For Emergencies: Community Resource Services

About the Program

Catholic Family Center's Community Resource Services (CRS) addresses our client's emergency needs by offering comprehensive services to deal with client's immediate crisis as well as to offer services and resources to help them to gain and maintain self-sufficiency. Through case assessment, case managers are able to identify areas of need and assist clients in addressing these needs. Community Resource Services is centrally located and serves all of Monroe County, which allows for easy access to our program.

Our Emergency food and financial assistance program saw its largest year over year increase in clients, a 50% increase, and was the biggest program growth area of the entire agency. 48% were children.

This was in large part due to:

• Increased need was especially noted during the federal shutdown in early 2019,
• Addition of bilingual and culturally competent staff who conduct outreach to the surrounding neighborhood.

What the Program Offers

Our Community Resource Services (CRS) offers support for finding financial assistance, including emergency rent programs and utility payment assistance. In addition, we provide short-term crisis intervention and case management.

Eligibility criteria

CRS is often the first stop for individuals and families who do not know what to do next, due to issues such as loss of employment, denial of benefits, or food shortage in the home. Most services are at no cost for eligible clients, particularly those identifying as low income.*

Intake Process

Our 539 Joseph Avenue location is closed temporarily, but we are operating remotely and are open to take new cases for emergency rent, security deposit and utility financial assistance and other crisis management by phone.

Call (585) 232-2050 to schedule an appointment for a phone meeting, and to review any required paperwork or information that will be needed for your appointment.

Walk In hours begin at 9am, Clients will be served first-come, first-served until our case managers' schedules are full, or until 12:30pm on slower days. Appointments can be made between 2-4pm each weekday.

Clients come to the reception window and sign in during walk-in hours. They are given an intake packet that includes a form to capture basic household information, income information and demographics, as well as notice of privacy practices

Once packet is complete, documents are put into a folder and an available Case Manager sees them. We prefer to meet with clients and complete an assessment in order to better determine the root cause for their emergency and link them to relevant resources and supports.We ask for identification for all household members as well as proof of income and address, however clients are never denied services for failure to have documentation at their first visit.

*Most of our programs allow us to offer services at no or low cost to individuals whose household incomes fall below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD). In 2020, those income levels are:

What the Program Offers

Catholic Family Center can help families and individuals who are behind in their rent, or in the middle of an eviction process. We provide:

• Counseling and support to help clients develop a stable housing plan
• One-time direct financial assistance for:
  • overdue rent payments
  • overdue utility payments
  • mortgage arrears that started during COVID
  • security deposit to prevent homelessness

Eligibility criteria

If you have a low household income and are in immediate danger of eviction, homelessness or utility shut off, please call us to see how we can help. Assistance is available in Spanish. La asistencia está disponible en español.

You may be eligible for this Emergency Rent Assistance program if you:

• Have a household income under 275% Federal Poverty Level
• AND you have current proof of monthly income that is sufficient to pay your monthly rent, utilities and food.

If you find you are not eligible for this program, but are facing eviction steps, you may be protected under New York State’s Tenant Safe Harbor Act and the “Right to Counsel Project” which prevents eviction under certain circumstances. Here are resources which may help you:

• Go to Tenantdefense.org or call (585) 504-6195
• Please note:
  • You cannot be legally evicted until a court gives your landlord a judgement of eviction.
  • You have a right to remain in your home until the date on a Marshall's notice after that judgement in court.
  • You should call 9-1-1 if you are locked out prior to that date; your landlord will have committed a crime.

Intake Process

View and download an information sheet detailing some of the requirements of our intake process here.

First, please gather these documents:
There are several documents you will need to provide. Please start gathering as much as you can ahead of time. Your case worker will tell you exactly what is needed for your unique situation.

• Current proof of income
• Proof of current housing
• IDs and Social Security numbers for everyone in the household

Next Steps:

Intake: Please call 2-1-1 to complete screening & receive a referral to an agency providing Rent assistance. Assistance is available in Spanish. La asistencia á disponible en español.

Case Work Appointment: Once you have completed Step 1, you will get an appointment with a caseworker at CFC or another agency providing eviction prevention assistance. They will help you develop a plan, review documentation, and let you know of any other requirements. This meeting can be done by phone or in person.

Decision: Once CFC has all the documentation; a decision will be made whether your request can be approved or denied. If approved, a Promise to Pay letter will be sent to the landlord. All payments will go to providers, not directly to clients.

Lo que el Programa Ofrece

El Catholic Family Center puede ayudar a familias e individuales que están atrasados en la renta, o si están envueltos en el proceso de desalojo. Ofrecemos:

• Consejería y apoyo para ayudar los clientes a desarrollar un plan estable de vivienda
• Asistencia financiera directa de una sola vez para:
  • Pagos de alquiler o renta vencidos
  • Pagos de la luz vencidos
  • Depósito de seguridad para prevenir indigencia

Criterios para Elegibilidad

Si tiene un ingreso de vivienda bajo y está en peligro inmediato de desahucio, indigencia o de que le corten la luz, favor de llamarnos para tratar de poder ayudarlo. Asistencia está disponible en español.

Usted podrá ser elegible para este programa de Asistencia para Renta de Emergencia si usted:

• Tiene un ingreso de vivienda per debajo del 80% del Ingresos medios del área

Si no es elegible para este programa y está bregando con desahucio, es posible que se encuentre protegido bajo la Ley del Estado de Nueva York de Puerto Seguro para Inquilinos y el “Proyecto de Derecho a Asesoramiento” lo cual le evita desahucio bajo ciertas circunstancias.

Lo siguiente son recursos que lo pueden ayudar:

• Visite a Tenantdefense.org o llame al (585) 504-6195
• Favor de notar de que:
  • Usted no puede ser desahuciado legalmente hasta que el tribunal le otorgue a su propietario una sentencia de desalojo.
  • Usted tiene el derecho de permanecer en su casa hasta la fecha anotada en el Aviso del Mariscal después del juicio en la corte.
  • Usted debe marcar el 9-1-1 si le han bloqueado la entrada a su hogar antes de esa fecha ya que su propietario ha cometido un crimen.

Proceso de Admisión

Primeramente, recopile estos documentos:
Hay varios documentos que va a necesitar. Favor de empezar a juntarlos con bastante anticipación. Su trabajador social le informará exactamente lo que necesite en su situación única.

• Prueba de ingreso actual
• Prueba de vivienda actual
• Identificaciones y números de Seguro Social de todos los residen en su casa

Próximos Pasos:

Admisión: Favor de marcar el 2-1-1 para completar la examinación y recibir un referido a una agencia que le pueda proveer con Asistencia para la Renta. La asistencia está disponible en español.

Cita con el Manejador de su Caso: Una vez que haya completado el Paso 1, recibirá una cita con un manejador de su caso del CFC u otra agencia que le provea asistencia para prevenir el desahucio. Ellos le ayudarán a desarrollar un plan, a revisar su documentación, y le dejarán saber si necesita otros requisitos. Esta cita puede ocurrir por teléfono o en persona.

Decisión: Una vez que el CFC tenga toda la documentación, se decidirá si su petición es aprobada o negada. Si es aprobada, se le mandará a su propietario una carta de Promesa a Pagar. Todos los pagos se enviarán a los proveedores, y no directamente a los clientes.