How the System Works
The Homelessness Prevention System provides critical assistance to low-income families and individuals at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Through this system, families and individuals can access a wide range of resources and services to help remain stably housed. This includes:
Immediate cash assistance that can be used towards rent, utilities and other basic expenses
Legal support & eviction defense
Case management services
Assistance applying for benefits
Help accessing services & resources provided by other partners (i.e. employment assistance, landlord mediation, financial coaching)
The Homelessness Prevention System prioritizes households with the highest risk of falling into homelessness. Low-income households earning less than 80% of the area’s median income are eligible to apply for assistance, and our partners use a standardized pre-screening interview and questionnaire to help evaluate each household’s risk.
Case managers work with households enrolled in our system to determine the amount and type of assistance that any family and or individual needs to stabilize their situation and stay housed. Given the wide range of situations that can lead to housing instability, this flexible approach has been key to resolving the specific issue(s) that’s putting a particular family or individual at-risk of homelessness.
The system is administered through a unique partnership of 19 community-serving non-profit organizations, led by Sacred Heart Community Service. This unique model allows families and individuals in-need to seek help at locations throughout Santa Clara County, and has made it possible to streamline and standardize service delivery, as well as measure the collective impact of homelessness prevention across the county. Read more about the Homelessness Prevention System’s network of partners
Since launching in 2017 as a small pilot serving a few hundred people, the Homelessness Prevention System has rapidly expanded and now has the capacity to serve 1,700 households per year. View Homelessness Prevention System Metrics
