Service Tree

The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.

At Risk/Homeless Housing Related Assistance Programs

Programs authorized under federal or state legislation or local government initiatives that provide financial assistance and supportive services for individuals and/or families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. Included are prevention programs that help people at imminent risk for homelessness preserve current housing or secure alternative housing; diversion programs that help people actively seeking shelter to identify and access viable alternatives including shared housing arrangements and transitional housing/shelter; and rapid re-housing programs that help people who are already homeless move as quickly as possible into permanent housing. Services may include case management, rental deposits, rent assistance, utility deposits, housing search assistance, moving expenses, expenses related to non-shelter temporary housing in situations where permanent housing has been secured but is currently unavailable, and other costs the family may incur in the process of acquiring or maintaining housing. Allowable activities, eligibility criteria and other requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction, the funding source and the focus of the program.

Emergency Shelter

Programs that provide a temporary or transitional place to stay for newcomers, people who are in crisis, or homeless individuals in the community.

Emergency Shelter Clearinghouses

Programs that coordinate requests for emergency shelter by screening homeless individuals who apply using criteria established by the shelters, maintaining lists of individuals who have been aided, and checking new applicants against the lists before referring them to a resource that can meet their needs. Emergency shelter clearinghouses help to avoid duplication of service and maximize the availability of shelter resources while relieving the agencies of the task of handling requests directly. Also included are programs that refer people needing shelter to an appropriate resource, but which are not the sole source for this information.

Home Improvement/Accessibility

Programs that pay for or provide assistance in the form of consultation, labor and/or supplies for people want to build an accessible home or need to upgrade their homes to make them attractive, safe, accessible and energy-efficient.

Homeowner Associations

Membership organizations composed of residents who live in condominium or townhouse complexes, mobile home parks or other planned communities who make decisions about association fees, regulations for the complex, expenditures for maintenance or improvements and other issues; hear resident complaints; and keep residents informed regarding the financial status and current projects of the association.

Home Purchase/Construction Financing/Refinancing

Programs that provide direct or guaranteed loans or grants for the construction, purchase or refinancing of a home.

Housing Counseling

Programs that provide comprehensive assistance for people who want to rent or purchase housing including information and guidance about buying and rental costs; how to select affordable housing that meets individual needs; and how to provide for insurance, maintenance and other requirements related to acquiring and paying for housing.

Housing Expense Assistance

Programs that pay current housing bills or finance new living accommodations for people who are otherwise unable to provide for their housing needs. Housing expense assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Housing Search and Information

Programs that help people to find and select available rental or purchasable housing, commercial lots and/or residential lots which meet their individual needs. Included is information that is available online, in print or in other formats.

Real Estate Auctions

Programs that conduct sales which provide opportunities for participants to bid on single and multi-family homes, condominiums, mobile homes, farms, ranches, commercial buildings, investment properties, land and other properties placed at auction. Included are pre-foreclosure and foreclosure listings, REO properties owned by the bank, residential properties acquired by HUD or other government entities through defaults on government-insured loans or failed savings and loan institutions, and properties for sale by the owner. In the case of some government-owned residential property, individuals and families who purchase the property must meet income and resource guidelines, and certify that they intend to occupy the property as their principal residence for a specified period of time following the date of closing. Included are organizations that administer the programs and/or provide information about the certification process or auctions.

Residential Housing Options

Temporary or long-term residential options for individuals and families who are looking for housing. Included are market rate and subsidized rental and purchase options; facilities for people who do not want to establish independent households or cannot afford to do so; and housing for older adults and people with disabilities who are capable of maintaining independent living in a communal environment without any form of supervision, care or support. Structures may include single family dwellings, apartment buildings, duplexes, triplexes, congregate living facilities, mobile home parks, single room occupancy (SRO) housing and other shared housing facilities.

Subsidized Housing Administrative Organizations

Organizations that make rental housing more readily available to low-income individuals and families by administering federal and local housing programs.

Supportive Housing

Programs that provide an alternative living arrangement for individuals who, because of age, disability, substance abuse, mental illness, chronic homelessness or other circumstances, are unable to live independently without care, supervision and/or support to help them in the activities of daily living; or who need access to case management, housing support, vocational, employment and other services to transition to independent living.

Supportive Housing Placement/Referral

Programs that link people who are in need of a community care facility or other supportive housing placement with an appropriate provider.

Transitional Housing/Shelter

Programs that provide extended shelter and supportive services primarily for homeless individuals and/or families with the goal of helping them live independently and transition into permanent housing. Some programs require that the individual/family be transitioning from a short-term emergency shelter. The length of stay varies considerably by program. It is generally longer than two weeks but typically 60 days or more and, in many cases, up to two years or more. The supportive services may be provided directly by the organization managing the housing or may be coordinated by them and provided by other public or private agencies. Transitional housing/shelter is generally provided in apartment style facilities with a higher degree of privacy than short-term homeless shelters; may be provided at no cost to the resident; and may be configured for specialized groups within the homeless population such as people with substance use disorders, homeless mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, veterans or homeless people with AIDS/HIV. In some cases, a "transition in place" option allows families to continue living in the same complex (if not the same unit) where their transitional housing unit is located when they are ready to move to permanent housing. In other cases, the permanent housing option is either public housing or private rental housing supported by a tenant-based voucher subsidy. Included are post-domestic violence shelter housing programs that make affordable rental housing (or other accommodations) available to women, generally those who are coming directly out of a domestic violence shelter or other crisis shelter, often in apartment complexes owned by the shelter; and programs that provide transitional housing and support services for other targeted groups such as military and veteran families and others who need a temporary supportive living environment to maintain stability and begin to thrive.

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