Homeless
Resources

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Homeless Resources provides households with a single destination to access services that help them stay in their homes or quickly exit homelessness. Homeless Resources connects households that are experiencing or at risk of homelessness with housing and case management services offered by Catholic Charities and our partner agencies in Spokane County.

HFCA Pre-Screening

Families experiencing housing instability can be pre-screened for HFCA by filling out a secure online application located here.

975 E. North Foothills, Bldg. A

Click here for map

Monday - Thursday 8:00am- 3:00pm

Phone number (509) 325-5005

Learn More about HFCA

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HOMELESS FAMILY COORDINATED ASSESSMENT (HFCA)

Many agencies and programs are available to help families* that are experiencing homelessness, so when families face an unstable housing situation it can be difficult for them to know where to go.

HFCA provides families with a centralized point of entry to access housing resources. Through HFCA, families meet with a Coordinated Entry Specialist who first utilizes Diversion strategies to determine if a family’s housing crisis can be resolved outside of the formalized homeless response system. If Diversion is not a good fit to meet the household’s needs a vulnerability assessment is used to pre-screen their eligibility for services. Once screened the family is placed in a priority pool. When a vacancy becomes available households in the pool are connected directly to the housing resource.

HFCA does not provide families with immediate housing; instead, HFCA guides families in Spokane County toward homeless housing resources. Because homeless housing resources are limited, there is no guarantee of housing through HFCA. Households are prioritized based on their barriers and vulnerabilities.

* Families include one or more parent/guardian with kids in custody, at least 51% of the time, or that are currently pregnant. Homeless individuals and couples without children can get help through the Singles Homeless Coordinated Assessment operated by SNAP.

DIVERSION

Diversion helps families identify housing options outside the formal homeless response system. Due to the lack of affordable housing inventory in our community, Diversion may represent a family’s best and only chance to secure stable housing.

Diversion provides “light touch” case management that helps families to identify solutions to their housing crisis. Through problem solving conversations Diversion collaborates with households to help them avoid or resolve homelessness. At Homeless Resources, every household has the opportunity to partner with a Diversion specialist to review their housing situation and create a plan to overcome their housing challenge. Our Diversion Specialists are able to work with families for up to 30 days.

While we do not have financial assistance for direct housing costs such as rental arrears or security deposits, staff can assist with mediating a dispute with a landlord, relative or friend that can provide housing or in some cases provide limited flexible funding to support transportation or job related expenses to help a family maintain the income needed to move into housing.

RAPID REHOUSING

Many households experiencing homelessness need to access additional financial resources to move into a new housing unit.

After completing pre-screening by HFCA, households experiencing homelessness or living in a shelter may be referred to the Rapid Rehousing program. Through Rapid Rehousing, households can access short-term financial support and case management services that help them get into private apartments and public housing.

In this family-centered program, households conduct their own housing search. If households request it, Catholic Charities assists them with identifying housing vacancies, completing applications, writing letters of appeal and answering questions about the lease-signing process.

Households receive assistance with move-in costs, such as application fees and security deposits. Catholic Charities ensures the unit passes quality standards before paying the landlord. Our landlord liaison identifies landlords willing to partner with Rapid Rehousing tenants and addresses with the landlord any concerns households have while living in their apartments.