HPRP: Stimulus Funds Helping Would Be Homeless Families
Since October, 2009 a little known federal program, the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), has assisted an estimated 600,000 Americans in avoiding homelessness. The micro-funds provided by HPRP are used to cover expenses such as rent checks, security deposits, utility bills, and moving expenses.
According to a recent Time Magazine article, struggling families have been especially hard hit in the recession:
Meanwhile, unemployment and foreclosure have sent tens of thousands of families into financial free fall. At the beginning of 2009, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projected that the severe recession and the growth of long-term unemployment would push an additional 1.5 million people into the streets. Asks Roman: “Why should we think that people can get their lives together, get a job, keep their kids in school, when they live in a van or a shelter? It is not reasonable. People need the stability of a home. You need housing to be employed. It’s the platform for everything else.” With long-term unemployment at record highs, Congress is considering providing an additional $1 billion in funding for HPRP as part of a forthcoming jobs bill.
Micro-funds to keep people off the streets and on the road back to self sufficiency. Now THIS is the kind of stimulus we could get behind.
We’d love to hear from folks on the front lines - what do you think of this program? Do you think providing these types of funds to qualifying individuals works?
These funds are available in certain areas but everyone is not given equal accessability to them. For instance if you go into the organization that is over the funds and ask about them they will give you the run around and tell you that they are only for ppl. who are actually homeless and living in cars or abandonded buildings or on the streets. Even if you are 3 or 4 months behind in your rent payments and threatening eviction. It is not considered homeless to some of these organizations. What do you have to do get put out on the streets before you can get some help? I think this is wrong and if these organizations are giving false information, I think they should be punished.
I’m sorry if you had a bad experience working with the HPRP program, but every city has their own criteria of eligibility. HPRP is consisted of two different services that involves either keeping a family in housing (that have a sustainable income proportionate to the rent and household expenditures with minimal “Red Flags”) and helping an individual or family find affordable housing and help them move in with the move-in costs that has experienced homelessness that is not chronic. Some cities offer one or both of the services and just because some people might have had a bad experience, the program is changing lives and there is no need to “punish” anyone who is participating in the HPRP program. The reality is, the program is geared towards a specific population that had a hick up in their financial situation and need short term assistance to get back on their feet. Being 3 to 4 months behind on rent is more than a hick up and a red flag that reflects the ability to manage funds and pay rent. Which would make this program not a good fit for that individual.
Im currently a mother of three just lost my job and my home. Ive went to every place i can think of or get asent to to get this help and still i get nothing. Im starting to believe there isnt even a program, they tell you theres nothing they can do until you are homeless but then once your homeless once again nothing they can do or they just have no idea what your talking about.