Client Self-Sufficiency Services
HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-HAP
Housing Search -
Homeless Prevention and Advocacy
Issue Statement:
The low income and working families and individuals of Cape Cod & Islands have always had a difficult time being able to afford the basic necessities and decent affordable housing. The wages and the cost of living on
Strategy Statement:
The HAP program is mandated to provide the Housing Search Services to the families residing at the DTA funded Safe Harbor Emergency Shelter. Each family at
HAP advocates provide assistance with obtaining subsidized housing applications for every housing opportunity, assist clients in filling out applications and provide transportation to housing authorities.
Advocates provide assistance in finding safe, affordable, permanent housing by providing rental listings, assist clients in the lease-up process, and offering financial assistance information.
Advocates assist families with maintaining their present housing with tenant/landlord/housing authority negotiations, teach tenancy skills, provide tenants rights info, offer financial assistance information for rental arrearage, utility arrearage and benefits maximization.
Stabilization services are provide services for 12 months or longer to the clients that have been placed or maintained. These services include: Monthly to quarterly contacts to monitor the tenancy, referrals to supportive services and informational mailings.
HAP staff also provides advocacy to families and individuals throughout the entire Cape Cod & Islands for public benefits, accessing shelter, tenant/landlord/housing negotiations, evictions, assistance with housing appeals and information and referrals to supportive resources.
HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM-HOP
Cape & Islands Homeless Outreach
Pilot (Plus) House 2 Case Management
Issue Statement:
The Leadership Council to End Homelessness on
Islands 2008 Annual Homeless Count conducted on January 30, 2008
verified 929 homeless persons on the Cape & Islands. Out of the 929
persons, 528 of them are individuals. 112 are living in motels and 64 are
living on the streets.
The Town of
analysis of which CACCI is a longstanding member, in FY02 identified the need for
the creation of a
homeless street population and those who reside in self-made camps around the
town. Although the outreach is primarily in the
Island communities as the only emergency overnight shelter for homeless individuals
in the region is located in
The need to engage this transient target population, many who present with various
emergency situations involving both physical and mental health crises along with the
lack of stable shelter, housing, and basic needs, is critical to their health and safety
and to the community at large. CACCI continues its mandate to serve this most
needy and disenfranchised target population by assisting this population in
accessing and connecting the individuals to the emergency and ongoing services
necessary for each individual engaged to begin their progress towards more stable
health and living conditions.
Strategy Statement:
The Homeless Outreach Program provides a voice for the homeless and
advocacy for access to needed services such as shelter, detox and
substance abuse treatment, mental and physical health services, and
any other basic needs identified. It identifies gaps in the human
services delivery system for this chronic homeless population and works
collaboratively to find solutions. This program was an integral part in the
development of two new programs in our region, Pilot House and
Overnights of Hospitality. The outreach worker continues to be a
conduit for referrals and support to these programs. In addition,
partnering with the Business Improvement District collaborative and
the Town of
collaboration improves communication, understanding, and cooperation
with all who are impacted by the issue of homelessness.
In partnership with the Barnstable Housing Authority, CACCI's Homeless
Outreach Worker provides in-kind case management for five chronic
homeless individuals in the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) Shelter Plus Care funded program called Pilot Plus
(Pilot House 2). Candidates for this program are selected from
participants in the Pilot House program who are considered ready for the
next step of permanent housing and move to the up stairs apartment at
the Pilot House.
RENTAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-RHAP
Issue Statement:
As the 2007 Draft Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan says in its
Introduction to Section 5: Community Housing, The Town of
Barnstable is experiencing a housing crisis, which affects every aspect
of the town's economic and social well-being. During the past five
years, conditions in the local housing market have continued to
escalate at an alarming rate. At the same time, regional wage rates
have not kept pace with the trend, making it more difficult for residents
to purchase or rent an affordable home.
According to
determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Community
Development) for a two-bedroom rental in 2006 was $1,049. The
annual hourly wage needed to afford such a rental unit, so that the rent
does not exceed 30% of income, is $20.17 (or $41,954 annually).
Unfortunately, for the typical service sector jobs of retail sales, janitor
and construction laborer, the median hourly wages are $10.34, $12.76,
and $14.92, respectively. Clearly there is a housing affordability gap.
This gap exists not only for those employed in the service sector, but
also impacts those beginning employment in the professional trades
such as teachers, fire fighters and the police. The affordability gap in
the elderly, minorities, the unemployed and the under-employed. Some
are part of the at risk population in jeopardy of loosing shelter and
potentially becoming homeless. It is these people who are most in
need and for whom CACCI's Rental Housing Assistance Program
(RHAP) would be most helpful.
Strategy Statement:
CACCI's RHAP is a 5-year program that provides vouchers (and
sometimes loans for first, last and security) to families that work or live
in the town of
must pay and the amount they can pay. Families that earn up to 80%
of the HUD Median Income for this region ($51,600 for a family of 3
see Attachment A) are eligible for this program. The objective is to
provide
under a program that would offer education on homeownership, asset
development savings plans, and credit counseling and training in
tenancy skills to maintain housing. The length of the program allows
voucher holders to move from subsidized housing to the private
market. This makes more housing affordable to those who live and
work in
ASSET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS-IDA.
