Housing Assistance in West Virginia

Contents hide

2 Eviction Prevention and Legal Assistance

3 Charities and Churches Housing Assistance

4 Homeless Shelter Assistance – Transitional Housing

Providing safe accommodation for the family is every single mother’s top priority. In this article, we highlight some of the resources available for low-income earners in the State of West Virginia that are available to assist single moms in their quest for a safe home.

Emergency Housing Assistance

Harmony House is an emergency shelter working under the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless. The organization caters to the rights of all individuals to sufficient shelter, food, healthcare, and clothing. Harmony House has a mission to offer housing and other resources to the homeless and to work in partnership with agencies for the facilitating of these resources. Harmony House is a multi-purpose day shelter that provides a wide range of services that are offered to both individuals and families facing or at-risk of being homeless. The Coalition runs another housing program known as Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair is a housing complex that has a capacity of fifty-three single-room occupancy. It is precisely designated for those that are transitioning from homelessness. The organization facilitates permanent housing as well as supportive service programs for all residents. They also assist in linking residents to the several service agencies available in their area. https://www.harmonyhousewv.com/

The Bethany House offers emergency shelter 24 hours a day for 7 days a week. At the house, they address basic life needs, provide case management, and also provide recommendations to other accessible community resources. Some of the requirements to benefit from this facility are:

Applicant must be a resident of West Virginia.
Applicant should be at least 18 years of age, a member of an authorized family group, or an emancipated minor.

https://communitynetworksinc.org/bethany-house

Eviction Prevention and Legal Assistance

The Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) concentrates its efforts in three general program areas which are:

Behavioral Health Advocacy
Civil Legal Aid
Long-Term and ElderCare

Each program provides proficiency specific to its focus. When combined they allow the LAWV to attain its ultimate goal of assisting West Virginia’s most vulnerable communities. They provide a variety of advocacy that results in effective solutions for the numerous families and individuals in the community. The essential component of LAWV is their Civil Legal Services Program, which offers legal advice for free as well as legal representation for at-risk people across the state. The organization has 12 offices and over 50 attorneys across the state and they handle countless legal cases annually. They aim to assist and protect citizens’ to have access to basic rights such as shelter, food, safety, education, healthcare, and more. Their mission includes providing direct legal assistance, and also provide the general public with helpful legal information as clearly as possible to make it easy to understand. https://www.lawv.net/

Charities and Churches Housing Assistance

The Bartlett Housing Solutions is an organization committed to offering an environment that satisfies the basic needs of a family or individual in a place where the residents are treated with respect and dignity. The organization acknowledges that the growing social problem is homelessness and this can be seen throughout the United States and West Virginia. Bartlett Housing Solutions provides resources such as shelter, medical attention, and food. To avoid fostering dependency, they also offer their residents skills that will allow them to end the cycle of homelessness. Each individual’s journey is unique including their struggles and their way forward is slightly different therefore they have a team that can assist in identifying, and equipping their residents with the knowledge they require to fight homelessness. The organization has a Housing-First homeless assistance program. The program prioritizes offering families and individuals facing homelessness permanent housing rapidly and also provides complete supportive services to encourage sustainable housing. Their Housing-First model allows individuals and families to acquire housing first and then thrive to reclaim control over their lives as well as their health in a safe environment. https://www.bartletthousingsolutions.org/

The Latrobe Street Mission is an organization that assists the community to guide them through a way to change their lives. Basic needs are provided at the emergency shelter and these include shelter, food, and clothing. The organization links families and individuals with accessible resources and directs them towards attaining their freedom and independence. Single mom families and individuals looking for emergency shelter can register at any time throughout the day. The admission requires people to fill in a form and also conduct a drug screening. The shelter services are offered to women, children, and men at separate locations. The residents are allowed to stay for eight weeks or less and during that time they are trained to deal with the causes of their crisis. They are also assisted in searching for resources to suit their situation. The main services are provided by their staff and volunteers. During weekdays, local groups and churches offer dinner for all residents. Other services available to them include laundry and hot showers. Each morning, breakfast snacks are available. https://www.latrobestreetmission.org/#home-section

Homeless Shelter Assistance – Transitional Housing

The Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center (RSLC) helps families and individuals facing homelessness by giving them access to housing, employment, and job skills to accomplish their independence. The organization has a mission to end chronic homelessness. They offer secure, temporary shelter, as well as skill development, and recommendations to rehabilitation services to assist people experiencing homelessness to become fully independent. The center runs several transitional and permanent housing programs including the Twin Cities Center. The Twin Cities Center (TCC) offers 16 beds to help the frequently homeless population. They help women with a mental illness who have been homeless for a long time or those who have been homeless multiple times. https://www.roarksullivan.com/

The Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless runs a temporary shelter, which helps in developing long-term solutions to homelessness, and links with other agencies to offer an all-inclusive service for the homeless population in their community. The Coalition delivers direct care to the homeless by offering numerous housing and case management services. Their assessments, identify gaps in the service delivery system. The Coalition has modified its program to avail accessible, affordable housing for the homeless. The coalition also has a permanent supportive housing program with the intent to support low-income earners, including single mothers to live in a permanent setting and attain their independence. http://www.wheelinghomeless.org/

Homeowner/Buyer Grants and Assistance

Jefferson County Leasing Program offers permanent housing coupled with concentrated case management and connections to access community resources to homeless families (particularly single mother families) and individuals. Some of the requirements for applicants to qualify for this program include:

The applicant must be homeless
Applicants must be residents of Jefferson County

https://www.jcda.net/living-in-jefferson-county/housing/

Housing Authority

The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority brings government-sponsored programs, community service programs, and private partners together. Presently they offer services that include: