Camden County homeless prevention and rehousing assistance.
The two main organizations in Camden County New Jersey that administer the homeless prevention and rehousing program include Catholic Charities as well as the Department of Social Services. The resources offered are comprehensive in that it tries to solve various problems that homeowners, tenants, or the homeless may be faced with.
Assistance is available for victims of domestic violence, single moms, and families with children. There is also a veteran homeless prevention program in Camden as well as services focused on the disabled or senior citizens as mandated by the Department of Community Affairs. Each one of these groups of individuals may receive help, provided they meet the income criteria in place.
Help provided by HPRP - Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing
As many of six types of aid are provided. Some of it is financial and may be grants or no interest loans. Other support includes free legal assistance or general counseling. Or referrals to other resources may always be arranged. Qualified residents may get help with one or more of the following.
- Utility bills that are in arrears, including water, gas, or heating.
- Eviction prevention in Camden County may pay for past due rent, and grants may cover up to 3 months.
- Moving expenses for local transit, and this may include storage expenses too.
- Subsidies on future rental costs may be allowed, and Catholic Charities may assist for up to 3 months.
- Motel vouchers to rehouse the tenant while they are being placed into a new home or when all of the shelters are full.
- Legal aid from Camden Legal Services can be reached at (856) 964-2010.
Assistance is generally for people with a source of income, with priority given to homes with kids. Other, such as residents on SSD, public aid such as TANF welfare, or disability can apply but they may get help further down the line. It is not for the chronically homeless or tenants with a history of multiple evictions. Also the Camden County New Jersey HPRP program will offer grants or financial help as above, but only when it is combined with initiative by the tenant. So the government will not take care of the emergency all on its own.
Camden County rehousing and subsidies
Catholic Charities is often involved in providing this form of support. The assistance includes both financial and case management/stability. This form of rehousing in the region can also offer multiple forms of help, such as the following. It supports both people that had a mortgage or had a lease on an apartment.
- When rapid rehousing is provided, tenants need to contribute as much as 30% of their total household income for paying the utility bill and rent.
- The home or apartment needs to be affordable to receive this temporary assistance.
- Grants from Catholic Charities or Social Services can also pay for utilities, and the amount depends on size, the type of home, and the market averages in Camden County.
- Government grants assist with rental as well as utility connection deposits.
To apply for eviction or housing help – The agencies, such as Catholic Charities, receive the funding on an annual basis from the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The applicant needs to have a foreclosure or eviction notice from their landlord. Or the family can be living in a motel, doubled up with friends or family, residing in a home not fit for human habitation such as an abandoned building or car, or facing another crisis.
Any grants for paying bills, rent, or deposits is also offered with case management. The comprehensive support from case managers tackles all causes of the crisis. Case managers may be assigned to the client from the Department of Social Services. Whether the eviction/foreclosure is caused by an emergency, or long term under employment, all solutions are tackled as part of the Camden County homeless prevention and rehousing program.
For more information, contact Camden County social services or Catholic Charities at 856-237-6498. They take the lead in homeless prevention in the county.
|
