Day in the Life: Family in the Emergency Shelter Program

Each day, families in the Family Promise Emergency Shelter program have a regular daily schedule. This includes staying at host sites with other families, going to work and school, and staying together at the day center. With COVID-19 though, the family schedules have had to be changed to accommodate social distancing and safety guidelines.

Typical Day

A family’s regular day starts off early, waking up at the host site churches where they stay overnight. Families arrive at the Day Center around 7 AM to prepare for their day. This includes packing lunches in the stocked kitchen and getting any personal supplies they need. Families then leave for work and school for the day. After the day is done, they return to the Day Center for the evening, then transition back to the current host site church for dinner and their overnight stay.

COVID-19 Day

In order to provide a socially distant and safe day for Family Promise employees, volunteers, host sites, and families, we have partnered with local area hotels and apartment landlords. This allows families their own spaces to stay, work or learn from home, and be safe during COVID-19. Even though they are not staying at Family Promise host sites, meals are provided to families while they are in the program, no matter where they are staying.

Future Emergency Shelter Plans

As the COVID-19 situation changes and evolves, so do we! Our programs have evolved and grown to accommodate families experiencing homelessness is the best and safest way possible. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in person again, but until then we are following state guidelines as best we can. We’ve also introduced our new Prevention Program to assist families in staying in their homes, you can read more about that in our previous blog post.

COVID-19 Updates for Rental Tenants and Landlords

In recent weeks, New Jersey has seen many updates and changes for both renters and landlords. These changes have been implemented to help keep people safe, afloat, and in their homes during COVID-19.

For Tenants

The eviction moratorium in New Jersey has been extended. Executive Order 106 was issued back in March and suspended evictions across the state. This means that no tenant can be locked out of or removed from their home as a result of an eviction proceeding, except in a few rare circumstances. The order has been extended through October 31.

During this moratorium, tenants do still need to pay rent, and missed payments may become back-rent. For more information on what happens if you miss rent payments, read here or here. If you are a tenant in need of rental assistance, you may qualify for Family Promise of Southern Ocean County’s Anchors to Stay Prevention Program. Reach out to us here/by phone at (609) 994-3317 or by email at fpsocstaff@gmail.com for more information on the Prevention Program or other resources in our area.

For Landlords

Starting August 19th, small property owners of apartment buildings can apply for the Small Landlord Grant Program.

"To emerge stronger from this crisis, we need to make direct investments in our hardest hit neighborhoods and communities," said Governor Murphy. "Ensuring that responsible landlords can continue to maintain their properties and provide quality housing to our tenants is essential to our recovery. Through this program, we can also provide direct support to COVID-impacted renters by forgiving back-rent."

An impacted landlord can apply for aid out of a $25 million bucket, so long as they forgive back rent and fees that their tenants owe. Grant amounts will be based on lost income, as well as the number of rental units for low-income and moderate-income tenants. To see if they qualify, landlords are encouraged to visit nj.gov/dca/hmfa. Applications are open Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. through Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.

If you are a landlord in Ocean County with a vacancy, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County would like to partner with you! Under our new Prevention Program, we are partnering with landlords to provide housing for homeless families in our area. Reach out to us here/by phone at (609) 994-3317 or by email at fpsocstaff@gmail.com for more information.

New Anchors to Stay Prevention Program

Family Promise of Southern Ocean County is proud to introduce the Anchors to Stay Prevention Program. This new program is available across Ocean County, allowing eligible families to receive financial aid on rent, mortgage, or security deposit payments. Families also have access to a curriculum focused on stability and further prevention of homelessness.

Family Promise’s main goal is to ensure the people we serve do not fall into the cycle of housing instability that can devastate families and alter the course of children’s lives. Getting out in front of these issues is the most cost-effective way to address this crisis. This prevention assistance comes at an especially pivotal time when many families are experiencing new challenges with unemployment delays, food insecurity, and fear of losing their homes.

The new Anchors to Stay Program is a preventative aid as a rapid response first step to stabilize housing for those who are on the brink of becoming homeless. Eligible families across all of Ocean County can receive financial aid on rent, mortgage, or security deposit payments. To qualify for the program, families must have children, and one or more adults who are willing and able to work full-time or have an alternative source of sustainable income. For us, families are defined by the child, all of our programs include single-parent, two-parent, and non-traditional families. If you are in need or know a person in need who does not fit the requirements, you can still reach out to Family Promise for alternate local resources and information.

Other Family Promise of Southern Ocean County Programs include:

Casting Lifelines Referral Program

Every phone call coming into our Day Center is screened and matched with services and resources locally in the community.

Daymark Family Shelter Program

We partner with community organizations and school districts to provide shelter, meals, hospitality, and day-to-day essentials for local families with children who are experiencing

homelessness.

Arc of Visibility Graduate Program

Continuing the relationships they develop in our program is important for families to experience long-term sustainable independence. Our Graduate Program provides families with continued essential support and an opportunity to build upon the life skills learned in our programs.

We offer many opportunities to make a difference in the lives of families we serve, including partnering with landlords in Ocean County to house families. If you are a landlord with a vacancy, reach out to us by phone at (609) 994-3317 or by email at fpsocstaff@gmail.com.

If you’re looking for other ways to help, check out our Get Involved page and follow us on Facebook for updates!