The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) is pleased to announce the award of a grant from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) through the Solutions to End Homelessness (STEHP) program for $136,266. The proposed program will assist 265 individuals per year who are at risk of homelessness in Rensselaer County, New York. Funds will be used to help prevent eviction for families in need, and will also support utility arrears to ensure families are able to maintain safe, housing in their current homes and to avoid displacement to homeless shelters.

Supportive services will also be provided, to include: case management and advocacy, financial literacy education, legal services and education, career development, and tenants’ rights education.

According to the Rensselaer County Plan to End Homelessness, each year approximately 1,000 to 1,300 people—both those who are single and those living in families—become homeless in Rensselaer County. CEO’s program will strive to preserve individuals’ and families’ permanent housing situations by preventing eviction and utility shutoff, while incorporating intensive case management and legal services in order to help them maintain permanent housing and achieve self-sufficiency.