Our Homeless Prevention program is
rapidly becoming a vital portion of the overall mission of the ERP.
For several years, the ERP has helped families with emergency rent
and utility payments to keep them in their homes and to keep their
heat and lights on.
The emergency help provided to these families on
the edge of homelessness is extremely cost-effective. A family that
can remain in their current home avoids significant relocation charges
in utility hook-up fees and deposits. Emergency help also saves
the family the stress of adapting to a new community and reduces
the need for support from social service agencies.
The growing need for this help reflects
the sad reality that many individuals and families in Story County
cannot afford their housing. The increasing eviction rate in Ames
and Story County also supports this fact.
Vic Moss, ERP's director, coordinates the home- |
less prevention program with other local organizations
who help families in danger of losing their housing.
Such groups include the Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance Fund,
a consortium of local religious organizations who have pooled
their dollars and the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church's Love
Your Neighbor Fund.
From the ERP fund, families may receive up to $300 to cover utility
bills, back rent, or security deposits.
Each year, the ERP and these other organizations spend well over
$75,000 to help families remain in their housing.
ERP's Homeless Prevention program is a necessary
stop-gap measure to ensure that families remain housed in the short
term. Hopefully, a more permanent, affordable solution can be created
for these families.
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