If you are struggling to make ends meet in Juneau, Dodge, Columbia, Sauk, or Adams County in Wisconsin, the Central Wisconsin Community Action Council can help you out. This non-profit agency helps those in need by providing things like short term aid and referrals.
Typical clients of the welfare program are those who are living below the poverty line, have children, are seniors, or are unemployed. The clients need to be motivated to become independent and successful. Some funds may be offered to pay for utility bills, food, housing, and other social services while they are doing that.
Housing and heating assistance in Wisconsin
If you live in Adams, Juneau or Waushara Counties and are low income, you may be able to get utility and heating assistance from the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). This program provides low income families and seniors with annual payments.
HEAP helps low-income people who need extra help paying for fuel or repairing or replacing their furnace or heating system. This aid is limited to the amount of money that is available. CWCAC case managers are always available, even during off hours, and can be contacted through the local sheriff’s department in case of an emergency. To apply for WHEAP utility bill help, call the Energy Assistance Hotline at 1-866-432-8947.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WX) is another important program. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) helps eligible Wisconsin residents pay for their home heating and electric costs by providing a one-time per year payment directly to their utility company or fuel provider. WHEAP also offers free home energy education and weatherization services to income-eligible Wisconsin homeowners and renters to help them reduce their energy use and lower their utility bills. This program is typically for people who earn less than 150% of the poverty level. This program provides residents with financial assistance for attic and sidewall insulation, air sealing, free smoke detectors, water heaters, refrigerator and furnace replacement. WX is a state-funded program that provides financial assistance to Wisconsin residents who need help paying their energy bills. The program is administered by the State Department of Administration – Division of Energy.
The CWCAC Down Payment Assistance for Home Buyers is available to residents of Adams, Columbia, Dodge, Juneau and Sauk Counties. This assistance can help with the down payment and/or closing costs for buying a home. This program provides loans or grants to households with members who have a disability and whose total income does not exceed 80% of their County Median level. The money will go towards helping with the down payment and/or closing costs on a new home.
The Central Wisconsin Community Action Council and The Home Repair Program offers loans to households in the region to help with financial assistance. This includes Adams, Columbia, Dodge, Juneau and Sauk. Rehabilitation funds and loans are available to help homeowners pay for necessary repairs and modifications to make their homes more accessible. The amount of funding and the terms of the loan will vary depending on the family’s specific needs. All repairs and modifications to housing must meet the federal government’s standards for quality housing.
The Community Development Block Grant Program offers financial assistance to homeowners from select towns and municipalities who need to do major repairs including septic replacement and/or well repair/replacement. Only low income and working poor households who earn less than 80% of the County’s Median Income are eligible.
Project Chance provides transitional and short-term housing assistance to recently evicted or homeless families or individuals funded by a HUD Continuum of Care Grant. The housing program is designed to help people improve their skills and earning potential, find jobs, become more independent, and secure and keep permanent housing. The program provides up to 24 months of support to participants, who work with a case manager to access housing, employment, and other benefits such as food stamps or SSI. The program also offers counseling for mental health care, childcare, education/job skills training, or AODA issues.
Project Chance can help clients by finding places to live, education, employment, and transportation. They do this by talking to landlords and other organizations.
The Central Wisconsin Community Action Council, a non-profit organization, relies on the United Way Fund as well. This is a primary source of revenue. The money for this project comes from the Wisconsin Dells Area United Fund, the United Way of Portage, the Baraboo Area United Fund, and the United Way of Dodge County.
The money that is given to this organization is used to help people pay for their homes or to stay in an emergency shelter if they need it. You have to show that you are employed if you want help with rent or a mortgage. Many of the assistance programs are not very comprehensive. To get a motel stay or voucher from this program, you must be able to show that you are homeless.
The Crisis Assistance Program provides financial assistance to households who are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. The program gets their funding from the federal government Emergency Food and Shelter Program, the United Way, and their Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG). Some of the main things that are looked at when approving applications are if there is enough money and if the person applying would be able to resolve any crisis that comes up. There are a few other things that are also looked at.
ESFP is a grant from the federal government that is governed by a National Board. The program only pays for expenses related to food, rent assistance, heating bills, mortgage, and utilities. Other expenses can include vouchers for motels or hotels. The Central Wisconsin Community Action Council is administering this program. The Local Boards are responsible for deciding how the funds will be used and for selecting Local Recipient Organizations (LRO’s) to distribute emergency food and shelter services.
The needs of the community are determined and reassessed every year to see what needs to be changed or improved. Rental assistance means help for people who are struggling to pay their rent. This can include things like financial assistance or providing a place to stay for people who are homeless. The team at Central Wisconsin Community Action Council can provide referrals to other rent programs or grants if you are not qualified.
The government offers assistance with housing costs through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. This program provides vouchers that can be used to help cover the cost of rent for eligible households. The applications are being processed by the CWCAC. This program gives eligible households in Wisconsin more money for rent over a longer period of time. This includes households in Adams, Columbia, Rusk, and Taylor counties.
This means that the number of vouchers given out may go up or down depending on how much money is available. There is a waiting list for each county with an average wait time ranging from 1 to 4 years. If you are approved for the voucher and receive it, you are required to use it for a lease for at least one year in the county where you applied. The client may rent any type of private housing unit as long as it meets the quality standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the payment limits set by HUD.
Central Wisconsin Community Action Council employment and education resources
The Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program helps people pay for car loans. The program offers car loans with no interest for people who work in Adams, Columbia, Sauk, Waushara, and Dodge Counties. Residents of these counties who are employed and have a household income of 200% or below the Federal Poverty level can apply for this car loan.
The purpose of the Sauk County Children First Program is to help non-custodial parents who are struggling to make their child support payments. The program provides short-term and other types of assistance to these parents. This program is created to help parents in Sauk County who are struggling to support their children financially. The program offers help with things like getting a job, budgeting money, and getting child support from the other parent. The participant and their case manager meet weekly to discuss the participant’s job search, training, or work schedule.
The Central Wisconsin Community Action Council, Inc. can offer other assistance and referrals. The main locations are places like schools, stores, and restaurants.
Fair St., PO Box 988, Juneau, Wisconsin 53039, phone number is 920-386-3660 This is the address and phone number for the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office.