Housing Now Program

Housing Now Program is sponsored by The Salvation Army (Metro Denver Area). This program helps victims of crime in the Metro Denver Area by providing housing stabilization and case management, particularly for victims of domestic violence and/or human trafficking.

A community effort to assist families who are experiencing a housing crisis into their own idea of stability through housing. Through our Housing Now program, we are able to provide short term rental assistance to people in need, as well as case management, resources, and home visits. It is a community effort to assist families who are experiencing a housing crisis into their own idea of stability through housing.

More Than Financial Assistance Our program partners with families experiencing homelessness by helping them to transition into long-term and stable housing by providing them with housing navigation, short term financial assistance, resources, and case management. We also partner with the community to provide friendship, financial literacy, and working towards long-term goals.

Housing Now is a program that assists families reach their own goals of stability through housing. To complete a ViSPDAT in order to be matched with the housing resource that best meets your needs please call 303- 295-3366. phone_in_talk (303) 295-3366 send housingnow@usw.

salvationarmy. org Housing Now serves families as a part of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative and partners with OneHome for referrals exclusively. Must be verifiably homeless: residing in place not meant for human habitation, emergency shelter, or in flight from domestic violence.

All potential participants must be living in the Denver metro area. All potential participants are referred through the OneHome system after completing a Vi-SPDAT. For more information on how to complete a Vi-SPDAT please call: 303-295-3366 Landlords willing to work with our Housing Navigator to assist families experiencing homelessness are in great demand.

The Housing Navigator at Housing Now works with clients and potential landlords in the community to negotiate and solidify deposit and rental amounts, collaborate and build rapport in order to improve retention rates. To participate in the program, landlords can contact the housing navigator, Jenna Lowthian, at 303-860-5577 or jenna. lowthian@usw.

salvationarmy. org. *Once connected with a potential tenant, landlords will required to submit a W-9 form and rental verification form before a lease up date is determined.

For in-kind donations contact: housingnow@usw. salvationarmy. org or call Kathy Mulloy at 720-305-4659 You can also purchase items from our Amazon Wishlist.

Rental Assistance: The average cost of rental assistance is $4,500. Families always pay an increasing portion of their rent until assistance is not needed. Funds given towards rental assistance can be designated as a dollar for dollar match for funding requirements.

Rental assistance for 1 family: $4,500. Deposit and Application Fee Assistance: Many families receiving services through Housing Now often have low credit scores and evictions on their records. In our current housing market, when these strikes are against a household, landlords often require 1.

5 or double deposit plus higher application fees. Average cost of deposit and application fees per household: $2,000 Homeless Prevention Assistance: Ben Franklin's proverb that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" makes sense to all of us, especially in housing. It only costs about $1,500 to prevent an eviction when compared to at least $6,000 to set up a stable new place of living.

The minimal cost of eviction prevention saves the cost and impact of intensive case management, setting up a new house, overcoming evictions and collections and the trauma incurred by all involved by resulting homelessness. $1,500 can prevent a family from becoming homeless Emergency Food/Gas: To qualify for the program, families must be literally homeless.

This often means that they do not have means to purchase gas to keep their car warm in the winter (before they secure housing) or funds to purchase food before food stamps kick in or important medication. A gift card means that families can meet their basic needs to fill a gap as they work to secure employment and housing.

$50 per household fulfills a family’s emergency need Welcome Home Store: Housing Now hosts a small shopping space where families can shop for new household items to help them establish their new home. Most families move into their apartments with very few personal items due to their former homeless status. All items must be new.

Average cost: $350 per family Kitchen starter kits: include pots, pans, dishes, silverware, utensils, glasses Cleaning kits: mops, brooms, buckets, sponges and cleaners Bedroom supplies: twin and queen sheets, blankets, comforters, pillows Bathroom supplies: toilet paper, shower curtains, bath mats, towels and washcloths Hygiene items: full size items including deodorant, diapers, wipes, shampoo/conditioner, feminine hygiene products (pads and tampons) Beds: Since it takes nearly everything a family has to secure a home, most families move in with no furniture.

We find that if we do not provide beds, despite having a roof over their heads, families will sleep on the floor for months on end. Queen and twin beds (with metal frame) are the program’s priority. If the program does not have access to mattresses/bed the program will distribute air mattresses as alternative if funds are available.

Pack-and-play cribs are also needed for infants and toddlers. $330 per bed (includes metal frame & bed bug protector) $80 per high quality air mattress Moving Costs and Arrears: Many families do not have the funds to pay off their past evictions or collections debts, these fees close the doors to safe, stable and permanent housing.

Help removing an eviction from a family’s record can be the difference between homelessness and housed. Particularly in families with seniors or disabled family members, moving costs can be a barrier to getting a family’s meager belongings into their new home. Help renting a truck can make all the difference.

Rental Arrears can be up to: $4,000 when needed by a family Moving costs can be up to: $150 Bus Passes: When recovering from homelessness and joblessness, finances are tight. At the start of the program, families often do not have funds to purchase bus tickets to and from interviews, new employment or to locate housing. Get some bang for your buck because bus tickets will be purchased at a half-price non-profit rate.

Child Care Assistance: Families with small children often experience gaps in their CCAP (DEFINE) coverage. Or if they do not have employment, have trouble securing employment because they do not have child care for children. Assistance for child care can help ensure that families can secure and maintain their housing.

Maximum Child Care Assistance per family: $500 GED Costs: Not having a GED can mean the difference between a living wage that supports a family and minimum wage that requires government assistance to survive. With a GED, a person is also eligible for the The Salvation Army’s Post-Secondary education scholarship to help boost a household member’s earning potential to support their family and become more self-sufficient.

$200 for GED tuition and textbooks