Our Programs

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The Regional Planning Council host monthly meeting where number of agencies, advocates, and not for profits, including faith based organizations, that are organized for the purpose of addressing the needs of homeless and special needs populations. The driving premise for the meetings is to form a seamless delivery of services for the target populations and maximize the impact of resources.

The Coordinated entry process was instituted to help our community prioritize assistance for the homeless based on vulnerability and severity of service needs, to ensure that people who need assistance the most can receive it in a timely manner.  Coordinated entry changes our CoC from a project focused system to a person focused system. This process begins with a vulnerability assessment conducted at any of 7 participating agencies in Lake County, IN.

The CoC of NWI point-in-time count is an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a community who are experiencing homelessness that includes both sheltered and unsheltered populations. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that communities receiving federal funds from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program conduct a count of all sheltered people in the last week of January annually.  The Continuum of Care Network of NWI has led this effort in Lake County since 2003.

Our Rapid Re-housing services are an intervention designed to help individuals and families that don't need intensive and ongoing supports to quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing. Housing assistance is offered without preconditions — like employment, income, absence of criminal record, or sobriety — and the resources and services provided are tailored to the unique needs of the household.

Tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) is a rental subsidy that

eligible households can receive to help afford housing costs

such as rent and security deposits. The TBRA program at this time can not assist participants

with utility deposits or utility payments. 

The purpose of the CoC Rapid Rehousing Program is to provide assistance by rapidly re-housing persons who are homeless. HUD expects that these resources will be targeted and prioritized to serve households that are most in need of this temporary assistance and are most likely to achieve stable housing, whether subsidized or un-subsidized. It provides temporary financial assistance and services to individuals and families who are homeless.