49 Emergency Housing Vouchers Awarded by HUD

Jefferson County Housing Authority has received 49 Emergency Housing Vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as relief to address the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic, public health, State and local government individuals and local businesses.

Emergency Housing Vouchers are to assist the following individuals and families:

• Homeless
• At risk of homelessness
• Fleeting, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, or
• Were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability

If you feel that you may qualify for this program or would like to find out additional information, please see the details below.

All interested applicants must be referred to the Public Housing Authority (PHA) from one of the following agencies:

• One Roof, the coordinating agency for the homeless Continuum of Care for Central Alabama
• Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Victims Service Provider for domestic and sexual violence services

The agencies listed above are authorized to verify if an individual or family meets one of the four eligibility categories listed, and then make direct referrals to the PHA.

If you would like to apply to this program, please contact the following:

One Roof
1515 6th Avenue S, 5th Floor
Birmingham, AL 35233
205-254-8833

There are no walk-in appointments. You may call to schedule an appointment or visit the office to schedule an appointment.

YWCA Central Alabama
309 23rd Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-322-9922

Ask for Community Housing Emergency Housing Voucher Program.  Assessments are done by phone. Applications will be sent electronically or scheduled for pick up. Appointments will be scheduled weekly for review of applications and supporting documentation. No Walk-ins.

How will applications be accepted?
All interested applicants must contact either One Roof or the YWCA to complete their assessments to further determine/confirm you qualify based on the definitions listed.  Those that meet the criteria, will be referred to the PHA.  Order of referrals depends on the following factors:

• Date/time of your interview/meeting with the partnering agency
• Partnering agency's review of eligibility requirements being met
• Receipt of any requested information provided to partnering agency
• Your position ranking in partnering agency's system

Who is Eligible for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program?

• Homeless
• At risk of homelessness
• Fleeting, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, or
• Were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability

Can I apply at Jefferson County Housing Authority or one of their offices?
No. You can only apply for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program through one of our two partnering agencies: One Roof or the YWCA. Please see above responses for further information.

Definitions

I. Homeless:

1. An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
   
   
   1. An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;
   2. An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals); or
   3. An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.
      
      
2. An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that:
   
   
   1. The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance;
   2. No subsequent residence has been identified; and
   3. The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, needed to obtain other permanent housing.
      
      
3. Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who:
   
   
   1. Are defined as homeless under section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a), section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832), section 41403 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2), section 330(h) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)), section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), section 17(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 18 U.S.C. 1786(b)), or section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a);
   2. Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of application for homeless assistance;
   3. Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during the 60 day period immediately preceding the date of applying for homeless assistance; and
   4. Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities; chronic physical health or mental health conditions; substance addiction; histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect); the presence of a child or youth with a disability; or two or more barriers to employment, which include the lack of a high school degree or General Education Development (GED), illiteracy, low English proficiency, a history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, and a history of unstable employment.

II. At-risk of homelessness:

1.     An individual or family who:

1. Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;
2. Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the "Homeless" definition above; and
3. Meets one of the following conditions:
   1. Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;
   2. Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;
   3. Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their 19 current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days of the date of application for assistance;
   4. Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;
   5. Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons, or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 people per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;
   6. Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or
   7. Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan.

2. A child or youth who does not qualify as "homeless" under this section, but qualifies as "homeless" under section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or

3. A child or youth who does not qualify as "homeless" under this section, but qualifies as "homeless" under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.11434a (2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him.

III. Individuals or families who are fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking

Any individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. This includes cases where a HUD-assisted tenant reasonably believes that there is a threat of imminent harm from further violence if they remain within the same dwelling unit, or in the case of sexual assault, the HUD-assisted tenant reasonably believes there is a threat of imminent harm from further violence if they remain within the same dwelling unit that they are currently occupying, or the sexual assault occurred on the premise during the 90-day period preceding the date of the request for transfer. 

1. Domestic violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by:
   1. a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim (the term "spouse or intimate partner of the victim" includes a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim, as determined by the length of the relationship, the type of the relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship),
   2. a person with whom the victim shares a child in common,
   3. a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner,
   4. a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or
   5. any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.
      
      
2. Dating violence means violence committed by a person:
   1. Who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
   2. Where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors:
      1. The length of the relationship;
      2. The type of relationship; and
      3. The frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
         
         
3. Sexual assault means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, Tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent.
   
   
4. Stalking means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to:
   1. Fear for the person's individual safety or the safety of others; or
   2. Suffer substantial emotional distress.
      
      
5. Human trafficking (includes both sex and labor trafficking
   1. Sex trafficking
      The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; 
   2. Labor trafficking
      The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

IV. Individuals or families who are recently homeless. This category is composed of individuals and families determined by the CoC or its designee to meet the following definition.

1. Recently homeless
   Individuals and families who have previously been classified by a member agency of the CoC as homeless but are not currently homeless as a result of homeless assistance (financial assistance or services), temporary rental assistance or some type of other assistance, and where the CoC or its designee determines that the loss of such assistance would result in a return to homelessness or the family having a high risk of housing instability. Examples of households that may be defined as recently homeless by the CoC include, but are not limited to, participants in rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. Individuals and families classified as recently homeless must be referred by the CoC or its designee.