Help for individuals and families in Tuscarawas, Carroll and Harrison counties who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
H.O.M.E. NET, the housing continuum of care, for Tuscarawas County, will serve as the administrator of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program that will serve individuals and families in Tuscarawas, Carroll and Harrison counties that are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless because they cannot afford to pay for rent and/or utilities or are behind in paying rent and utilities. The program will be known as the H.O.P.E. Program – Housing, Opportunities, Partnerships and Empowerment. The name of the project signifies hope for people struggling with housing issues, but also identifies the importance of opportunities, partnerships and empowerment that are necessary to combat homelessness, according to Marilyn L. Henry, CEO of Personal & Family Counseling Services and a member of H.O.M.E. Net.Each county will have a single point of entry for the H.O.P.E. Program, including Personal & Family Counseling Services of Tuscarawas Valley, Inc. (PFCS) for Tuscarawas County, Carroll County Job & Family Services for Carroll County and Harcatus CAO for Harrison County. P.A.L. Mission will provide case management services for young adults leaving foster care once identified by one of the single points of entry.
The head of the household requesting assistance must contact the H.O.P.E. Program in the county where they reside and complete an assessment to determine eligibility for assistance and agree to participate in case management services. Henry stated that assistance from the program is not simply to put a bandaid on the problem of homelessness, but rather to deal with the cause of the problem. Case management services will ensure housing as well as access other community resources including financial literacy, education regarding how to be a good tenant, household management and other skills important to maintaining housing stability rather than focusing on emergency shelter and other short term solutions to deal with homelessness in the three counties.
Eligibility for the H.O.P.E. Program is determined by the assessment completed by the case manager in each county. However, common requirements for assistance are verification of income at or below 50 percent of area median income and are either homeless or at risk of homelessness as well as:
• Age 21 years or older
• Families with or without children
• Young adults 18 to 24 years of age leaving or having been in the foster care system
• Willingness to participate in the program, including case management services
• Tuscarawas, Carroll or Harrison County resident, and
• U.S. citizen or documentation of legal residence status.
One of the goals, according to Henry, for each household is to empower them to reach the highest possible level of self-sufficiency. This includes providing intensive case management services initially to those at highest risk of homelessness to ensure the amount of financial assistance is as short term as possible to end or prevent homelessness.
Households receiving assistance through the program will be re-assessed at least every three months by the agency providing the single point of entry and the case management services.
Information about the H.O.P.E. Program may be obtained by contacting:
Tuscarawas County – PFCS at 330-343-8171
Carroll County – Job and Family Services at 330-627-7313
Harrison County – Harcatus at 740-942-8886.