BEDS Plus Care Newsletter: July 14, 2021

What is Housing Navigation?

A day on the job with our Housing Navigation team

One of the primary challenges homeless people face is navigating the housing market. Housing search and placement services can address many of the barriers faced by those experiencing homelessness, such as low incomes and unstable housing histories among other things. Every Tuesday, our housing case managers help clients find affordable housing, managing leases with landlords and schedule apartment viewings. This housing navigation is an important part of what we do to support our clients and end their homelessness.

Emergency Rental Assistance Available

Applications are being accepted for the Illinois Housing Development Authority's Illinois Rental Payment Program. The emergency rental assistance program is designed to support households in Illinois that are unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants are eligible for up to 15 months of assistance. The grant can cover the past due rent from the previous 12 months and future rental assistance for the next three months, if deemed necessary. The maximum grant amount is $25,000.

For help with an application, please contact BEDS at (708) 354-0858 and ask for assistance with an Illinois rental assistance application. For more information, click here.

In Case You Missed It on Facebook

BEDS Bulletin! Marcia Fudge, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is examining the way the COVID-19 pandemic exposed housing disparities in the U.S., especially among people of color and low-income communities. Tackling homeownership is at the top of her list, as is serving homeless populations. Fudge was recently elected chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “I think it is important for us to talk about how we move people and families who are experiencing homelessness into a secure and stable home,” she said. “And you must realize that the homeless population, about 40 percent of all homeless people, are people of color.”

Come out and support BEDS Plus next week at the Rose Rendezvous. Join Fourteensixteen and Main Street Wines & Spirits as they celebrate the first blush of summer from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20. Sample more than 20 Rose wines from around the world paired with an assortment of small bites. A limited number of tickets are available at 1416lagrange.com/events. Tickets are $65 per person and $10 from each ticket sale will benefit BEDS! #lgba #roseallday #roserendezvous

Can you help stock our shelves? We need donations of breakfast items such as breakfast bars, Poptarts, individual oatmeal packets and individual or single-serving size cereal bowls. Contact Sue Dever at dever@beds-plus.org with questions. Donations can be dropped off at our Ogden Avenue Supportive Housing facility. For more information about BEDS, go to www.beds-plus.org.

We provide direct services to people experiencing homelessness and imminent risk of homelessness; however, we also support government, nonprofit, and other institutions as they work to create structural change in the housing market. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is a state government agency that finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Illinois, and they’ve just reached a milestone with the release of their Housing Blueprint 2021. Read more on our blog here.