Wake county families living in hotels may qualify for financial assistance

Dwayne Daughtry — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 01:09:54 +0000

Rental rates in Wake County are up 35%, while the number of affordable housing units continues to drop by 900 every year. This stark contrast is creating a new reality for low-income families: the possibility of suddenly becoming homeless.

Starting Monday, Wake County families living in hotels may be eligible for new financial assistance to pay for housing.

The program Wake Prevent! has been around since October, helping 100 households a month cover the cost of housing. Recently, the pandemic has increased the need for housing assistance, especially for those who live in hotels.

To help those families in the most precarious of situations, Wake County’s Housing and Community Revitalization Department has launched Wake Prevent!, a new initiative under its Division of Homelessness and Prevention Services.

“Financial best practices advise you not to spend more than one-third of your income on housing, but that’s not possible for more than 40,000 Wake County residents who spend at least half of their paycheck on housing,” said Jessica Holmes, chair, Wake County Board of Commissioners. “The goal of our Wake Prevent! program is to help residents teetering on the edge of financial stability find a safe place to stay, so they can avoid sleeping on the streets.”

Wake Prevent! rental assistance and case management is available to Wake County families who are:

At or below 50% of the area median income (currently $46,350 for a family of four); and
Less than 30 days to homelessness.

They must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

Currently fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence;
Doubling up (couch surfing) and told to leave the unit;
Notified by the property owner or manager that they must vacate a leased property;
Paying for a hotel/motel without assistance; or
Exiting an institution (mental/physical health, prison) with no resources or support system to assist upon release.

Wake Prevent! is referral-based and accessible through the Coordinated Entry System. To access Wake Prevent! as well as shelter and support services, individuals can contact a Coordinated Entry Access Site to set up an appointment. Coordinated Entry Access Sites are located in the following locations:

About the Department of Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization
Wake County’s Department of Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization works to implement housing affordability strategies and services that are not supported by the housing market with the end goal of making the county more affordable to more people.

The department consists of three divisions – Housing Affordability, Homelessness and Prevention Services, and Permanent Supportive Housing – working seamlessly as a unit to make living in Wake County affordable and eradicate homelessness. For more information, visit wakegov.com/housing.

NCRSOL staff is researching if similar programs are offered elsewhere in the state.

North Carolina Registrants Must Be An Active Part of Health Care

Dwayne Daughtry — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 03:39:51 +0000

All too often, the staff at NCRSOL are asked questions about what registrants can do? There are plenty of laws on the books attempting to restrict every movement or opportunity. But it is vitally important to share what services are readily available to the registrant community.

Being placed on a registry for the world to view tends to isolate and shelter into place those that need a chance to talk to someone professionally about how to take care of themselves? But where in North Carolina can those impacted by the registry go to seek either medical or mental health matters?

Fortunately, a few calls have been placed to various county clinics or agencies to discover a wide range of services that most people do not take advantage of? There are some free programs, while others are low cost starting around $10. It greatly depends on what a registrant is in search for? But rather than living in shame or perhaps fearful in seeking help, assistance, or sharing vulnerabilities, it is essential to maintain a healthy body and mind.

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/providers/lme-mco-directory

We have found North Carolina managed health crisis locations along with health and mental health facilities available to any North Carolinian. It begins with making a phone call to discover what services are available in your county or region. There are plenty of registrants that are afraid to access the internet. This is why it is critical that those with the internet or the ability to advocate for others get the message out so that all people have accessibility in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you know of someone affected by the registry that is searching for medical needs, please share this information and help spread the word.

There are plenty of partnerships to help registrants qualify and receive Medicaid, vision, low-income, aging, hearing, veteran, and perhaps disability services. It is up to all of us to become compassionate enough to advocate for people rather than the stigma of the past. Contacting your county social services may be the first step in ensuring registrants have a voice and are recognized rather than becoming marginalized.

If North Carolina continues to create draconian sex offender laws, then at least as a part of our advocacy is to flood the system with new clients that require immediate assistance to maintain a healthy lifestyle and outlook to assimilate back into society. Let’s do our part by using whatever systems are available by continually calling until we find the answers we are looking for to help the registrant community.

veteran – NCRSOL

Wake county families living in hotels may qualify for financial assistance

North Carolina Registrants Must Be An Active Part of Health Care