Outreach Services : Homeless Prevention & Assistance

Semcac’s Outreach Services offers homeless prevention and assistance as funding is available.

Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program

This program is designed to decrease homelessness by providing one-time assistance with a rent or mortgage payment for households that need a short-term “bridge” until their financial situation is expected to stabilize. Participants must meet program and income guidelines and be able to financially sustain their housing payment after Semcac's assistance. Participants also agree to follow-up visits.

Rural Housing Assistance and Stability Program

This program provides information, referral, advocacy, and first month's rent and/or security deposit assistance to homeless persons. Participants must meet the HUD definition of homelessness and be able to financially sustain their rental housing after Semcac's assistance.

Freeborn County Homeless Shelter

The homeless shelter consists of three apartments adjoining Semcac's Freeborn County Contact Center in Albert Lea, MN. A case manager meets regularly with each shelter household, helping residents work toward stability, secure permanent housing and transition back into the community. The case manager works one-on-one with the household to develop a growth plan, improve financial literacy, and access other resources such as transportation, child care, job-seeking skills, medical care, food and clothing. Residents may stay at the shelter for up to 90 days.

Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-housing Program

Semcac has received new funding through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to administer the Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) in all seven of our primary service area counties. This project is something new for Semcac, as we have not had funding available to offer longer term housing assistance and case management. The new HPRP funds will provide homeless households or households at risk of losing rental housing with rental assistance and case management. Mortgage assistance is not an eligible activity under the HPRP.

The program will be targeted towards those who have been impacted by the economic crisis and are struggling to obtain or maintain housing due to unemployment or under-employment. Rental assistance through this new program is an income-based subsidy—the qualifying household must pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross income towards their rent. Semcac will commit to no more than three months of rental subsidy upon the initial consultation with Semcac's Outreach Services staff member. The household will receive at least two case management sessions each month for housing relocation and stabilization services and for the evaluation of the household’s progress towards stability. Rental assistance is only guaranteed on a month-by-month commitment. Required case management will include in-depth assessment, goal-setting, referrals and follow-up, household budgeting and financial literacy training, and housing search and placement.