who are homeless can find refuge and care and homeless and near homeless clients are assisted in moving toward self-sufficiency.
Where You Can Get Help:
The Homeless Assistance Program County Contact List will provide you with the name and phone number of the organization in your county that you need to contact to request help with your housing situation.
Homeless Assistance Program Services Available:
Case Management: This service is designed to assist you in identifying your needs and the reasons why you became homeless or near homeless. The focus of Case Management is to provide you with the tools and skills that you need to prevent you from ever being in a homeless situation again. The many services include budgeting, life skills, job preparation, home management and referral to drug and alcohol services, if necessary.
Rental Assistance: If you are in danger of being evicted from your apartment or home, your county may be able to assist you with payments for rent, mortgage, security deposits and utilities. Your county HAP provider will work hard with your landlord to maximize your chances for staying in your apartment or home, or work with you to find a more affordable apartment. HAP can also be used to move you out of shelter into an affordable apartment.
Bridge Housing: This is "The Bridge" that will move you from being homeless into permanent housing. This is usually the next step up from an emergency shelter. This service will allow you to stay in a shared facility or apartment for up to 18 months for a small co-pay depending on your income and you will continue to receive case management services to assist you with your goal in living in your own home or apartment.
Emergency Shelter: If you are currently homeless and have no permanent residence or are a victim of domestic violence, the Emergency Shelter component provides you with shelter, for a short period of time. During that time, you will be provided with case management services to assist you with securing more permanent housing.
Innovative Supportive Housing Service: This component enables the service provider to design a supportive housing service for homeless and near-homeless persons that is outside the scope of existing HAP components and addresses unique county needs.
Income Guidelines
The maximum level for income eligibility must be between 100 percent and 200 percent of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines. Counties and providers must establish poverty guidelines for determining eligibility within this limit.
Homeless Assistance Program Provider Resources
Other Resources
- If you are a victim of Domestic Violence, contact the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, (PCADV), a private non-profit organization. The Web site will provide you with the name and phone number of the domestic violence service provider, by county.
- The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to mobilize the nonprofit, public and private sectors of society in an alliance to end homelessness. This site has an extensive selection of referral links to help you if you are homeless and puts you in touch with providers who can assist you.
- The National Coalition for the Homeless is one of America's top 100 charities and has a section on their Web site that gives you step-by-step instructions on what to do if you are facing homelessness.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has many programs to assist the homeless and has specific information for obtaining help in your area if you are homeless.