History & Service Overview

Housing First for Families began in 2010 as a Department of Social Service pilot program with a mission to assist families living in shelters to gain housing quickly.  The Housing First for Families Program Manager is tasked with building a network of landlords who are willing to house families with multiple barriers and placing families into safe and affordable housing. 

Client Services

The Housing First for Families Program Manager conducts landlord outreach to build a stock of housing available to place families into quickly.  The Program Manager meets with eligible families to perform a needs assessment and formulate a “Housing Success Plan”.  The family and the Program Manager work closely to identify an apartment that meets the family’s needs.  The Program Manager makes any referrals necessary to stabilize the family including: benefits, rental assistance, food, utility assistance, counseling, child care, transportation, legal services, etc.

Eligibility

Must be residing in a family shelter in the regional catchment area

• Careways
• Martha’s Place
• Christian Community Action
• Life Haven
• Beth El Shelter
• Spooner House
• Shelter NOW
• American Red Cross – Middletown

Must be a household with a dependent under age 18 in their custody

• Family may be eligible if head of household is homeless and reuniting with a dependent

Applicant must have resources to obtain housing, such as income and/or subsidy
Applicant must be fall below 30% of AMI or 200% below poverty level

Application Process

In order to participate in the HFF Program a referral should be completed by the shelter in which the family is currently residing.  The HFF Program also accepts self referrals and through other community providers, such as rental subsidy programs, shelters for individuals and domestic violence shelters in the regional catchment area. 

Community Partners

The Housing First for Families Program has partnered with the family shelters in the regional catchment area to provide the “Housing Find” services for all eligible families. 

• Careways
• Martha’s Place
• Christian Community Action
• Life Haven
• Beth El Shelter
• Spooner House
• Shelter NOW
• American Red Cross – Middletown

The HFF Program has partnered with the following area landlords:

• Mandy Management
• Prime Management
• Cambridge Management
• WMM Hotchkiss Company
• Outreach Property Management
• Florence Virtue Homes
• Harborview Realty Services
• Levitin Management LLC
• Century 21
• Carabetta Management
• Sterling Realtors

services