The Shelter Plus Care program stands as a vital housing assistance initiative in Berkeley, designed to support individuals facing chronic homelessness. This program provides crucial housing subsidies coupled with ongoing supportive services, ensuring that participants contribute only approximately 30% of their income towards rent. This structure is intended to offer stability and a pathway out of homelessness for vulnerable individuals within the community.
Eligibility for the Shelter Plus Care program hinges on engaging with the coordinated entry system. To begin the process, individuals must contact 211 and participate in Berkeley’s coordinated entry system for homeless services. Following this initial contact, program staff will conduct a thorough intake assessment to prioritize households demonstrating the most critical needs. This ensures that the program’s resources are directed towards those in the direst circumstances.
Core Eligibility Criteria: Chronic Homelessness and Disability
To qualify for Shelter Plus Care, applicants must meet specific definitions of chronic homelessness and have a qualifying disability.
Defining Chronic Homelessness
The program recognizes chronic homelessness based on the following criteria:
- Long-Term Street or Shelter Residence: Individuals must have been continuously homeless, living on the streets or in shelters, for at least the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding their application.
- Repeated Episodes of Homelessness: For those currently homeless for less than a year, they must have experienced at least four separate instances of homelessness, residing on the streets or in shelters, within the past three years. The cumulative duration of these homeless episodes must total at least 12 months.
- Homelessness Prior to Institutional Care: Individuals transitioning from institutional care facilities (such as jails, substance abuse or mental health treatment centers, or hospitals) are eligible if they have been in the facility for fewer than 90 days and were chronically homeless according to the above criteria immediately prior to entering the institution.
- Transitional Housing Exception: While generally, residents of transitional housing do not meet HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness, the City of Berkeley program may offer limited exceptions for individuals in transitional housing who previously met the chronic homelessness criteria.
Disability Requirement
In addition to chronic homelessness, participants must also have a documented disability. This disability must be due to one or more of the following conditions:
- Severe Mental Illness
- Drug and/or Alcohol Dependence
- Physical Disability
- Chronic Medical Condition
Prioritization Based on Service Needs
Within the eligible applicant pool, priority for Shelter Plus Care is given to those with the most pressing service needs. High-need individuals are identified by factors such as:
- Having a life-threatening health condition.
- Frequent utilization of emergency medical services or multiple hospitalizations.
- Regular interactions with law enforcement officials.
This prioritization ensures that the Shelter Plus Care program effectively targets and supports the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Berkeley, providing not just housing but also the necessary supportive services to foster stability and improve their quality of life.
