Keeping individuals and families sheltered and warm during a Berkshire winter is yet another dimension of the already complicated housing issue and was the focus of the recent navigation convening.
In late November, Berkshire United Way welcomed community navigators to the Berkshire Innovation Center to learn about emergency housing from Erin Forbush, shelter and housing director for ServiceNet; heating and fuel assistance from representatives at Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC); and tenancy preservation from Soum Bance, program director at UpSide413.
“This convening was requested by navigators because they know that many more vulnerable individuals and families will be in need during the cold winter months. Berkshire United Way understands that quality navigation is a critical service in helping households get the resources they need to be independent and for their well-being, especially during the winter,” said Katherine von Haefen, director of community impact.
Emergency housing
The Pearl, ServiceNet’s first fully handicap accessible shelter that opened earlier this year, has 40 beds – 24 for men and 16 for women – but according to Erin there is always a waitlist (there were 55 at the time of this convening). She said two case workers contact wait listers weekly or biweekly to learn if there is still interest and to check in on them.
Erin noted that because the criteria threshold is low for adult-only shelters like The Pearl, it’s easier for individuals to find shelter than for a family. She said family shelters are run by the state, which determines eligibility and requires lots of paperwork. “In Berkshire County, the system doesn’t work,” she said. “There is no office; Hearthway is the go-between.”
When a family reaches the point of needing shelter, Erin said it’s often during “a chaotic crisis state.” She will try to connect with the state to help a family, but the “system is overwhelmed.” She did say that state Housing Secretary Edward Augustus Jr. has expressed interest in hearing more from representatives in rural areas.
Erin mentioned the warming center at The Pearl, which in early December when temperatures dropped, opened for a week. The warming center has since reopened and will remain so through the winter from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
A navigator asked Erin about the housing resource center planned for Zion Lutheran Church. She said the space (located in the basement) will include “housing vendors” – representatives offering information – as well as showers, lockers, laundry facilities, a quiet room, and a place for mail, as well as a kitchen, which wasn’t originally in the plans but focus groups called for it. Hearthway, a partner in this work, is also looking to add people with lived experience to manage the space and advise. Not mentioned were the nine supportive
housing units on the second floor.
Read more about The Pearl and the warming center.
Fuel and heating assistance
One important message BCAC representatives conveyed is that the organization can often provide help at no cost to the homeowner – from fixing the heat, to new heating systems, to warm clothing – and they have the capacity to help more people.
Julie Craumer, weatherization director for BCAC, said the first step to getting assistance is to apply online. If the heat isn’t working, BCAC can send a contractor to the home, at no cost. Tenants are directed back to landlord, but if a landlord receives fuel assistance, BCAC can help.
Federal funds are distributed through state programs like MassSave and are helping 8,000 families right now, “but we know there are 4,000 additional families not accessing the funds,” said Deborah Leonczyk, executive director of BCAC. “We can’t change how much a family receives, but we can access more money from the state to help more families. We encourage people to sign up.”
Bob Dean with BCAC said the income guidelines have changed to expand eligibility. “We’re working to make sure all eligible people get the service they need.”
Aleta Moncecchi, deputy director for BCAC North County, said they will do what they can to help people meet eligibility requirements and encourage people to apply each year.
A navigator asked about assistance for immigrants, to which Deborah responded that there is a social worker working with this population, but since BCAC must follow federal regulations, they encourage individuals and families to work with agencies that may already be helping them out through other programs.
Deborah also mentioned the children’s clothing boutique (now closed) that provides free jackets, boots, and winter accessories for pregnant women and children up to age 12. Families schedule an appointment to shop, but she said a vast majority of children are in families receiving fuel assistance so it’s easier to assist them.
Tenancy Preservation Program
The caseload for the Tenancy Preservation Program is significant, but over the last year, Upside413 has had an 81 percent success rate in keeping people in their house or at least providing a soft landing, said Soum.
The program, which supports individuals and families with disabilities who are facing eviction as a result of behaviors related to a disability, acts as a neutral party to the tenant and landlord. Soum noted that the staff is trauma informed and is willing to help connect individuals and families with other services as well.
The program covers Berkshire County and has extended into the Pioneer Valley. Soum praised the housing division in Massachusetts as the friendliest to work with.
Erin offered a bit of advice: those facing eviction should follow through with a full eviction because it extends the length of the process and keeps people housed. Soum added that “only a judge’s order can make you leave.”
Following the convening, one navigator shared: “A lightbulb went off after listening to the presentations and now I know how to assist a client with a broken washer machine.”
Berkshire United Way continues to bring experts and navigators together to address new and emerging needs in the community. At the request of community navigators, the January convening will focus on substance use disorder and where and how to get help.
Learn more about the services offered by ServiceNet, Berkshire Community Action Council, and UpSide413.