Since December 2021, Hannah and her growing team have worked diligently with Washington County to help expand the Rapid and Long term housing voucher program to the youth at HomePlate. Over the past year and a half, the housing program has grown significantly due to funding and the work of our housing team. 

On a daily basis our housing navigators (Austin, Cathleen, Mariela, and Angelica) support youth from walking them through getting the correct documentation for first time renting, navigating lease and tenancy agreements, and supporting the youth in their new financial responsibilities and independence. The housing navigators are deeply committed, but they are also able to recognize HomePlate’s limitations, so finding support for youth’s mental health journeys has been crucial. 

An in-depth look at housing eligibility (both programs require youth to fit the following criteria): 

• Houseless at the time of eligibility assessment

• History of 12 months houseless in the past 3 years

• Lower income than 50% AMI (Average Median Income) 

For youth applying for the longer term voucher (which provides up to 10 years of rental assistance) they also need to have a disabling condition. For the rapid rehousing voucher (which provides up to 24 months of rental assistance) couch surfing counts as experiencing housing instability/houselessness. 

As the team continues to support youth within the program, Hannah looks forward to the future of the housing program at HomePlate. “As we are fully staffed again, I’m hoping to invest some of my time to youth that aren’t eligible for our housing program.” She’s looking to have some of the housing staff be available during Drop-In to offer advice on how to apply for rentals, providing resources to address barriers youth have, and reviewing leases. 

To help support our housing program, donate today.