Housing-Related Assistance
Covenant House works to prevent homelessness by offering various housing-related programs that combine helping people access affordable housing with services that help people sustain stability to keep the housing long-term. Our target group are those who face the most complex challenges—individuals who are not only homeless or at risk of homelessness, but who also have very low incomes and serious, persistent issues that may include substance use, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS.
Permanent Housing
Covenant House, and our subsidiary organization, Community Housing, operate four residences in Charleston providing permanent housing for those experiencing both homelessness and certain disabilities. Two of these houses are funded through HUD's Section 8-11 program, one is operated through private donations, and one through HUD's Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA).
This latter HOPWA house was Covenant House's first permanent housing program. Launched in 1989, the HOPWA residence provided housing to people with HIV who had been rejected by family and friends fearful of this terrible disease. As other doors were closing for many with HIV and AIDS, Covenant House was opening its doors to allow people with AIDS a place to live -- and in some cases die -- with dignity. Many use the homes as a stop on the way to getting their lives back.
Housing-Related Financial Assistance
Covenant House partners with Capital Resource Agency to assist
qualified low-income families in applying for the
Weatherization Program with the goal of reducing home
heating costs by improving energy efficiency of homes. Once
approved, trained weatherization crews install energy efficiency and
conservation measures prescribed by energy audits and diagnostic
testing. Weatherization examples include, but are not limited to,
installing insulation, reducing air-infiltration, performing heating
and cooling tune-ups and modifications, and when appropriate, replacing
heating units for energy efficiency and safety.
Emergency Housing-Related Financial Help.
Covenant House offers a financial assistance program for the area's
low-wage workforce and those caught in the grinding wheels of welfare
reform. Covenant House's emergency assistance program started through
the efforts of a group of 15 Charleston churches and synagogues.
These faith communities had a vision of combining their resources to
fund a central, downtown location where folks could be efficiently
helped with utility bills and rent.
Staff members at Covenant House are trained in case management and crisis intervention to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless. Financial resources to support these efforts come from individual donors, the faith community, foundations, the City of Charleston, and the federal government's FEMA program. In cooperation with other social service agencies, staff fills service gaps throughout the following programs and makes referrals when necessary.
- Covenant House’s Residential & Resource Program offers assistance with rent, utilities, and other housing related costs available to qualified individuals with specific medical conditions. Covenant House's Residential & Resource program serves 22 southern West Virginia counties.
- The Emergency Assistance for rent and utilities program offers financial help to low- and no-income individuals who are facing eviction or utility shut-off. Funds to support these efforts come from individual donors, the faith community, foundations, the City of Charleston, and the federal government's FEMA program. In cooperation with other social service agencies, staff fills service gaps and makes referrals when necessary. To receive emergency assistance, a client must live within Kanawha County and visit the Drop-In Center presenting state-issued photo ID, proof of income, and a current termination or eviction notice. Funds are released for this program on the first business day of each month and are available until they run out.
- Covenant House’s Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program is part of the West Virginia Coalition for People with AIDS -- a statewide housing and advocacy group. People living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state utilize the various resources available in order to move into or to continue living in their own homes. Funded by HUD, as well as State and private sources, services available to qualified HIV-positive individuals include financial assistance with rent, utilities, medication, and other housing related costs. Case managers offer supportive services, housing information and referrals, and educational information. They assist participants with writing Living Wills, assigning Medical Power of Attorney, and completing forms required by government and insurance. Services also are available to families and life partners.
- The Kanawha Valley Collective's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) is staffed by Covenant House and Roark Sullivan case managers, providing homelessness prevention assistance for households who would otherwise become homeless and rapid re-housing assistance for persons who are homeless. The HPRP funder, the US Dept of Housing & Urban Development, expects resources to be targeted toward Charleston's most needy households that are also most likely to achieve stable housing once the funding period is complete. HPRP assistance is not intended to provide long-term support for program participants, nor is it able to address all of the financial and supportive service needs of households that affect housing stability. Rather, assistance is focused on housing stabilization, linking program participants to community resources/mainstream benefits, and helping them develop a plan for preventing future housing instability.
Housing Information & Support
The Covenant House Homeless Outreach program works to move people from homelessness to permanent housing through providing superlative case management and up to date housing information. The Outreach Coordinator builds relationships with housing providers, other social service agencies, and people experiencing homelessness in an effort to offer a seamless continuum of care and resources. After working to get folks into permanent housing, the Coordinator provides limited “after care” for up to one year to make sure participants remain stabilized and able to sustain their housing.
