If you are facing eviction or are currently homeless in the Charleston, West Virginia area, there are resources available to help you. The government aid available to tenants is very limited and requires the applicant to take many steps on their own.
There are many agencies in Kanawha County that work with HUD and other organizations to provide assistance to low-income households. There are many non-profit organizations that work together to address housing issues in the community.
When you get an eviction notice, the first thing you should do is read it carefully. Some landlords may evict tenants who have not paid rent, while other landlords may evict tenants for reasons such as damage to the property, being noisy, or not following the terms of their lease. If there is confusion about what the landlord has sent, the tenant can look into free legal assistance.
The vast majority of evictions in Charleston occur because the tenant has failed to pay either their rent or their utility bills. If the home’s utilities are disconnected, the landlord may send a pay or quit notice. This means the property is uninhabitable. If someone is facing an eviction due to money problems, the solutions are more difficult.
Some of the agencies in Kanawha County may be able to offer the family financial help from a government grant on a case-by-case basis, such as ESG or Emergency Food or Shelter. The funds are typically allocated to the region at the beginning of each year and are used up quickly. There will be a strict application process for the agencies that have this money.
This means that if you are approved for rent assistance, the most you will receive is help with a portion of your rent. This approach is designed to help people become self-sufficient and not just give them free things. The charity will provide the applicant with the resources they need to improve their situation.
As part of this process, staff will offer guidance and support to the tenant who is threatened with an eviction. A comprehensive approach will be used in which every aspect of an individual’s life, from employment to credit scores, is taken into account. There are many non-profit organizations in Charleston that work together on this process. There are organizations that can give you information on finding a job. There are organizations that can help you with your debt or credit score, including non-profit credit counseling agencies. There are also resources for people who are single mothers and for people who are elderly.
Rehousing programs in Kanawha County
There are many things that can stop someone from being able to move into a new apartment. People with bad credit or a history of eviction have a harder time finding a place to live. Many landlords will be hesitant to lease to a family if this law passes. This means that by finding new housing for these people, we will also be addressing the related issues.
Short term housing can be used when a family needs more time to tackle the root cause of their eviction. Some agencies will give you a voucher to pay for a motel room for a few nights until a shelter has an opening. The accommodations will help the family have a place to stay while they work on the rehousing process, including finding a new home and getting settled. This will make it easier for the family to get back on their feet and start fresh.
The Charleston Rapid Rehousing Program can provide financial assistance to help with rent and other housing-related expenses. After the issues that caused the client to be homeless have been solved, then applications can be done for Emergency Solution Grants. This will help cover some of the costs associated with renting a place to live, like the fees for filling out a lease application, a security deposit, or even the first month’s rent. ESG can help prevent a family from being evicted as well as help them move into a new home.
Applying for homeless prevention and rehousing in Kanawha County
There is not just one agency in Kanawha County that provides help with evictions. It is not one group working alone, but a partnership of different groups. This means that the list of schools may be different each year depending on how much money is available. To speak to someone about a referral, please call 304.414.4405. The information is free for residents.