1. Understanding Issues of Homelessness
Monica Bogucki, BSW, JD, 2017 copyright 2017

2. Faces of Homelessness II Video
National Coalition for the Homeless-You Tube Video

3. Homeless Youth: Finding Home Video
Amherst Wilder Foundation

4. Becoming Homeless Anyone can become homeless
Being homeless is being “precariously” housed
It means that the individual or family has no legal right to stay at a home or shelter.
Includes those who are staying with relatives or friends as guests.
Includes anyone staying at a shelter
Includes anyone who is staying in outside, vacant houses, or temporary locations
Campers/rvs
Living in motels

5. What contributes to becoming homeless
Domestic violence
Physically vulnerable-physical impairments
Mentally vulnerable-mental health issues, developmental delays
LGBT
Veterans
Child Abuse and Neglect
Working at temporary jobs
Working at low income jobs
Lack of Affordable Housing
Poor credit score
Lack of funds for security deposit and first month rent

6. What contributes to becoming homeless
Becoming a single parent
Loss of job
Evictions on record
Criminal record

7. Lack of Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is 30 percent of monthly income.
Individuals and families may be paying 60 to 80 percent of their income for housing
This is a crucial issue for advocates

8. Types of Affordable Housing
Federal or State subsidized housing
There are a variety of these programs
Ideally, an individual or family pay 30 percent of their income for housing
Section 8 certificate or voucher
Project based subsidized housing
Some federal programs provide builders and developers tax credits to build housing- with a commitment from the builder to set aside a percentage of the housing for reduced rent housing. Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is the most important resource for creating affordable housing in the United States today. The LIHTC database, created by HUD and available to the public since 1997, contains information on 45,905 projects and 2.97 million housing units placed in service between 1987 and

9. Housing Ownership Programs
United States Dept. of Agriculture, Rural Housing Development
Well built, affordable housing is essential to the vitality of communities in rural America. Housing Programs give families and individuals the opportunity to buy, build, repair, or own safe and affordable homes located in rural America. Eligibility for these loans, loan guarantees, and grants is based on income and varies according to the average median income for each area.
Homeownership Programs
Low interest, fixed-rate Homeownership loans are provided to qualified persons directly by USDA Rural Development. Financing is also offered at fixed-rates and terms through a loan from a private financial institution and guaranteed by USDA Rural Development for qualified persons. Neither one of these home loan programs require a down payment.
USDA Rural Development also offers competitive grants to public and private non-profit Self-Help Housing organizations and Federally Recognized Tribes to enable hardworking families to build their own homes.

10. Housing Ownership Programs
Habitat for Humanity

11. Snapshot Remember we are seeing only a “snapshot” of this person
We do not have all of the prior history.

12. Trauma Informed Care
It is important to remember that a client may have experienced one or more traumas in his life.
We must learn to recognize trauma.
We must learn to interview with gentleness and kindness.
We do not want to re-traumatize a client.
Needs to client centered interviewing

13. Types of emergency housing
Short term emergency shelters
Warm sleeping centers
Transitional housing
Domestic violence shelters
Motel
Types of housing can focus on particular populations
Mental health
Elder
Families
Single adults
Youth
Chemical dependency

14. General Assistance Eligibility
Categorical eligibility hypotheticals

15. Homeless Shelter Exercise
Small group