Monroe County and Rochester NY New York eviction prevention and rehousing.
Agencies across Monroe County have partnered together in order to offer eviction help to low income tenants. The Continuum of Care in the county is made up of several agencies, including the Homeless Services Network as well as the United Way of Greater Rochester. The solutions offered by them, as well as others, range from eviction and foreclosure prevention (for homeowners) to helping people find a new, low income apartment to live in.
The services are arranged by the Continuum of Care in Monroe County New York. This group of individuals and non-profits, some of which are mentioned above, coordinate the programs for struggling tenants. They not only help individuals apply for government grants for paying rental arrears or security deposits, but they can also refer tenants with an eviction notice to legal aid or alternative, more affordable homes or apartments to live in.
There are several resources available for preventing homelessness in the city and county. More information is below. For the currently homeless in the Rochester area, they too can get assistance as well.
Eviction assistance is available from dozens of agencies that are part of the Homeless Service Network. Some of the leading organizations that facilitate support include the county of Monroe as well as the social service department in the city of Rochester. They not only assist people who are now homeless, but the groups take a pro-active approach when possible to stopping the eviction to begin with.
Legal aid is one key step to this process. When a tenant has a pay or quit notice from their landlord, or if they are threatened with an eviction for another reason or live in unsafe housing, then the city of Rochester have several recommend approaches.
- One resource, known as tenant education, is offered by Monroe County Legal Assistance Center. This is where landlords and tenants can learn about their rights and obligations.
- An eviction notice can be reviewed by the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, and lawyers will determine if the notice is legit or not.
- Other eviction prevention services range from court representation to free consultations.
Government grants can also be used as well. The Continuum of Care will try to receive money from the federal government each year. The individual non-profit agencies will seek these funds so that they can help lower income tenants with their housing expenses.
The programs offered, which include Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) as well as Emergency Solution Grants, provide emergency cash aid for paying rental or heating/utility bill arrears, provide free motel vouchers for those that are homeless, and offers case management.
Anyone seeking financial aid from the Monroe County Continuum of Care needs to meet a number of qualifications as well. There income will be assessed, ability to pay future housing costs on their own, and much more is required.
Any financial help given to the family comes with holistic case management. Whether a client is homeless and is seeking money for a security deposit, or rent help to stop the eviction, the staff from the non-profit need to ensure people get back on their feet as quickly as possible. It mandates such actions as self-sufficiency, employment, budgeting, and other stops the tenant needs to take.
Some agencies in Monroe County focus on a particular client. Single mothers can get eviction help from Community Place of Greater Rochester, and shelter for males only is arranged by the Catholic Family Center Francis Center. When homeowners are try to prevent a foreclosure and/or homelessness, the best resource for them may be Housing Council and Empire Justice Center.
The Rochester Housing Authority as well as County of Monroe have also implemented a rapid rehousing program. Various organizations, such as Coordinated Care Services Inc, work with them in an effort to support people who no longer have a home to live in.
This process is long and combines financial aid (including security or utility deposit help) with temporary placement into shelters or motels vouchers. The client that was eviction and is now homeless needs to be strongly committed to overcoming their living situation, and the staff from the Homeless Services Network and other groups can support them along the way.
Monroe County may have access to grants from the Housing and Urban Development. This will help with the rehousing process as well. The agencies that offer this service can provide many services to clients that are homeless because of a foreclosure or an eviction. The end result of HUD is a higher availability of affordable, quality apartments for the less fortunate.
Supportive Housing is used for the disabled and senior citizens in the region. This form of rehousing will give them an affordable, income based apartment to live in as well as other services. It often combines coordinated social service activities such as transportation, medical care, and help in applying for benefits. It is focused on meeting the need for this vulnerable group of Monroe County New York residents.
Anyone who is homeless due to an abusive situation, whether a women or child, can get help from the Willow Domestic Violence Center. The staff will help place the individual into a safe home or shelter. They will also give them food, clothing, access to legal aid (including restraining orders and advice on stopping future evictions) and other forms of support. The phone number is (585)232-7353.
Phone number and applying for rehousing and homeless prevention programs
For more information on programs for stopping an eviction, call 585-275-5151 for referrals. Or another option is the Monroe County Housing Council, which can be reached at (585)546-3700.
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