Issue Statement:
Few people have ever spent their way out of poverty. Those who
escape do so through saving and investing in long term
goals. -Michael Sherraden
(creator of the IDA)
Information gathered from Barnstable County Human Service's
Monitoring The Human Condition Study - 2008. . . .
HOUSING - Of the Most Needy Households on
30% of households own their home
48% of households rent their home
35% of households report living in overcrowded housing
18% of households are considered homeless
10% of households report having received PRIVATE charity housing
assistance
48% is total housing payments as a percentage of annual household income
Of the Most Needy Renter Households on
57% of households are BELOW 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
22% report only ONE ADULT in the household
(adult living alone or a single parent)
81% report Not always having enough money for
EMPLOYMENT Of the Most Needy Households on
79% of households report income below the County median
($56,974 in 2006*)
51% of households are living under 200% of poverty level
81% of households report not being able to afford housing
30% of households are considered working poor
42% of households report someone receiving PUBLIC assistance
24% of households report someone receiving assistance/cash grant
Of those most needy households encountering some access barrier(s):
54% of households report at least one adult working full-time
9% of households report ALL adults retired
16% of households report someone being gainfully self-employed
30% are working poor households
EDUCATION Of the Most Needy Households on
Proportion of households with someone who has earned an educational
credential;
87% report at least one high school diploma or GED
26% report at least one 4-year college degree (BA, BS, etc.)
8% report at least one graduate degree (MA, MS, Ph.D., etc.)
13% report at least one 2-year college degree (Associates, etc.)
47% of households report member(s) with inadequate opportunities to
learn new skills or to advance at work
15% of households report someone who left high school without a
diploma
Strategy Statement:
CACCI's Cape Cod & Islands Individual Development Account Program
helps clients to prepare and assists low-income households to
accumulate wealth and grow financially. IDA is a special savings
account designed to match client savings dollar for dollar. The savings
are then invested in the purchase of fist time homeownership, small
business and or education.
FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOPS
PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY
Issue Statement:
In a nation where nearly a third of high school seniors already use a
credit card, a higher proportion have an ATM card, and more than 1.5
million families filed for personal bankruptcy last year, the need for
personal financial literacy is apparent. Yet fewer than 30 percent of
young Americans are given the opportunity to take as much as one
weeks worth of course work in money management or personal finance
in high school.
- About 20 percent of
- The average household with debt carries approximately $10,000 to $12,000 in total revolving debt and has 9 credit cards.
- In 2005, savings rates dipped to minus 0.5 percent, something that hasn't happened since the Great Depression in 1932 and 1933. A negative savings rate means that Americans spent all their disposable income and dipped into past savings or increased their borrowing.
- Americans shelled out more than $24 billion in credit card fees in 2004, an 18% increase over the previous year.
- The median home price has risen 26 percent in the past five years while young adults' income has gone up less than 10 percent.
- About half of adults (49%) say they are concerned they have not paid enough attention to managing their finances as they should have and 48 percent are concerned they don't know enough about financial planning.
Strategy Statement:
Provide Financial Literacy workshops to our community.
The workshop assists participants in realizing their dreams, values and
goals with money and helps participants in creating budgeting spending
plans to reduce fears with financial planning.
.
VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE-VITA.
Issue Statement:
Too many low-income households pay for over-priced tax return services. Being drawn in by the advertisements to get their refunds up ront for a small fee can sometimes be intoxicating for a low-income family that needs their refund right away.
Strategy Statement:
The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $40,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified volunteers sponsored IRS, receive an in-depth training to help prepare basic tax returns on the
MISSIE'S CLOSET
Issue Statement:
Today in
197,000 children and 76,000 senior adults. When people lack the financial means to meet basic needs, they make difficult choices about how to stretch their scarce resources and often go hungry as a result. The high cost of living in
the bare necessitates for low-income families difficult to sustain.
In recent years expenses have skyrocketed, particularly for fuel, shelter and food, which now require an increasingly large proportion of household resources. Between 1996 and 2003, the average annual household expenditure on food grew by an astounding 31 percent from $4,297 to $5,627. In 2006
that 46 percent of people using emergency food pantries in
bills and purchasing adequate food.
An even bleaker picture emerges when we look at the high poverty areas, where hunger is most concentrated. The
sited in the Massachusetts Hunger Assessment II Report as one of the 35 towns with the highest rates of poverty in
study showed that in our area, the prevalence of hunger is six times greater than the statewide average and that one out of every three children lives in a family that struggle to put food on the table.
Strategy Statement:
Here at Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands we have clients coming into our office everyday that need our help with emergency food, clothing and diapers for their children as well as other basic necessities. With transportation being a major barrier for our clients here on the Cape, Missie's Closet is conveniently located in
become an essential part of what we do at CACCI serving over 30 clients in the first month. This innovative and creative response to the needs of our community will serve as a model for others to duplicate. There are no eligibility requirements for the program, and all Cape Cod & Islands residents are welcomed. Missie's Closet is open 9-5 Mon-Fri and off hours upon request to serve a variety of emergency needs.
Contact: Mellisa Carney-Getzie, Program Director, 508 771-1727 ext. 146