Creating a Plan to Exit Homelessness

Problem Solve- Focus on Barriers- Identify Housing- Plan for Transition

Assessing the Situation and Problem Solving:

Most households on Long Island exit shelter without the support of a program.

Many of those households exit homelessness by exploring the following problem solving options when attempting to exit shelter:

Am I able to increase my income (employment and/or benefits) and/or work on budgeting to get out of homelessness?
Can a family member or friend temporarily help me with somewhere to stay, with financial or other resources that can get me out of shelter?
Can I restore a relationship with a family member or friend that can help me if we were on good terms?
Can I find someone that I get along with that can share living expenses and housing with me so that we can both afford housing?
Can I relocate to another area that is cheaper to live where I could afford permanent housing?

Contact your local DSS to see how they can help with moving costs

Exploring Housing Resources:

Have you applied for rental assistance through DSS?

Rapid rehousing programs are designed to exit households out of shelter faster than if they had to exit on their own. Rapid rehousing programs are mostly targeted to serve families in shelter that have been in shelter for more than one year or households fleeing domestic violence.

Have you considered combining your income with someone else and living together so that you can both afford housing?

If you are experiencing chronic homelessness, have you submitted a referral to LICH?

RESOURCE PAGE FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS ON LONG ISLAND

Creating a Sustainable Housing Plan:

Identify all realistic housing options

Understand your preferences and needs and how that may limit your search for housing (i.e. I will only live in a certain area/school district that will restrict the housing options available)

Understand your barriers to housing and how that may limit your search for housing (i.e. I have a criminal history, eviction history, low credit score, debt, mobility issues requiring a unit with no stairs, I have pets, I do not have the income to afford a unit)

Most Common Barriers:

Create an Action Plan:

Identify who is part of your support team to achieve your goal.

Define your immediate goal (to be achieved in the next 30 days).

A goal could be focusing on a housing barrier or something that needs to first get done before you can make progress in other areas, such as employment, benefits, finances, family, housing, relationships, friends, meaningful activity/fun, education, health, obtaining documents such as ID, legal situations, etc.

What are the steps involved in achieving this goal?

Verify Chronic Homeless Status

Being Successful in your transition into housing:

Ensure that you have all documents that will be required to secure a lease, such as ID, pay stubs, other documentation of income, etc.

Put Your Best Foot Forward- Be aware of how you look, talk, and act when speaking with programs, landlords, and others that are determining whether you will be approved for housing.

Understand your budget, how much you can pay ongoing, and when necessary- what are your plans to increase income, and maintain rent and other expenses?

Connect to support systems- family/friends/case management/other than can help you maintain housing.

Review and understand your lease

Prepare to be a good tenant

Make the space feel like your own- picture frames, décor, etc.

Learn about the new community and get connected to meaningful activities and things that make you happy

Have a plan for who to call if you believe you may be at-risk of homeless again.

Connect to legal advocacy to understand your rights as a tenant.

Report housing discrimination.

Help others that face similar situations to what you have overcome.

Once Stably Housed...

Set New Goals- Focus on the things you could not when you did not have stable housing:

Work on being the best and happiest version of you

Set new goals such as employment, education, volunteerism, hobbies

Spend meaningful time with the people that you care about, and that care about you the most

Do not be ashamed. Homeless is the result of failed systems in place, not of individual failure.

Believe in yourself. Whether you see it right now or not, you are strong and resilient. Obstacles will make you faster, stronger, and wiser.

Keep Working Through Trauma:

Continue to create support systems through family, friends, and community

Seek professional counseling, guidance, support groups, and other outlets

Understand your triggers and how your emotions affect your behavior

Find new ways to release pain, anger, and stress

Elevating the Voices and Experiences of those Facing Homelessness:

Have I been an active advocate for affordable housing development and increases in homeless service dollars so less people find themselves in that situation in the future?

Have I called my local Legislator's office asking about resources for someone in my situation? Have I posed questions in different community forums about resources that may exist?

Have I considered participating on a homeless planning committee or action group to elevate the voices of those most impacted by homelessness?