Housing Access for Washtenaw County April 2022 Update

4/20/2022

Welcome to the first edition of Housing Access for Washtenaw County’s Monthly News Update. This post contains valuable information about HAWC’s programs and updates on our impact.

CERA Program Eligibility Updates

The CERA program is a rental assistance program which is designed to keep Michigan residents who fell behind on their rent during COVID-19 in their homes. HAWC and SOS Community Resources (SOS) have worked in tandem in the last year to allocate assistance to many households in Washtenaw County. In January, the eligibility requirements changed, resulting in many applications across the county being denied. However, the eligibility changed again in March, making many of these tenants eligible once again under the new eligibility. If your application was denied and you believe you may be eligible again under the new guidance, please submit a recertification to your original application using your original CERA number on the CERA Portal. HAWC & SOS appreciate your understanding in this ever-changing landscape.

To be eligible for the CERA Program, you now must:

Have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AND
Have rental arrearages between MARCH 13, 2020 and MARCH 30, 2022, AND
Your household’s income must be at or below the threshold

In addition to your application, you will also need to provide:

A copy of your lease agreement & proof of rent owed
A Michigan ID
A 2020 or 2021 tax return
Proof of income

You may still be eligible if you cannot provide proof of income or ID

To APPLY for CERA

Apply through the CERA portal. If you do not have access to a computer or are unable to complete this application online, please complete the paper application and send the required documentation, as well as the completed application to [email protected] or drop off your application to the Salvation Army at 100 Arbana Dr in Ann Arbor.

Download the CERA Initial Paper Application (for new applicants - English)

Download the CERA Solicitud del Arrendatario (for new applicants - Spanish)

Download the CERAطلب المستأجر (for new applicants - Arabic)

Download the CERA Recertification Paper Application (for returning applicants)

If you are not eligible for CERA, but are still behind on your rent

HAWC may still be able to help if you meet the following eligibility requirements:

Your household’s income must be at or below the threshold
You must have some threat of eviction

If you believe you are eligible, call HAWC’s Intake Line at (734) 961-1999.

If you are facing eviction but are not behind on rent

Visit Michigan Legal Help’s website
Call Legal Services of South Central Michigan at (734) 665-6181 or ask to speak with an attorney in court
Be sure to attend every hearing in person or via Zoom

To check the status of a pending CERA application

Reach out to your assigned CERA caseworker, if you have one already
Check the status via the CERA Portal by selecting “Check App Status”

HAWC Intake Updates

Our HAWC Intake Staff is responsible for being the initial point of contact for all those experiencing a housing crisis in Washtenaw County. Our intake staff is currently working extremely hard to manage the required capacity. Please be patient with our staff as they navigate these understaffing challenges.

Intake Call Reports

For a better understanding of HAWC’s intake operations, please see the below statistics from the month of March (February 28 - April 1).

3,819
Calls Received to
HAWC’s Intake Line

2,386
Calls Screened by a
Housing Intake Specialist

763.8
Average Weekly
Calls Received

Please note, the percentage of calls returned does not account for those calls which were inaudible voicemails, and the call could not be returned. Additionally, some calls were determined to be duplicates, which occurs when a caller leaves more than one voicemail before their call is returned. Our intake staff will only call back these callers once for multiple calls. Our intake team is working hard to meet the needs of Washtenaw County residents.

Ways You Can Help!

Understand that you may not be able to speak with someone immediately. By leaving a clear voicemail message with your name, contact information, and a brief description of your housing need, our intake staff will be able to return your call in the order it was received.
Refrain from calling intake to check the status of your CERA application. Check the status of your application online at the CERA Portal or by contacting your caseworker if you have been assigned one.
Callers should be prepared to complete an intake when they reach out to the intake line. For example, clients calling for family shelter should be prepared to provide full Social Security Numbers and should have all adult members of the household present at the time of your call.
Be aware that housing resources in Washtenaw County are extremely limited and we may not be able to assist all callers with a housing need.
Apply to become a Housing Intake Specialist with HAWC!

Family Shelter and Diversion Updates

Family Shelter Program

Our family shelter program was able to provide shelter for 13 families in the month of March, which were made up of groups of adults and children who were experiencing a housing crisis. Two of those families were able to transition into shelter space elsewhere in the county once it became available. Two additional families were able to move into their own apartments last month. Five additional families are simply waiting for their new rental units to be ready to move into! The remaining families are working with HAWC staff in hopes of securing a safe place to call home.

Family Shelter Diversion Program

At this time, shelter space in Washtenaw County is full and if you are experiencing a housing crisis, HAWC may not be able to assist you immediately. This limited shelter space is filled by way of community partnership, informed by triage tools. However, in the interim, our Family Shelter Diversion Specialist works with families in Washtenaw who are experiencing a housing crisis in attempts to remedy their housing barriers before they even get into shelter! By working towards self-sufficiency prior to a shelter stay, families can utilize this as their best option.

Shelter diversion is a strategy that prevents homelessness for people seeking shelter by helping them identify immediate alternative housing arrangements, and, if necessary, connecting them with services and financial assistance to help them return to permanent housing, prior to beginning a shelter stay.

HRS Updates

Our Housing Resource Specialists work hard to prevent homelessness using one-time monetary assistance strategies. Working in tandem with community partners, clients are referred to HAWC for rental assistance and move-in assistance. Our rental assistance program currently is working to assist clients who are at risk of homelessness but are not eligible for the CERA program. Our HRS team was able to approve seven eviction prevention applications in the month of March. Our HRS team also works to support clients who have found new units in Washtenaw County and would not be able to move in without financial assistance to bridge a large gap. Our HRS team worked to approve six move-in assistance cases in March 2022.

HAWC Job Postings

Interested in working with HAWC? See the below job postings!

Housing Intake Specialist (part-time)
Housing Intake Specialist/Housing Navigator (full-time)

To inquire about any of these positions, reach out to Margaret Behnke, HAWC Associate Program Coordinator for more information at [email protected]

Questions? Contact Us!
[email protected]
HAWC Intake Line: (734) 961-1999 | Mailing Address: 100 Arbana Dr Ann Arbor, MI 48013

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