United Way Day: Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter
Feb 28, 2020
We were in the studio for United Way Day with Elise from United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley and her guest, Katie Furneisen, a housing counselor with Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter. Katie told us about the services her organization provides: Tenant Based Rental Assistance: This program is used to move household's currently in un-affordable housing into housing they can afford or to assist households who can typically afford their current housing but experienced a temporary financial crisis jeopardizing their housing stability (must have 5 Day Pay or Quit). In most cases assistance is only provided for one partial month's rent and/or security deposit. Homeless Prevention: This program keeps households in their homes if they are facing eviction and have an unlawful detainer. It typically does not cover security deposits unless a household is forced to move due foreclosure of their rental unit or a similar event. This program can only cover a maximum of 2 months back rent. Rapid Rehousing: This program aims to move literally homeless households into housing as quickly as possible when shelter stays are not required. Households may qualify for up to 90 days of assistance and can be re-certified if funds are available and an ongoing need can be documented. Emergency Shelter: This program provides short-term hotel/motel vouchers for homeless households waiting on rental housing to become available. Households must be able to secure housing within 10 days or less based on funding availability. Street Outreach: Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter has joined forces with other service agencies to send teams out into campgrounds, river banks, and abandoned buildings to bring the chronic homeless into services. These outreach teams need supplies like flashlights, thermal blankets, gloves, socks, and rain ponchos. For more information about their programs, make a monetary donation, or learn why items they are accepting for donations, visit their website: http://www.allianceforshelter.com/ and follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShenandoahAllianceforShelter/