Financial Housing Assistance Program

**Temporarily Closed**

As the combined forces of recession and foreclosures continue their long, cruel assault on the community, The Lazarus Project marked the New Year with a troubling piece of data: the number of people who are calling asking to be admitted into our program had increased 30%. Coupled with the fact that homeless in Placer County increased by 22% between 2005 and 2007, it serves as a reminder that for all the troubles of Wall Street executives, the poor and vulnerable have been hardest hit by the falling economy. Not that the community’s poorest residents needed reminding. In December, when The Lazarus Project’s case manager asked a few homeless men and women she was interviewing for program intake what they wanted most for Christmas, they responded with a wish list that included a place to call home, a home where they can cook their own meals, and a chance to be employed again.

Such are the stories pouring out of those who desire to be admitted into our Financial Housing Assistance Program these days, evidence of a crisis that many fear is bound to get worse. Throughout our community, homelessness is rising, with ever more of our homeless neighbors sleeping in shelters, surfing friends’ sofas and camping in their cars.

By most accounts, there is little mystery to the rise of homeless men and women wanting to enter into our program. It’s the economy and, more specifically, the recession and the foreclosure crisis. As people have lost their paychecks, as the homes they were renting were foreclosed, or rent on their apartment become beyond their ability to pay; their tenuous grip on stability has slipped away. Because the recession is far from over; because the unemployment rate is 12.3 percent and is expected to climb; because the foreclosure crisis has more misery to dole out; and because homelessness is a lagging indicator on the economy, the number of our neighbors who could become homeless will continue to rise.

Many of our neighbors, our friends, find themselves without a home, ruined credit, and with lack of potential employment opportunities; we must not forget that if adults are to succeed at work, and seniors and veterans are to live with dignity, they need a place to call home.

The Lazarus Project is here to help our neighbors in need. Our Financial Housing Assistance Program provides financial assistance for security deposits, rental payments and arrearages, and utility arrearages for households that are at imminent risk of homelessness or literally homeless.  As appropriate, enrolled participants receive housing stability case management, housing locator services, and asset building education and support. 

Services Offered:

• Short-term financial assistance
• Case management
• Financial literacy
• Housing locator
• Rapid Re-housing

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be a resident of Placer County
• Must earn at or below 30% AMI
• Must be at imminent risk of homelessness or literally homeless

The Lazarus Project doesn’t just provide housing, we provide a means for families and individuals to get their lives in order and become a successful part of this community