We often go through life without knowing about other people’s lives and stories. While all lives include ups and downs, some have it tougher than others. Sometimes, difficult circumstances can be the result of bad decisions. But sometimes, those stuck in a rut could be there simply because of bad luck. These “difficult circumstances” can also vary widely. Financial hardship can range from not having enough money to live in comfort, to being homeless. When we say “homeless” we mean those who don’t have the option to stay in safe sanitary housing.

So, when the government tries to solve the homelessness crisis in the US, they focus on providing housing that is safe and clean enough for its residents. The federal government works constantly on providing solutions for that crisis. Thankfully, they’re not alone in the fight. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as the National Alliance To End Homelessness also work hard on the matter.

For those wishing to receive housing assistance, it’s essential to know how to get it, and if they’re eligible for it. The government constantly works on developing assistance programs for Americans. But, it’s no use applying for those programs if the applicants don’t qualify for them.

Let’s Discuss Transitional Housing

In this article, we’ll discuss transitional housing. Arguably, this series of housing assistance programs is one of the most effective in fighting homelessness. We’ll also take a look at the benefits of this housing solution. We also want to talk about who qualifies for the program. Moreover, we’ll discuss different resources from which you can gather more formation about Transitional Housing.

Let’s Define ‘Transitional Housing’

The first thing you should know about Transitional housing is that it’s a temporary solution for those in need. The government is not the only one that provides transitional housing. Private organizations, such as NGOs and religious groups also provide transitional housing solutions. The main idea behind Transitional housing is to help out struggling individuals and families with decent housing. The eventual goal of transitional housing is to help those folks ‘transition’ to their permanent homes.

Transitional housing can come in a wide variety of solutions. It offers solutions that differ in longevity and qualifications. These solutions may also differ according to the urgency an individual or a family has for housing. Finally, governmental transitional housing programs may differ from one state to the other.

Which Part Of The Government Is Responsible For Providing Transitional Housing?

The federal government creates transitional housing programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development takes charge of creating and distributing resources among state governments.

We’ll discuss many of these transitional housing solutions in this article. Moreover, we’ll arrange the solutions mentioned according to how temporary/permanent these solutions can be. Usually, the more temporary these solutions will be, the shorter their application processes will be.

Shelters

Shelters are temporary housing for those in immediate need. They also come in a wide variety, serving different types of individuals. It’s important to learn about the different kinds of shelters available, should you ever need one.

Homeless Shelters

Homeless shelters are there to provide those who need them with a safe place for a good night’s sleep. The idea behind them is to provide a better place for spending the night, rather than on the street.

While these shelters will often provide short-term stays, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Homeless shelters often serve those who show up on their doorsteps first. That means whoever goes to homeless shelters first earns their spot in the shelter first. But, these shelters have limited spaces. That’s why if a shelter is full, they might have to turn people away. However, homeless shelters will often refer their visitors to other homeless shelters nearby.

On top of that, during their stay, homeless shelter residents will receive food, and/or medical services if available. Even if someone gets a bed, they’ll still get information on nearby shelters in the shelter in the city/state should they ever need them. Finally, if you’re looking for nearby homeless shelters, you might find this map useful.

Emergency Shelters

These shelters work the same way homeless shelters do. The main difference is that emergency shelters are only available for those going through emergencies. These emergencies can be domestic violence, teenage runaways, or people displaced due to disasters. Those who had to leave their homes due to a federal decision can also use Emergency shelters.

Besides offering a safe place to rest for the night, emergency shelters also usually provide medical and psychological counseling to victims of such unfortunate emergencies.

Victims of domestic violence or unsafe domestic circumstances should also consider calling The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. This hotline is available 24 hours a day. All operators are well-trained to provide reliable assistance in different situations. If you don’t have access to a phone line, you can also use the online chat option to reach professional help.

Teen runaways can also contact The National Runaway Safeline. Those guys are a reliable resource on what you should do if you ever find yourself in such a situation. They’re also available through this phone number: 1800-RUN-AWAY.

Transitional Shelters

Now we’re getting into the territory of longer stays. Transitional shelters aim to provide more long-term housing solutions, compared to other shelters. Tenants of transitional shelters can expect to stay anywhere between 6 months and 24 months.

But, these shelters are not just about providing a place to stay. Instead, during a tenant’s stay, transitional shelters will work on improving their quality of life. Among other ways, these shelters will work on a tenant’s employability. They may also provide medical/psychological counseling assistance. Furthermore, during a tenant’s stay, they can expect to learn about their goals in life and how to achieve them. A successful transitional shelter will take in homeless people and lead them down a path toward their permanent homes.

We’ll place a link to this directory once more. The directory is a great resource for finding shelters of all kinds (homeless, emergency, and transitional) across the United States. The directory is arranged according to states and cities. To find shelters in your city, click on where your state is on the map, scroll down the list of cities, find yours and choose it. You will find the address of the shelter you want, as well as any available contact information.

