Ocean County eviction prevention and rehousing.
The programs available in Ocean County are part of a wide range of services organization by the government and non-profits. Each resource offers different types of assistance, ranging from referrals to grants and more. The options available to tenants include HUD programs as well as access to charities that are part of the Continuum of Care or even United Way network, and the application phone number is below.
Not only will there be support provided to stop an eviction, but even the long term, chronically homeless can enroll into HPRP, or Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing. There are also resources focused on single mothers, veterans, and even the mentally ill or physically disabled. No matter the age, race, religion, or client's background, if a tenant lives in Ocean County and is threatened by an eviction, they should seek help.
Ocean County residents can sometimes struggle to lease an affordable apartment. This is often a challenge for families with a lower to moderate income or those living in poverty. Some applicants have a decent income, but maybe have poor credit scores. The Rapid Re-housing program can deal with improvement credit rating and other more general, counseling issues.
Another barrier is coming up with the money to pay the rental deposit. When an individual has been evicted in the past, they often do not have the cash needed to move. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will typically allocate money to Ocean County for those moving expenses. So a client can apply for security deposit or reimbursement for a lease application fee. In some cases, there may even be motel vouchers or funds for some of the storage costs paid for the families furniture.
The homeless that are moving into a new home also generally need furniture for their new home. Maybe they need a kitchen appliance, bed, a crib for their child, or a coach. Others need utensils or blankets. Those requests are filled by local thrift stores in Ocean County, as many of those (such as Goodwill) are part of the Continuum of Care.
Homeless prevention of course will also try to stop evictions from occurring. This form of aid is not just for anyone. It will almost always give priority to both people facing a short term crisis (that they did not cause) as well as those who would be at risk if they are evicted. The latter will include families with children, senior citizens living on a fixed income, as well as the disabled.
Not only may the funds run out, but the organizations that operate Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing need to be confident that the applicant is otherwise self-sufficient. If they have a past history of being evicted or living in poverty, without taking major steps to rectify the situation, it will be much more difficult to get support in Ocean County.
Instead, eviction help is more for a crisis. It is arranged across the state by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Some examples may be:
- -An unexpected car repair which may lead to higher bills or a job loss.
- -A short term medical issue which cases a temporary reduction in income.
- -A landlord selling their property and evicting the tenant, in which legal aid can often help.
- -Disaster, such as a floor or fire, can lead to enrollment into a program in Ocean County.
- -Tenants with a history of paying rent on time, not falling into arrears on their bills, or not living beyond their means.
- -A divorce or death in the family, leading to a change in the tenant's income.
- -People that used a motel voucher, have saved their money, and now need help moving.
Other criteria may be acceptable as well. The reason that the limited amount of funds are for some or all of those reasons is that they are more short term situations. Emergency eviction prevention is effective for solving a crisis, but it is not often the best option for those living in long term poverty.
For those that qualify, they will have a number of tools available to them throughout Ocean County. Agencies such as the United Way help coordinate services and raise funds from the community. Some charities will enroll clients into the eviction prevention programs, and at that time they can explore options for financial help or other aid.
Applying and phone number for homeless prevention in Ocean County
The bottom line is that are resources available for qualified families in Ocean. While evictions will never be stopped in their entirety, there are in fact agencies across Ocean County that try to stop homelessness and keep people safe in their own home. Call 732-901-1246 Ext. 3237.
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