Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program Shows Success

• Camden County OEO Offers Help to Client Behind in Rent — With five minor children, the desperate mother (whose initials are P. S.), sought back rent assistance through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP2) Program. Her hardship began with a major change in her household composition and income. The children’s father had worked while Paula was a stay at home mom. Unfortunately, he was detained by the United States Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)) agency during the summer; this left Paula having to support her large household alone. She secured employment, but needed help during this transition period. Camden County OEO’s HPRP2 program supplied her with one month’s back rent, and paid the legal fees that she incurred during her difficult eviction notice. Eviction proceedings ended, enabling Paula to maintain her household.

• Camden County OEO Provides Relocation Assistance — Mr. M. B. headed a household of four, including two small children. The family was in and out of court due to the uninhabitable state of their deteriorating condition of their apartment. Finally, the landlord agreed to terminate their tenancy, or they would be removed by a warrant of removal. In dire straits, the family successfully applied for relocation assistance through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP2) Program. It enabled the family to relocate to a motel before receiving assistance for permanent housing. Both parents worked part-time jobs, but they had difficulty saving for a security deposit on a house due to the weekly expense of paying to stay at a motel. The HPRP2 program solved their housing problem by providing them with the necessary security on another apartment. In addition, the HPRP2 program provided the family with the first month’s rent for a safe and affordable apartment. Happily, Mr. M. B. and his family were able to leave the motel and move into a more stable home environment for their children.

• Camden County OEO Comes to Rescue of Family Requiring Rapid Re-Housing — Mr. T. S. was residing in a local homeless shelter; his stay was paid for by a voucher from the New Jersey Board of Social Services after being released from prison and placed on probation. He stayed in compliance with probation and secured employment moving from part-time and into full-time employment. However, since he had become employed fulltime, the Board of Social Services stopped providing him with a shelter voucher. Mr. T. S. was caught in a catch 22: Secure housing on his own or face homelessness that would then violate his probation. During this stressful period, Mr. T. S. contacted the agency and for assistance in securing stable, permanent housing. He was able to secure an affordable onebedroom apartment. In addition, the HPRP2 program was able to provide him with the first month’s rent, the required security deposit plus a security deposit for his gas and electric utilities. In the meantime, Mr. T. S. has rehabilitated himself and successfully reintegrated into society.

• Camden County OEO Pays Back Rent for Single Mother Experiencing Loss of Income — Ms. S.T. is a single mother with one child and experienced a loss of income after she went out on maternity leave from her job. Her situation worsened: she did not qualify for state short-term disability even though she had lost her employment. Although she had some financial support from her child’s father and family, she fell behind in her rent. Months later she was able to re-secure employment, but trailed behind her rent payments. As a result, her landlord filed an eviction notice. However, Ms. S. T.’s landlord was willing to halt the eviction to allow her to remain in the unit if she was able to get make her rent payments current. After determining her eligibility, Camden County OEO’s HPRP2 program provided her with enough funds to pay the three months of her back rent, plus late fees and legal fees from the eviction notice. As a result, the HPRR2 program was able to prevent this clients also from becoming homeless.