Homeless Outreach and Prevention Education Program

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services - 030182

Abstract Number: 030182

February 2004

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) launched the Homeless Outreach and Prevention Education Program (Project H.O.P.E) in 1994 to provide clients who are homeless with a stable housing situation. Project H.O.P.E. was initially funded by an experimental program grant from LSC and AmeriCorps.

The Project seeks to prevent homelessness by addressing the chronic difficulties faced by clients with poor housing records as they try to locate affordable housing while homeless or while facing an impending eviction. To address this problem, SMRLS hired three advocates who have experienced homelessness themselves and an attorney to educate, conduct outreach, and deliver legal services to low-income clients in need of housing assistance.
Project HOPE learned early that to accomplish housing stabilization and to do homelessness prevention, many other issues, both legal and non-legal, affected the likelihood of a family's success. Of critical importance, was helping families and individuals find landlords who would accept them as tenants, especially where their past tenancy records were poor, or where there were other problems, such as credit problems, criminal records, or other issues that affected landlord tenant relationships.

To address this client need, Project HOPE began to positively and proactively recruit "pro bono" landlords who are willing to accept tenants with a poor rental history. As part of this arrangement with landlords, Project HOPE staff members commit themselves to be available to talk with the "pro bono" landlords if there are problems with the tenancy, thereby enabling Project HOPE staff members, if necessary, to intervene and negotiate a solution, thus, minimizing the prospect of legal action or eviction and increasing the likelihood that the tenant will continue to occupy the residence and ensure a mutually beneficial landlord and tenant relationship.

Project HOPE staff members locate clients through targeted outreach at local homeless shelters, meal sites, as well as from referrals through local social services organizations. Upon accepting a client, Project HOPE staff members conduct a holistic needs assessment of the client and their family to resolve related issues that would prevent placement or stability in a client's living situation. Thus, Project HOPE provides clients with leads for housing, bus tokens (funded by the county) to get back and forth, will review proposed leases with them, and help them with a walk through of the apartment before they move in. SMRLS/Project HOPE has found that it is critical to make sure that the call to the landlord is accomplished, that the apartment is set, that transportation to the apartment is available, and that a follow-up plan exists.

Project HOPE staff members discuss with clients their responsibilities as tenants, how to resolve matters in a conciliatory manner, and engage in a variety of other activities, including helping people apply for emergency benefits, arranging for chemical dependency or mental health assessments, connecting families with social service agencies that will loan rental money, provide furniture, support employment activities, and provide people with voice mail boxes to support housing and employment efforts.
The project attorney focuses on the legal problems that Project HOPE clients bring with them. If a client is facing eviction, the project attorney will attempt to resolve the matter either with the landlord or through legal processes. Attorneys also work with the district court to help tenants expunge previous evictions, and will refer other civil problems to SMRLS' staff attorneys in their area of expertise.

Project HOPE targets the most at risk populations and takes the hardest to place families in order to ensure they can assist the most vulnerable clients who are threatened with becoming, or currently are, homeless. SMRLS estimates that they save housing for over 1100 families each year.

Once Project HOPE stabilizes a family's housing situation, staff will assist the clients in moving towards self-sufficiency and independence. Depending on a clients situation, staff, using the legal framework, will either help clients locate public benefits or begin moving from welfare to work by helping them access job counseling, training, and education, child care services and establishing a plan to find work. Staff will also assess the family's employability and identify barriers such as transportation issues.

SMRLS has developed a strong relationship with Ramsey County and works closely with the county's welfare and social workers. This strong relationship has proved beneficial to Project HOPE's clients as they stabilize their housing situation and work towards attaining self-sufficiency.

Project HOPE is currently supported, in part, by private contributions of attorneys to the SMRLS Campaign for Legal Aid. Because of the success of the Project, it is also supported through federal and local homelessness HUD Continuum of Care funds.

Contact Information:

Bruce Beneke
Executive Director
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
46 East 4th Street, Suite 700
St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 228-9823
Fax: (651) 228-9450
Email

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