Services

Findlay Hope House for the Homeless, Inc. provides transitional, residential shelter for homeless women and homeless women with children in Hancock County.

Facilities:

9 bedroom Community Living Facility (each bedroom has a lock for maximum privacy)
2 ½ baths
Laundry facilities on-site
Kitchen to prepare own meals
Recreation room which includes TV/DVD and toy room
On-site staff or volunteers at all times

Program Eligibility:

Homeless or Potentially Homeless Women or Women with Children
Desire to Work Program to Become Independent
Background check as histories of violent crimes would result in more appropriate referrals
30 days clean and sober
Willingness to pay 35% of net income to Hope House (zero income, zero program fee)

Case Management Services:

· Goal Setting

· Budgeting Assistance

· Linkage to Needed Resources

· Advocacy

· Assistance with Employment Opportunities

· Assistance with Educational Opportunities

· Assistance with Transportation Needs

· Weekly Living Skills/Educational Meeting

·        After Care Services
   – Linkage to Needed Resources maybe including security deposit and utility loans
   – Advocacy

· Reference to Landlords

Child Advocacy Services:

CHILDREN:

· Child Care Sessions with Staff and Youth Volunteers

· Free Play

· Arts and Crafts

· Seasonal and Cultural Celebrations

· Birthday Parties

· Summer Field Trips (Zoo, COSI, etc.)

· Making Friends

· Computer Education

· Empowerment to be Themselves

FAMILY UNIT

· Provide Case Management Services for Child and Parent

· Provide Support and Referral Services for Physical, Mental Health, Developmental, Optical, Dental & Medical Needs

· Act as Liaison for Local School System

· Build and Enhance Parenting Skills

· Provide Child Care Referrals

· Provide Support

· Provide After-Care Services

The Hope House Independence Program assists participants by paying the clients’ rent for up to one year. The client must pay program fee of 25% of net income and deposit 5% into a double-signature saving account. The case manager makes home visits; clients work on goals to become self-sufficient within the year they are in the program. Clients also work on a budget and obtain their credit report.

Clients must provide proof of income and make program payments on a schedule set up with the Hope House Case Managers. A landlord’s lease will be signed by the client after staff review. Clients have a choice of apartments to rent.

Through case management, clients hope to achieve: a living wage with benefits, landlord/tenant responsibilities, financial stability, personal behaviors and responsibilities for permanent housing and self sufficiency.

All rental assistance program clients will initially have weekly case management to focus on financial, tenant, employment and transportation issues. Increased education will be encouraged over full-time low paying jobs to improve employment income potential.

The Housing Office provides FREE assistance to low-income individuals and families, landlords or management companies to prevent eviction or foreclosure by providing mediation, conflict resolution and community referrals. Hope House does NOT provide cash assistance. The goal is to assist low to moderate-income people in Hancock County, OH to obtain and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing either by renting or purchasing housing.

What Hope House staff does:

Helps you locate affordable housing and provide a housing resource list of available rentals. We also provide information to low and moderate-income homebuyers on possible purchase or homeowner education programs available within the community.

Helps you with Landlord/Tenant and Fair Housing issues including filing a complaint.

Makes referrals to other agencies for financial assistance and other needed services.

Advocates for you with outside agencies or landlords.

Accompanies you to appointments with landlords, social service agencies or the Department of Jobs and Family Services when necessary.

Provides information on other community services available to you.

Offers telephone and transportation assistance when securing housing.

Provides assistance to prevent eviction if possible.

Works closely with the Hancock Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Assist clients with paperwork, location of housing and transportation to view available units.

Mediates landlord/tenant issues to prevent eviction, resolve rent disputes and other problems that may have evolved between the tenant and landlord. We refer clients to a foreclosure prevention program which may be able to renegotiate a mortgage. We advocate against predatory lending.

Refers people to appropriate agencies for possible cash assistance to pay back-rent to avoid eviction.

Assists the individual or family in obtaining services with other issues that may lead or have lead to eviction or homelessness. Such issues may include: substance abuse, domestic violence, illness or job loss, etc.

Assesses clients and examines their needs so that appropriate referrals can be made to agencies that assist with medical, mental health, budgeting, legal, domestic violence, food, furniture, emergency housing, transportation, senior services, or other community resources.

Works with the client on a budget and the amount he/she can afford in rent. Affordable housing is based on the HUD standard that no more than 38% of a client's take home pay is paid toward rent. We cannot guarantee that the client will be a good tenant. It is up to the landlord to check references, employment or complete background checks.

Informs the client about their responsibilities of being a good tenant and how to understand a lease agreement. We try to provide each client with a package containing a "How to be a Good Tenant," a brief copy of the landlord/tenant and Fair Housing laws, and what to look for in an apartment.
Makes referrals to rental units or management-companies based upon the information received from the client or referring company. (For example: a client with only $800 income per month would not be referred to a $500 a month unit. A client with 4 children would not be referred to a one-bedroom apartment.)

Fair Housing means you have a right to choose where you can afford to live. State and Federal laws prevent landlords from denying you housing because of Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Disability (mental or physical,) Familial Status (children or pregnant), National Origin, Ancestry, or Military Status.

Families with children have the right to live where they can afford to live. Housing discrimination is illegal and no longer accepted anywhere in they United States. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, The Fair Housing Act of 1968, was amended in 1988 to include Familial Status. This means it is against the law for a landlord to deny anyone an apartment or house because they have children or are pregnant. Children are considered anyone under 18 years of age. Also, a landlord cannot ask someone to move when they receive legal custody of children. The following are exceptions to the Fair Housing Law: Senior Housing Complexes, and when 80% of the units have persons 55 or older.

Remember, children need a place to live just like everyone else. Under Federal and State law, it is illegal for a landlord to tell you can't live in their apartment because you have children. No one can tell you that children have to have their own room. Findlay has no building codes limiting occupancy. This law applies to current and potential tenants. Persons can be turned down due to credit history or be evicted for a lease violation but not because they have children.