Homeward Bound @ New Ground
Continuing to strive toward the goal of decreasing recidivism, Homeward Bound @ New Ground will assist families with moving on from the Long Term Housing Program. Graduates of the Long Term Housing program may have obtained two or four years of higher education and degrees from institutions of higher learning, but their salaries are still not commensurate with market rental values and market sales of homes in the Nassau and Suffolk area. Such families no longer benefit from maintaining their residence in a steeply subsidized rental unit intended for the formerly homeless. Their profile has changed and they are now capable of becoming more integrated into the mainstream of Long Island life. Thus, the assistance they will receive will be greatly reduced, but will include monetary funding.
Homeward Bound @ New Ground operates from many different formulas constructed to meet the particular needs of families in unique and complex situations. Families are in the program for three to five years. This program provides monetary aid in the form of assistance with moving expenses including but not limited to rental subsidies, security deposits, first and last months rental fees for apartments, utility down payments, fees associated with first time home buyers, costs for new furniture and/or a moving company. Monetary assistance is determined on a case-by-case basis, with some families receiving loans with the expectation of repayment, and others receiving one-time grants. Homeward Bound continues the precedent set by New Ground's Long Term Housing Program of assisting families to move into Nassau and Suffolk communities with safe and desirable school districts. Homeward Bound @ New Ground also provides case management, educational advocacy, and budgeting/financial counseling on an as needed basis to families in the program.
Homeward Bound @ New Ground continues the process begun by the Long Term Housing Program of creating viable, responsible tenants and homeowners who are self-sufficient contributing members of our community. Families will have gained a level of community responsibility demonstrated by their ability to negotiate banking, income and property taxes, and to utilize community resources including libraries, courthouses, and schools. Families will no longer be dependent on public assistance; they will be earning incomes that with the assistance of Homeward Bound can support their families in a financially stable environment. It is anticipated that as heads of households begin to reap the benefits of their recently obtained educational and /or technical accomplishments and training, their incomes will gradually increase, resulting in a diminished and eventually eliminated need for financial assistance from the Homeward Bound @ New Ground program.
Homeward Bound will operate from an established fund, created by a variety of sources including private benefactors, grants, business and charitable based organizations. The fund will has two parts: one to assist families in the LTH program with rental arrears to prevent eviction and a return to homelessness and one to assist families moving on from the Long Term Housing program.
The benefits are also two-fold. Assisting families who are now in a better financial position to move on from the Long Term Housing program opens a steeply subsidized apartment for another homeless family greatly in need of assistance.
To assist families moving into the Homeward Bound program, a part-time position for a Housing Advocate will be created. The housing advocate will work with families to locate affordable housing opportunities, including rental options, rent-to-buy options, and purchasing options. The housing advocate will evaluate and utilize any government assistance programs that are available to assist the families. The housing advocate will also evaluate and coordinate efforts by other non-government programs and coordinate efforts with the private sector to ensure the utilization of any other housing and rental opportunities.
