Find eviction prevention and rehousing assistance in Pima County.
In an effort to prevent evictions and homelessness in Pima County, there are programs that take a pro-active or reactive approach. Using a combination of resources such as emergency solution grants (ESG), counseling, and rapid rehousing, the programs in place to get people into a safe and affordable home are extensive.
The agencies in the region will often receive an annual allotment of funds from the United Way or the federal government. The money can only be used for paying for certain housing and eviction prevention programs, so there are restrictions in place. More terms and conditions of these services is below, but note that each and every resource has restrictions in place.
Emergency Solution Grants – Agencies in Pima County Arizona may be allocated money from this Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program each year. Organizations involved in the application process include Catholic Charities, the United Way, Jewish Federation, and others. The funds are used for many different needs, including the following.
- Utility bills can be paid, such as heating, electric, and water.
- Tenant expenses, including rent arrears, security deposits, or even a mortgage payment.
- Relocation and moving costs such as motel vouchers or application fees for a new apartment.
Pima County Continuum of Care – This is a partnership of agencies in Tucson. They all work to prevent evictions in the region. The staff from the charities can direct a low income family to counseling. Or if an applicant is unemployed, then resources such as job placement or training can be arranged. Other support is as follows.
- The agencies in the Continuum advocate on behalf of the homeless to find them a new home.
- They strive to provide residents with safe and affordable housing, which is often lacking throughout Tucson and nearby communities.
- While direct financial aid is not issued by this organization, the case managers can direct families to grants for rent if they have an eviction notice.
Short term housing – This is available to the currently homeless. After a family has been evicted, they still need a place to live. Oftentimes the fact they have an eviction on their records makes this more difficult. Or maybe they are unemployed or their income does not support the payment of rental costs. So lodging is arranged in Pima County.
- Emergency shelters are available in the region. Some are available for veterans, children, single moms and others.
- When shelters are full, a free motel or hotel voucher may be issued for a very short term stay.
- Transitional housing may be the next step in Pima County for the formerly homeless.
- In any housing situation, the client will need to pay a portion of their income for everything from deposits to the monthly rent. They also need to maintain and/or clean the home, live within the rules in place, and more.
Pima County permanent housing – After the short term crisis has been dealt with, and the family is now stable, the rehousing process comes into play. However before this is done, the formerly evicted resident needs to have a source of income. They also need to have credit rebuilt so maybe the eviction is removed from their record. Once these issues have been dealt with, financial help is offered.
- Grants for rehousing expenses. ESG money may be used for security deposits or first months rent, and some funds can even be used to move the family into the Tucson apartment.
- Counseling for tenants so they have the knowledge they need to stop a future eviction.
- There is help in finding a new property to lease in Pima County, whether it is a mobile home, apartment, condo, or privately rented.
Ongoing support – Anyone that needs help in preventing future homelessness or evictions will need to go through one on one case management sessions with a representative from a charity. There are many places this occurs in Pima County. All aspects are addressed in these sessions. The overall goal is to give the family or individual the resources they need to maintain their new home.
How to apply for homeless prevention in Pima County
When a tenant has an eviction notice from their landlord, they can seek help. However the best case scenario is for the family in Pima County to reach out to support way before they are in a crisis. The more time they have to find a solution, whether applying for an ESG grant or enrolling into mediation, the better chance they have to preventing the homelessness situation. For more information or referrals, call 877-211-8661.
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