Fayette County and Lexington eviction assistance.
When it comes to reducing homelessness through Fayette County Kenticky, low income tenants and those facing a crisis, such as a short term reduction in income, can seek help from eviction prevention programs. There are several options available in the community, some of which are government funded and others are provided by non-profits.
The terms and conditions will vary, however a resident should always seek assistance as early as possible. By the time a family has an eviction notice, it is often too late. A tenant should seek advice as soon as their financial situation changes. So if they have a medical crisis, lost their job, or maybe a change in income has occurred, they should seek support.
Eviction assistance can include financial help in the form of federal government grants for paying rent arrears. Some of the charities that focus on housing issues in Fayette County are provided funding from the Emergency Solution Grant program each year. They will use this money to help prevent homelessness in the greater Lexington Kentucky and surrounding community.
There are other government programs used for stopping evictions. Most of the money is allocated from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which is the nation's leading housing authority. Note that these other programs are focused on assisting certain individuals that are facing homelessness, such as veterans.
Fayette County Supportive Services for Veteran Families is for very low income as well as currently homeless veterans. The goal is to help keep the client living in a safe and affordable home. If the veteran does not have a place to live, then SSVF will help place them into a new apartment.
SSVF will focus on eviction prevention to be pro-active to stop homelessness, but in some cases the applicant is already with a safe home to live in. In these cases agencies in Fayette County will offer them short term support. There may be free hotel vouchers provided to get them off the streets, but this tends to only be an option if all of the local shelters in Fayette County are full.
Once the veteran's living situation has been stabilized, then agencies will provide many other support services to the applicant. The client will be assigned a case worker for one on one sessions. They will first help the veteran find a job in Fayette County. Or if they need new skills or job training, that will be arranged. They will also help them address any medical issues they have as well as assist on applications for benefits.
The next step will provide advice so they can save money for a security deposit and future rent costs. If the veteran has an eviction on their record, many landlords will be hesitant to lease to them. So credit repair services will be used in those cases. This can help the client rebuild their credit so that the eviction on their record is either less relevant, or it may even be negated.
Eviction help may also be provided by Shelter Plus Care in Fayette County. This service is for the physically or mentally disabled in the community. The client, if they have a low income and meet other qualifications, such as around having a diagnosis from the doctor.
Fayette County Kentucky residents with a disability will be placed into short term accommodations, mostly in the form of transitional housing. While at the site the client will need to meet the terms and conditions in place. This may include participating in mental health counseling, receiving medical care, and reviewing landlord – tenant responsibilities. There will be some work and/or volunteers requirements as well so that the individual does need to participate into paying a portion of their rental costs.
This may lead into the resident eventually being placed into a HUD program, such as section 8. This is income based housing in the state of Kentucky, and it will generally require the individual to pay as much as 30% of their income for their rent and energy bills. Note due to demand any previously evicted client seeking section 8 may be placed onto a very long waiting list. So there are options for the disabled.
Other support provided to Fayette County as well as the city of Lexington from Housing and Urban Development includes rapid rehousing, legal aid to prevent an eviction, security deposit assistance, as well as help for moving costs. Agencies in the Lexington metropolitan area are often provided funding in January of each year. They then allocate the money for the homeless prevention programs they run.
As noted, it is critical to seek help as soon as a struggle becomes apparent. If the tenant has an eviction or pay or quit notice from their landlord, it is often too late. When the family seeks help early they may get help in negotiating everything from payment plans to referrals to grants and much more. For more information on the services available, dial (859) 258-3810.
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