Housing Assistance in Wyoming
Acquiring a safe place to call home is challenging for low-income earners, particularly single mothers with dependent children. Several programs have been initiated to assist them in providing a secure shelter for their families and some of those programs are highlighted below.
Emergency Housing Assistance
The Council of Community Services (CCS) manages an emergency homeless shelter that offers a warm bed, hot showers, and food to those without shelter. Families and individuals are offered a safe environment where their basic needs are met. The homeless families and individuals staying on the street are at risk and exposed to very dangerous situations. Their shelter delivers a safe place for women, and children where they will be warm and protected for the night. Residents at the shelter leave during the day to conduct job searches, or they work with the staff in their Council office to assist them to reclaim their independence. The shelter is open every day of the week. The CCS provides daily meals through the soup kitchen. They offer nutrition to families in need through the food pantry. They also provide shelter for families and individuals in their time of crisis. The organization offers assistance with case managers and also helps families to access permanent housing. https://www.ccsgillette.org/
Rent Assistance
Laramie Interfaith offers a way in which the community can assist neighbors to acquire their basic needs. The organization provides rental assistance that is applied for. The funds are available to those who have overdue rental payments, those who are job searching, or held back by unforeseen expenses. Before applying for the funding, individuals are expected to call and set up an appointment where the situation that the applicant is faced with will be discussed. Their staff will assist in filling out the essential paperwork needed to apply. Laramie Interfaith is dedicated to lowering the probability of their community experiencing homelessness. Interfaith-Good Samaritan collaborates with local agencies and organizations to offer help to women, and children in an emergency with no one else available to help. They provide help with utilities, emergency assistance with rent, unexpected expenses, and food assistance as well. https://www.laramieinterfaith.org/
Utility Bill (Heating, Water, Electricity, etc.) Assistance
The Wyoming Weatherization Services is a charitable, non-profit organization offering weatherization services to homes in Wyoming. The organization aims to assist Wyoming families with ensuring that their homes are energy-efficient, comfortable, and safe. The purpose of the program is to decrease the cost of energy for low-income families, particularly single-mother families with dependent children amongst other groups, by enhancing the energy efficiency of their homes while making sure that health and safety standards are maintained. This helps families to save money on utility bills. The free weatherization program offers many beneficial services to homes that include:
- Insulation of walls, attics, heat ducts, floors, water heaters, and water heater pipes.
- Replacement of old refrigerators
- Tests for the efficiency of the heating systems
- Providing information on ways to keep the home safe and energy-efficient
- Tests and Installation of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
https://www.wyweatherizationservices.org/
Eviction Prevention and Legal Assistance
The Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation is a non-profit corporation that defends and strengthens admission to civil and justice legal services through fundraising and other helpful activities. The organization assists each person to have access to complete and equal justice, irrespective of their income status. They offer grants to support educational efforts and civil legal service providers. The corporation works closely with the Wyoming State Bar, Wyoming Supreme Court, Equal Justice Wyoming, Access to Justice Commission, as well as legal service providers and community organizations to accomplish their vision. The EJWF funding is distributed with the intentions to:
- Provide civil legal services to low-income persons, who are not capable of acquiring legal assistance
- Offer education projects to the public to promote the knowledge and consciousness of the law
- Avail projects that develop the administration of justice.
https://www.equaljusticewyomingfoundation.org/
Charities and Churches Housing Assistance
The Community Action of Laramie County (CALC) provides transitional housing that is made up of single-occupancy apartments that are accessible to homeless persons, and larger apartments and homes to help low-income families. These housing opportunities comprise of case management. Their concentrated case management program helps a few of the eligible families or individuals that align with the 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Accepted program participants will enter a commitment that lasts for one- or two years. Each commitment will get rigorous case management, including housing cases; development of life skills; tackling individual needs; developing social skills and community interactions; and nurturing ambitions to accomplish an improved life. They are dedicated to decreasing poverty in Laramie County by encouraging the community to attain independence through advocacy, education, community partnerships, and intervention. https://www.calc.net/
Homeless Shelter Assistance – Transitional Housing
The Cooperative Ministry of Emergency Assistance (COMEA) provides shelter for 5 days in their emergency dorm and offers basic needs such as bedding, supper and breakfast meals, hot showers, toiletries, and clothing. First-time residents are required to meet up with a case manager during their stay. The case manager will assist them to get the resources in town that allow them to meet their needs. This case management session assists first-time residents to learn about the Journey Program to help them in gaining their independence. The organization aims to offer a safe temporary shelter for women and children that are facing homelessness. They cooperate with community resources and programs to make opportunities that encourage independent living. The Transitional Living Program helps those with situations that cause the independent living to be extremely difficult. The program requires residents to pay a fraction of their monthly income to rent a studio apartment. These residents have a case manager who assists residents develop their case plans to acquire necessary skills that enable independent living and reduce the chances of returning to homelessness. The rental program allows residents to stay for a period between 6 to 24 months. http://www.conmmeashelter.org/
The Seton House assists single mothers and their children that are facing homelessness. The house offers the residents tools and programs to attain their independence. While the families go through the programs offered, each family will stay in an apartment that is fully furnished and provided with all the basic needs. Each family is assigned a case manager who will work closely with the family to empower them. The organization owns 30 apartments, as well as a learning center. https://www.setonhousecasper.org/
Housing Authority
The Casper Housing Authority delivers quality affordable housing that functions as a basis to better the lives of the community and improves resident independence.
The objective is to create an agency that tackles the lack of secure, sanitary, and affordable housing for families and individuals earning a low-income. Their housing units comprise townhouses that are available in a variety of bedroom sizes and accessibility housings. The families in this program earn at least 80 percent of area median income, and usually pay 30 percent of their income for utilities and rent.
