For some, an unexpected family emergency is all it takes to eat up the rent budget, pushing these families close to homelessness. A program from the Reno Housing Authority is meant to catch them before they get there. KUNR’s Holly Hutchings has more.
The Homeless Prevention Program launched a year ago with funds from the RHA and the state. Contract Administrator Chris Linton manages the program and says even with minimal publicity, word quickly spread, and the number of applicants has steadily climbed.
“The most common that we see are in situations where there's been a significant loss of income that was unexpected," Linton said. "They have accepted a new employment opportunity or have more income coming in the coming month, but it's that gap in income that's creating a difficulty for them.”
Bridging that gap has kept more than 100 families in their homes this year.
The program provides a one-time rent payment for those who qualify. The RHA allocated $100,000 this year, which was then matched by the state. Each month though, the funding runs out before everyone can be helped.
"For the month of November, we actually hit that maximum funding on November 9, meaning for the remainder of the month we are not accepting any applications," Linton said. "Again, with our limited resources we're working with the number of families we're able to.”
The housing authority is looking to secure additional resources to expand the reach of the program in the future.