Extended Housing, Inc. administers a variety of programs that all serve the same goal: preventing and ending homelessness for individuals battling a serious mental illness.
Homeless Outreach
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (P.A.T.H.)
This program links individuals who are truly homeless or facing homelessness with mental health and housing services.
The homeless outreach team engages in intensive outreach, and provides supplies such as hygiene products, blankets, food vouchers, and bus passes.
The homeless outreach team is also available, no appointment necessary, during walk-in hours every Monday from 8:30am–3:00pm.
Once an individual enrolls in the program, our homeless outreach workers provide support with accessing shelter, mental health services, and government assistance.
P.A.T.H. Homeless Advisory Council
The purpose of the P.A.T.H. Homeless Advisory Council is to improve outreach and referral services to the homeless people of Lake County through the discussion of current needs and the sharing of ideas about how to address them.
P.A.T.H. Homeless Advisory Council membership application
Supportive Services
Housing Support Workers
Three housing support workers manage our housing aid programs and provide support for all of our tenants.
Housing support workers secure housing, work with landlords, and explain tenants’ rights and responsibilities for individuals enrolled in our programs. Housing support workers routinely do housing checks on the tenants to ensure all is well and to make any referrals as needed.
Housing support workers help tenants and clients become more self-sufficient by helping them to improve their communication, housekeeping, and conflict resolution skills, and continually re-engage consumers with mental health services and provide constant support on their road to recovery. This includes encouraging consumers to meet with new community psychiatric support workers, making mental health appointments with them, coordinating and advocating for mental health treatment team meetings, and continuing to engage substance abuse treatment.
Rental Assistance
Housing Subsidies
This program provides a rental subsidy that allows Lake County residents with serious mental illness to obtain permanent housing.
This subsidy acts as a bridge until either 1) the client obtains a permanent subsidy (i.e. Housing Choice Voucher), 2) the client’s income increases to the point that a rental subsidy is not needed, or 3) the client obtains the financial resources necessary to own their own home.
Participants pay 40% of their adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities.
Housing support workers meet with subsidy recipients to assist in resolving any housing issues and provide support during the transition into housing.
Housing Loans
This program provides financial assistance to obtain or maintain housing. This loan may be used for a security deposit, for one month’s rent to prevent eviction, and occasionally for utility assistance. These funds are distributed in the form of two-year, no-interest loans. Loan recipients are asked to make small monthly payments.
Walk-in hours, no appointment needed, are Wednesdays from 8:30am–12:30pm.
Emergency Housing Voucher
This program provides rental subsidies for individuals who are high system utilizers and in need of stable, supportive housing. This program serves the most chronic severely mentally ill in Lake County whose symptoms are exacerbated by chronically unstable living conditions.
Shelter Plus Care
The Shelter Plus Care program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program provides rental housing vouchers for permanent housing to homeless individuals with serious mental illness. Participants are strongly encouraged to utilize mental health and recovery services.
Participants pay 30% of their adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities.
Acceptance to the Shelter Plus Care program is through the Lake County Coordinated Entry through the Lake County Continuum of Care. Referrals to this program for chronically homeless individuals primarily come through service providers such as Extended Housing, Inc.’s P.A.T.H. program, Crossroads Health, Signature Health, Project Hope, and Forbes House.
