Ohio Domestic Violence Network Relocation Assistance Program

Lack of money is one of the primary reasons survivors cannot leave, or survivors return to an abusive relationship.

ODVN ‘s Relocation Assistance for Survivors Provide up to $1200 in financial assistance for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking who seek to relocate for safety purposes. My job is to make sure that individuals who need assistance to relocate will have funds to do so .

Eligibility… The individual is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking The survivor needs to relocate for safety reasons The survivor must be referred by a VOCA – funded domestic violence/sexual assault program All local available funding must first be utilized, where possible, before requesting relocation funds (including HEAP, in-house VOCA relocation funds, JFS, and HUD) The same criteria used to determine other potential clients eligibility. No proof of survivorship is needed The survivor does not have to accept other services in order to be screened but our expectation is that you will offer them the services that your program offers such as: Letting them know of the resources available Information on address confidentiality Planning on how to maintain housing Safety planning Other services your agency offers Best Practice: Face to face appointment When requesting funds from ODVN, please be sure that the survivor has attempted to access all applicable funding sources prior to your request from us.

What’s Covered? Security deposit First, second or third months rent Utility start up fees and/or back utilities up to $500 Transportation (bus, airfare, airport shuttle) U-haul, fuel-only gas card Back rent owed to MHA If utility statement is more than $500 Must have statement from utility company stating that the utilities will be turned on with that payment or a utility statement and a statement from you on your company’s letterhead verifying that you have communicated with the utility company and the $500 will allow the utilities to be turned on Or/along with a utility statement and on your program’s letterhead verifying that your program will pay the difference beyond ODVN’s payment. NEED ACCOUNT NUMBERS Each vendor we need a separate form completed. Back rent owed to Metro housing Cannot cover Work related expenses such as uniforms; vehicle repairs, license Plates or registration, auto insurance, school fees, mortgage payments, cribs mattresses, car seats, purchase of furniture, payment of rent due to job loss or other issue. You must be moving to a different location in order for us to approve relocation funds.

Covered Items Funding for Assisted Living Lock change Temporary boarding of pets Documents needed to secure housing (birth certificates, ID, etc.) Storage units Sometimes I receive calls from advocates asking if we can pay the rent for a survivor who wants to stay in their home or apartment. We are not able to pay the rent but if she would like for us to pay to have the lock changed we can do that.. In the case of storage units, we must have the invoice in order to pay the bill. DV/SA programs are responsible for making sure the needs of older victims are met: Facility disabilities accessible; Collaboration with aging/disability resource centers; Accessible printed resources; Safety planning with older individuals: http://www.ncall.us/gethelp/safetyplanning

Note: ODVN’s Relocation Assistance Program is not limited to Intimate Partner Violence) The violence doesn’t have to be an Intimate Partner violence to be covered by the relocation assistance program. The qualifying victim can be an elderly person being abused by a family member or a child being physically or sexually abused. Domestic violence does not only happen to adults. Forty percent of girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend, and approximately one in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.      Dianne Feinstei

Relocation Assistance Application Tips Complete all sections of the application Full documentation needed to accompany application Direct pay to vendor or reimbursement to DV/SA program Applications should be faxed to ODVN All Sections Page 3 Section “C” roman numerals 1-4 (need explanation) N/A should only be circled if for instance, the request is for bus tickets-HEAP is not applicable submit a separate vendor request form for each vendor if there are more than one. Full Documentation: (signed lease for rent or security deposit Receipts for transportation, U Haul, utility paid or due) The only way that I can pay partial payments for rent, utilities, storage, etc is if there is a receipt or a letter on your agency’s letterhead explaining the difference. W9 tax form completed by the landlord if a private owner EX: Rent is 1500 and you are requesting 1200. We have to know that the additional #300 has been paid. This could be a receipt from the landlord or a letter from your agency stating that you will pay the balance or a landlord stating that the balance is being waived. Fax application, do not mail unless your fax isn’t working or you just can’t get through to me. ( confidentiality purposes and if I have a lot of emails I may choose later in the day to read my emails depending on my volume of applications. Reimbursement to DV Program

Application Tips Rent/Security Deposit Requests (lease is required or letter from the landlord) Utilities (lease is required and bill from utility company) Storage/Moving Truck Request (lease is required if moving in state) Bus/Airfare Requests (no lease required if survivor is traveling to a shelter or to family/friend Again, the lease must be signed by both parties and the amount that you are asking for matches the amount in the lease. If the amount in the lease is more than what you are asking for it is important to include a receipt with the application for the additional amount. Include receipt for documentation U Haul trucks It would be best if the agency paid and got reimbursed up to the allowed amount you can get the receipt and send it to me along with the receipt If that is not possible, I will pay for it but we have to work together to get a receipt. If the survivor has found an apartment in another city we need the lease. Remember to include a write-up on your program’s letterhead explaining why the move is safer and what resources in the new area you have made the survivor aware of

WORKING WITH LANDLORDS Lease must be signed by survivor and landlord Private landlords (i.e. Joe Smith instead of Starr Realty) must submit a W9 with social security number included If issues with check mailing timeline Advocate can contact landlord with survivor’s permission ODVN letter If a leasing company refuses to provide a lease until payment is made. Try to solicit a letter on company letterhead stating that the survivor has been approved for the apartment and that upon receipt of the payment the will be able to move in If that doesn’t work I will give a letter to the advocate to forward to the landlord

Referral & Process Time The survivor MUST be referred through a VOCA-funded domestic violence/sexual assault program http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/individuals-and-families/victims/VOCA-SVAA-grantsforadvocates Payments from ODVN can take up to a minimum of 2 weeks to be processed and mailed (depends on full and complete applications) All local available funding must first be utilized where possible before requesting relocation funds (in-house VOCA only where earmarked for relocation). Programs are devoted to provide services for domestic violence/sexual assault and/or stalking Payments can come sometime longer due to holidays, vacation time and the availability of our Executive Director and/or finance person.

Survivors are Strong! Survivors survive, and even thrive, against all odds, using amazing coping skills. Survivors don’t need to be rescued – they need to be empowered. Financial assistance can help!

Shryiell Owens, Relocation Assistance Program Coordinator 614.781.9651 Fax 614.781.9652 shryiello@odvn.org