Family Housing Stabilization Program

You may be eligible to receive up to $2,500 if your family with children is at “imminent risk” of homelessness. The Family Housing Stabilization (FHS) program is a one-time, temporary program run by DHHS. The program ends September 30, 2010 or sooner if funding runs out before then.

(It is possible that Congress may take action that would extend this program. If you need help after the September deadline, check with a case manager at one of the sponsoring agencies to find out if this program has been extended.)

Who is eligible to receive FHS benefits?

To be eligible, your family must:

• have at least one child under the age of 21 who is related to you; and


• that child must currently live at home; and


• your family’s income must be:


• below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level; or


• every member of your household must already receive Food Supplements (Food Stamps), SSI, TANF or PaS (if you have an ASPIRE sanction, it must be resolved first).

Note: Women in their third trimester of pregnancy who have no other children living with them may be eligible.

The program does not cover all situations. Your situation must not be the result of you or a family member refusing a job or training, unless there was a good reason. But you may be able to get FHS benefits if you are already getting other benefits such as TANF or General Assistance.

What are the program requirements?

Your family must be at “imminent risk” of homelessness. This means you must have at least one of the following risk factors:

• Eviction: You have received notice that you will be evicted from a private rental.



• Foreclosure: You have received a writ of possession telling you that your home is being foreclosed and you will have to leave.



• Not Sustainable: You are being forced to move out of a housing situation with family or friends because it is not sustainable.



• Discharged: You are being discharged from an institution where you have lived for more than 180 days (including prisons, mental health institutions, or hospitals), and you were homeless before you entered the institution.



• Not Fit for Human Habitation: You currently live in housing that is unsafe or unhealthy. For private homes, this means the conditions are so bad you would be forced to leave within two weeks. For rentals, this may mean the landlord does not fix unsafe or unfit conditions. Some signs that your home is not fit for human habitation include:
• undrinkable water
• no heat or very little heat in the winter (For more information see How Much Heat does my Landlord Have to Provide?)
• the plumbing or septic system doesn’t work
• a combination of problems, such as leaking ceilings, unsafe heating system, broken windows, and roaches, etc.

In addition, FHS benefits combined with other available resources must be enough to keep you from losing your housing over the next 6 months.

For more information on your rights if you are facing eviction, foreclosure, or your rights as a tenant, see Fair Housing.

What if I am already receiving public assistance?

FHS benefits are not a substitute for other programs such as General Assistance and TANF. But if you already get some help from other programs, FHS benefits can cover housing-related costs that other programs may not pay for, including:

• rent or mortgage
• security deposits
• unpaid property taxes
• liens (for plumbing, electrical, carpentry)
• home repairs if your home is not fit for habitation (chimney, septic, wells, roofs, windows, doors, major appliance, etc.).

How do I apply?

1. Contact the sponsoring agency nearest you; these are located throughout the state. See agency list.



2. A case manager will talk with you to determine if you are eligible. He will also help your family connect to all other available resources.



3. The case manager will evaluate if FHS benefits combined with other available resources will be enough to keep you from losing your housing over the next 6 months.



4. If you are facing homelessness and there are not other programs that can help, the case manager will then refer you to DHHS. DHHS will make the final decision about your eligibility.

What can I do if I get turned down?

If are turned down and disagree with the decision, you can appeal. Here is what you should do:

• If one of the sponsoring agencies turned you down, contact Maine Equal Justice Partners, 1-866-626-7059 right away.



• If DHHS turned you down, you can request a DHHS hearing within 30 days of being turned down. You can also ask for a hearing if you got less help than you asked for. If you are unable to request a hearing within 30 days due to “good cause,” you may be allowed to make a hearing request at a later date. If you miss the deadline without good cause, you will have to start over again with a new application. If you want help with the hearing, call Pine Tree Legal Assistance as soon as possible.

Download DHHS program rules here