HOUSING ASSISTANCE

Housing Stability Services

westcap housing assistance icon

HOUSING STABILITY

The Housing Stability program provides comprehensive planning, coaching, and support services to households struggling to find or maintain stable housing. Such services may include customer goal setting, budgeting, landlord mediation, legal services, referrals to other West CAP programs, and connecting customers with other state or local services in the community.  Contact us at info@wcap.org with questions or to learn more.

Eviction Prevention
Budgeting Assistance
Connections to community & agency resources
One-on-one Planning, Coaching, & Financial Education

Housing Choice Vouchers/Section 8

Provides long-term rent support at a participating unit of  choice in Dunn, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties.

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM

The purpose of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is to provide housing assistance and resources to low-income residents of Dunn, Pierce, St. Croix and Polk counties. Participants in the rental assistance program pay 30 percent of their monthly adjusted income for housing (rent + utilities). The Section 8 Program subsidizes the balance.

For an application or to learn more about the program, visit the Housing Choice Voucher page on our website.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available, waiting periods are common. Eligibility is based on total annual gross income and family size. Applicant family income may not exceed 50% of the median income for the county in which the family chooses to live. For Dunn County Housing Choice Vouchers, go to the Dunn County Housing Authority website at https://dunncountyhousing.org/.

HOMELESS INTERVENTION

Helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness find a solution.

West CAP’s Homeless Intervention program helps low-income families and individuals achieve housing stability through a combination of rental assistance, case management, and connection to community resources. Housing Assistance staff members work to match individuals and families with programs that meet their needs. Funding guidelines for this program define “homeless” as:

– Individuals and families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes a subset for an individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or a place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.

– Individuals and families who are fleeing, or are attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member.

Our program includes a few options for rent assistance and case management, depending on the need and duration of support required to prevent homelessness. Our Homeless Intervention Programs use the Coordinated Entry Pre-Screen system. Coordinated Entry means “no wrong door”. If you are in need of housing assistance, rather than apply at several agencies you can complete a pre-screen form to determine eligibility for multiple housing programs in west central Wisconsin.

Based on your current situation and level of need, you will be referred to the West Central Wisconsin Prioritization List. If/when a program has an available housing opportunity, the person or family with the greatest level of need will be contacted by the program with the opening. To apply through the Coordinated Entry Pre-Screen system for Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, or St. Croix counties, call West CAP at 715-598-4750.

Current Programs include:

  • Provides medium-term rental assistance and supportive services designed to quickly move households from homelessness to permanent housing.
  • Participants must be at or below 30% County Median Income.
  • Must be literally homeless
  • Rent assistance and case management for 3-12 months
  • Must have a housing stabilization plan
  • Case management is at least monthly
  • West CAP pays the subsidy to the Landlord and the tenant pays their portion to the Landlord
  • Rent is based on 30% of your gross adjusted income
  • Provides medium-term rental assistance and supportive services for households with a disabled member.
  • Can assist households experiencing homelessness as well as those at risk of homelessness.
  • Participants must be at or below 30% County Median Income
  • Rent assistance and case management for 12 months
  • Must have a housing stabilization plan
  • Case management is monthly
  • West CAP pays the subsidy to the Landlord and the tenant pays their portion to the Landlord
  • Rent is based on 30% of your gross adjusted income
  • Provides long-term housing designed for chronically homeless individuals and families and includes intensive support to assist individuals who have a mental illness or substance use disorder as a barrier to achieving housing stability.
  • Participants must be at or below 30% County Median Income
  • Must be chronically homeless (homeless for one year or more, or experienced four homeless episodes in the past three years and an adult in the household has a disabling condition)
  • Assistance is on-going (not time limited)
  • Must have a housing stabilization plan
  • Rent is based on 30% of your gross adjusted income
  • West CAP pays the full rent to the landlord and you pay your portion to West CAP
  • West CAP provides assistance with security deposit and utilities
  • Financial assistance is available for the following: mental health, AODA, child care, health care, food, and transportation
  • Case management is weekly and in your home
  • This program is designed for those households that face significant challenges to maintaining stable housing due to mental illness, substance use, and/or chronic homelessness

Homeless Management Information System Consumer Notice