Help for Inmates
Building a Better Future... Through a Stronger Foundation
Help break the cycle of recidivism
heartlandalliance.org - Programs
HUD -Dept of Housing & Urban Development
ILRU directory of independent living centers
TheBeehive - help with housing info
Housing Help and Programs
Stable housing with appropriate supportive services is a key factor for those coming out of incarceration in preventing or ending homelessness and reducing recidivism. Reentry Council agencies are collaborating to advance policies, programs, and models that support stable housing and reentry services for those with criminal histories so they can successfully reenter their communities, and where appropriate, reunite with their families. Agencies are working together to reduce barriers to public and subsidized housing, and advance promising models that improve outcomes for people who repeatedly use corrections and homeless services.
Finding suitable housing for inmates getting out of prison can be a daunting task. Finding suitable housing for families left behind by offenders sent to prison can also create extreme pressure on those left behind to provide for themselves, children and other family members. While those relegated to being incarcerated will suffer through their imprisonment, they will at a minimum be given medical assistance and ‘THREE HOTS AND A COT’. Those left behind may not be so lucky.
Help For Inmates is acutely aware of the tremendous pressure this places on loved ones left behind. Listed below are several programs and organizations that extend help and services for family members. If you, or someone you know, need a temporary helping hand, visit these sites to find a location near you that may assist you. If you know an inmate that will be released soon and needs assistance, these sites may be helpful as well.
Emergency assistance with HOUSING needs: http://www.211search.org/
Link to the center for independent living: http://www.ilru.org/projects/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory
Link to a program for housing the homeless: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/
OTHER POSSIBLY HELPFUL & INFORMATIVE SITES:
Halfway and Transitional Housing
A halfway house is a residence that offers individuals the opportunity to reintegrate into society. Halfway houses serve individuals recovering from substance use, mental illness, or recently released from prison. Such housing is often highly subsidized. Transitional housing provides a subsidized residence for both individuals and families who are in the process of transitioning from homeless-ness to supportive permanent housing or independent housing in a community.
Transitional housing can:
• Target applicants just released from prison.
• Provide a highly supervised environment. Emphasizing behavioral change, staying drug-free, and compliance with other conditions.
All types of housing must comply with civil rights laws and provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and tenants with disabilities. Applicants with criminal histories can also make requests for reasonable accommodations. When appropriate, a request may result in admission to housing or withdrawal of eviction proceedings.
Property owners often point to convictions resulting from mental illness or drug addiction to prevent applicants from gaining admission into housing. Civil rights laws do not allow such blanket prohibitions and instead require individual assessments. One way of obtaining such an assessment is through a request for reasonable accommodation. Housing providers would then be required to verify that applicants are in recovery both from mental illness as well as drug and alcohol addiction. The provider must conduct an individualized assessment based on reliable objective evidence. Of course, a housing provider may reject any applicant who poses a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or their property, but the housing provider must first determine if reasonable accommodation can eliminate or significantly reduce the threat.
Rental Housing Assistance (Section 8)
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides rental-housing subsidies for low-income households under a program commonly referred to as “Section 8.” To learn more, visit the HUD Housing Vouchers.
Find your local Public Housing Agency at HUD-PHA contact information, or call 800-569-4287 to locate a nearby housing counseling agency.
Home Heating Assistance
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income households pay immediate home energy and heating costs. The program is designed for households who spend a high proportion of their income for heat and air conditioning. Household income must be under 150 percent of the federal poverty level (in 2012, $33,525 for a family of four, except in Alaska and Hawaii) or 60 percent of the state median income (varies greatly by state). For more information or to apply, contact your state LIHEAP agency at
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/grantees/states.html or call 866-674-6327.