Rapid Re-housing

This solution has one goal in mind, fixing the homelessness problem. The main aim of rapid re-housing is to work on the issues that affect homeless people and find ways to fix them. This is done by spending enough time with homeless individuals and finding the causes that led them to life on the streets. Eventually, it aims to improve homeless people’s overall living standards. The list of issues that face these individuals can be pretty long. It can also include things such as substance abuse, mental/physical challenges, and unemployability.

The NGO we mentioned earlier, the National Alliance to End Homelessness has an interesting view on the program. They say that Rapid Re-housing aims to end homelessness by “connecting people with a home. They are in a better position to address other challenges that may have led to their homelessness, such as obtaining employment or addressing substance abuse issues. The intervention has also been effective for people traditionally perceived to be more difficult to serve, including people with limited or no income and survivors of domestic violence.”

Here’s How Rapid Re-Housing Works

As we’ve mentioned above, the idea behind rapid re-housing is to provide a place for homeless individuals to work on themselves. These places have to be safe, sanitary, and open to provide the services necessary to achieve the intended goals. The process of rapid re-housing is broken down into 3 steps:

• Housing Identification: This is where rapid re-housing workers will match participants with appropriate homes. To achieve this, the program works on recruiting reliable landlords and choosing qualified staff for each case. The staff also needs to make sure participants are satisfied with their choice of homes.
• Rent and move-in assistance: Participants may get financial assistance to help out with their move. The program may also help them move their things.

• Case management: Caseworkers will work with participants and get started on the road of removing the obstacles that challenge their lives. They will also do regular checks on participants to monitor their progress.

How To Apply For Rapid Re-Housing

Rapid re-housing provides long-term stays to participants. The program also provides a long list of services to those participants. So, the process of applying is a little more complex than just showing up somewhere.

Let’s take a look at the list of qualifications needed for rapid re-housing:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• If not 18 years old, must provide documentation of legal emancipation
• Household income is at or below 30 percent of Section 8 area median income
• Households that require more than one month’s financial assistance must agree to work with and receive aftercare services from a Housing Stabilization Specialist
• Households must be referred from Emergency or Transitional Housing and meet the HUD definition of “literally homeless”

Here’s also a list of documents you may need to apply for Rapid Re-housing

• Driver’s license or state ID (Must be 18 years old or above)
• Birth certificate for everyone in the household
• Social security card for everyone in the household
• 3 months of current bank statement
• Verification of income

According to HousingForHomless.org, some factors may disqualify you from participating in Rapid Re-housing:

• Records of serious crimes
• Being charged as a sexual offender/predator or murder/manslaughter
• Having past evictions

You Should Contact Your Local Public Housing Authority

If you want to apply for Rapid Re-housing, you should contact your local Public Housing Authority (PHA). These offices are the best resources for information on transitional housing. Over there, you can get more information about the program. You can also ask about any other details on the program.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

According to HUD, “permanent housing in which housing assistance (e.g., long-term leasing or rental assistance) and supportive services are provided to assist households with at least one member (adult or child) with a disability in achieving housing stability.” HUD recognizes disability as physical disability, developmental disability, or a chronic mental disease.

PSH includes the following services:

• Annual Assessment of Services
• Moving costs
• Case management
• Childcare
• Education services
• Employment assistance and job training
• Food
• Housing search and counseling services
• Legal services
• Life skills training
• Mental health services
• Outpatient health services
• Outreach services
• Substance abuse treatment services
• Transportation
• Utility deposits

To qualify for PSH, applicants must satisfy the following standards:

• Be homeless
• Have a member of your household who is disabled.
• Have a low-income household

HUD Has A Priority System For PSH Applications

1. Chronically homeless individuals and families with the longest history of homelessness and with the most severe service needs
2. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness with a disability with long periods of episodic homelessness and severe service needs
3. Homeless individuals and families with a disability with severe service needs
4. Homeless individuals and families with a disability without severe service need
5. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness with a disability coming from transitional housing (and resided on the street or in shelters prior to entering transitional housing)

It’s always a good idea to check with your local Public Housing Authority for the last and most reliable information on PSH.

Conclusion

A lot of people are going through hard times. In some cases, people make mistakes, and these mistakes affect the rest of their lives. In other cases, people are just dealt bad hands in life. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those going through hard times.

When we think about the most basic needs in life, safe housing ranks pretty high, if not highest. Having a safe clean roof over your head makes life a little easier to go through. That’s why the government, NGOs, and other private organizations are working on building safe shelters for every American. It’s important to pay attention to your options when looking for housing assistance. Different programs will provide different benefits. They will also have different requirements.

When applying for federal transitional housing, you must know how long you need housing, also where they can find it. That’s why the government created Benefits.gov. The website is a great directory for different government assistance programs that you may find useful.