Housing

Housing is a basic human right, not a reward for clinical success

Bethesda House was one of the first agencies nationwide to open a Housing-First permanent supportive housing program, now considered the best practice housing model.

Bethesda House offers:

  • Permanent Supportive Housing to eligible chronically homeless adults
    • Scattered Sites Apartments: 8 Beds
    • Lighthouse Program: 7 Beds
    • Liberty Apartments: 16 Beds
  • Transitional Housing for Veterans:
    • In partnership with the Veterans Administration, Bethesda House allocates 3 transitional housing beds and full access to case management services for veterans in need.
  • Overnight Shelter
    • In 2018, Bethesda House transitioned our seasonal Code Blue program to a 365-day, fully staffed overnight shelter
    • New guests receive intake upon arrival and are offered case management and social work services
    • Overnight Shelter hours are 6 PM - 7 AM

Along with the following assistance programs:

  • Rental Supplemental Program (RSP)
    • Established to provide vital rental assistance to individuals and families, regardless of immigration status, who are experiencing homelessness or are facing an imminent loss of housing.
    • The RSP is available to individuals and families both with and without children
    • Eligibility Requirements:
      • Households must earn no more than 50% of area median income (AMI) at the time of application based on location and household size, with initial priority given to households who earn no more than 30% of AMI;
      • Rental supplement amounts shall be set at 85% of local Fair Market Rent (FMR) values
      • A household’s financial contribution will be limited to 30% of their household’s total earned and/or unearned income;
      • Supplements are to be provided until the household’s income reaches 30% or more of their monthly rent, at which point the housing will be considered affordable for the individual/family and the supplement will end; and,
      • Receipt of TA is not a requirement for determining eligibility for the RSP.

 

  • Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
    • Bethesda House provides, to eligible program participants, payments to make up the difference between the amount a household can afford to pay for housing and local rent standards. 
    • TBRA programs help individual households (rather than subsidizing particular rental projects).
    • TBRA assistance moves with the tenant -- if the household no longer wishes to rent a particular unit, the household may take its TBRA and move to another rental property.
    • The level of subsidy is based upon the income of the household, the particular unit the household selects, and the rent standard.

 

  • Neighborhood Stabilization: Rental Rehab Programming

  • The Affordable Rental Renovation Program is designed to incentivize landlords to make repairs and  renovate their vacant rental units to increase available affordable housing units.

    This program recognizes the financial burden imposed on landlords due to damage to the units resulting the inability to keep the rental unit occupied due to code violations. The monetary incentive is one-time.

    The approval of this program is another indicator that attests to the importance of landlord and provider relationships. In addition, to the importance of neighborhood stabilization.

  • The process is as follows:
      • The identified unit(s) will be inspected following the in Inspection 8 guidelines.
      • A scope of work will be generated
      • Contractors will be contacted to bid on the job
      • Once the work is completed, another Section 8 inspection will be performed to ensure the unit is up to Code.
      • The unit is available for low-income housing
      • The landlord agrees to maintain the unit, addressing repairs
      • The landlord agrees to keep the unit as an affordable housing unit, renting to low-income households for 3-years.

 

Are you or someone you know in need of housing?

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