The Salvation Army’s new Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program promises to help many local residents

This month, The Salvation Army of Greater Houston has begun implementing a new assistance opportunity in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, in conjunction with the federal Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), to assist individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The goal of this new initiative is to rapidly transition at risk or homeless participants into stable housing.

Through The Salvation Army, the HPRP will assist local individuals and families, who qualify, with financial assistance to help them avoid becoming homeless or to transition back into housing if they are already homeless. Priority will be given to individuals or families who are at the beginning of the homeless cycle. Part of the program will also focus on assisting participants to develop a plan to prevent future instability, whether through their own means or links to community resources and mainstream benefits.

“Despite the better-than-average economic climate of the Greater Houston region, many people in our community have unexpectedly been affected by the overall downturn of the U.S. economy…as well as the devastation of Hurricane Ike just last year,” says Major Chris Flanagan, Area Commander for The Salvation Army of Greater Houston. “The Salvation Army will continue making sure that our friends and neighbors who need help, receive it. This new initiative will allow us to implement more preventative measures that hopefully will make a huge difference for a lot of families.”

Sectioned into two phases, the first phase of this homeless prevention program will include financial assistance to families with children who are in rental based housing and in danger of becoming homeless within a two week period. The second, rapid re-housing phase will include financial assistance to re-house individuals and families, with children, who are homeless according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition.

Qualified individuals must be U.S. citizens, have a total income of 50 percent or less of the Area Median Income, demonstrate the ability to maintain housing post-HPRP assistance, and be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Individuals seeking assistance from the HPRP may apply through The Salvation Army of Greater Houston’s Social Services Department. Those requesting assistance through the program must be prepared to meet with an HPRP caseworker for an initial consultation to determine eligibility.

Applications will be accepted through August 2010, or as long as funding is available.