For individuals who are homeless, finding and keeping affordable housing can be difficult. Affordable housing isn’t easy to find. Maintaining stability in your housing can pose a challenge. Housing Support Services helps homeless individuals get the resources they need to find and keep permanent, affordable housing.
What do Guild’s Housing Support Services do?
Housing Support works with individuals to determine their needs. Staff often meet with clients in person, though during the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve been meeting over the phone. Once they know what clients need, they can connect them with housing resources and opportunities.
Staff connect clients with a place to live by partnering with landlords who support Guild’s mission. The team facilitates communication between clients and their landlords. Clients are encouraged to advocate for themselves and their needs. The team also helps clients meet the responsibilities of being a tenant, like keep their space in shape and clean, paying rent on time, and more.
The team helps clients determine what housing they are able to afford, where they want to live, and what support they need to keep their housing, whether that be mental health services, physical health support, or financial planning assistance.
Housing Support Specialist Lisa says, “Housing support is about teaching; not doing for someone; teaching them to do for themselves. Assisting people to become confident in making the best choice for them.”
Who do Housing Support Services Help?
Housing Support Services help individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness find and keep housing. Interested people can contact their county’s Coordinated Entry program. The Coordinated Entry system completes assessments with interested individuals to identify their needs and wants. Then, they can refer applicants to Guild’s Housing Support Services.
Housing Support Services serves up to 140 households in the metro area across Dakota, Ramsey, Scott, Carver, and Anoka County.
What’s it Like Being a Part of the Housing Support Team?
“There is no typical day in housing support,” says Lisa. “We have days when it’s calm, most days it’s busy and each day brings on a new adventure.”
Because Housing Support Services staff do so many different tasks, things are rarely boring! “I enjoy coming to work and not always knowing what’s going to happen,” says Housing Specialist Mona. “This has been great, for it has helped me and is still helping me to learn how to truly think on my feet.”
The Housing Support team is supportive of each other, too. Mona says, “I truly enjoy working with people with a vast amount of knowledge. And not to mention, they are always willing to teach.”
Still curious? Learn more about Guild’s Housing Support Services program!