Racine County homeless, eviction and foreclosure prevention.
The primary homeless prevention program available in Racine County is funded by Emergency Solution Grants (ESG). The program is paid for using federal government funds, and it allows many different services to be available in the community. The main parts of it are below.
Note there are multiple agencies in Racine County that are involved in offering this homeless prevention program. They are all part of the Continuum of Care for the City and as well as County of Racine. Any tenant or homeowner that is struggling, or a currently homeless person, should call the referral line below for more information on how to apply. Note all the money for these homeless prevention and rehousing programs are part of HUD – Housing and Urban development McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Foreclosure and eviction prevention – This is a main part of what is available in Racine County. In fact this is what the number one request is typically for on an annual basis. This component incorporates many different forms of assistance, ranging from financial aid to pay for housing costs to legal assistance, mediation, and more.
Racine County tenants, or the currently homeless, may receive a cash grant. The government money from ESG can be applied to paying many different housing expenses, ranging from rent arrears to a security deposit, utility bill, or storage costs. Other uses of ESG money may be to turn on power or electricity, pay for some lawyer fees, cover moving expenses, and even some credit counseling or job training costs. Whatever it takes to keep the family or individual safely housed (whether in their current or a new home) may be paid.
Homeless outreach is a reactive approach to ending homeless in the county. There are volunteers as well as case managers who go across Racine identifying people with housing issues. There may be visits to parks, shelters, and abandoned cars among other places. Outreach involves providing the homeless the assistance they need. This may be clothing, free food or meals, a blanket, medical treatment, and more. The process then involves keep the person (or even family) into a safer place to live, often a local homeless shelter in Racine County.
Homeless prevention also involves getting a resident into an emergency shelter. Then they will ideally transition into the rapid rehousing program in Racine County (see below). Sometimes the person who goes into a shelter was identified by the outreach process above. In other instances a shelter may be for someone who was just evicted, mentally ill, a women or child fleeing domestic violence, or really anyone.
Rapid Rehousing in Racine County is maybe the last part of the process. When a homeowner has lost their home to a foreclosure, or a tenant has been evicted due to unpaid rent, legal issues, or unpaid energy bills, then rehousing is offered.
Of course the goal is to get the client into new, permanent housing. But much else often needs to be addressed before that goal is possible. So rapid rehousing addresses employment barriers, any credit or debt issues, life skills, and more. If and when needed, then some financial assistance may be offered to help pay for everything ranging from a security deposit to first month’s rent and more. The process is also ongoing, as the goal is to both help the client find a new, affordable home and maintain it; so not be evicted again.
Senior citizens as well as the disabled in Racine County have another option. But this may only be for them, and is in addition to the resources above. Homeless prevention programs may be available as part of the Aging and Disability Center, or ADRC. Case managers help them get into housing, or keep their current one. There is support in applying for government benefits, whether it is SSI, Section 8 vouchers, or something else.
As noted, there are multiple agencies that participate in the various rehousing programs, shelter, and homeless prevention. It also depends on whether the resident is a tenant or homeowner. For more information on solutions, or assistance, dial (866) 211-3380.
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