A Nebraska pilot program will combine short-term financial aid with personalized case management in an effort to help families remain housed after a financial setback.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center on Children, Families and the Law is one of 10 organizations participating in Right at Home, a national initiative led by the Silicon Valley nonprofit Destination: Home. The Nebraska program is expected to begin serving families in January.
People who have experienced homelessness or housing instability will help design the system and identify gaps in existing services. Applicants will answer a short series of questions, with families at greatest risk receiving priority.
Research Assistant Professor Brittany Brakenhoff said rent and utilities are expected to be the most common needs, but assistance will remain flexible enough to cover expenses such as a vehicle repair when transportation is essential to keeping a job.
A University of Notre Dame study estimated that communities receive $2.47 in benefits for every dollar spent on emergency financial assistance. Destination: Home said more than 90% of households it previously helped remained housed two years later.
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