What is EA Emergency Family Shelter?
Shelter is a temporary place for your family to stay as you search for your next place to live.
Find out if you and your family are eligible for EA* Emergency Family Shelter.
(*EA - Emergency Assistance)
What is expected from families in EA Emergency Family Shelter?
While you stay in shelter, there will be required tasks to help your family move toward finding and keeping stable housing. These tasks will include:
Upload Documentation
Hand in all remaining documents required in the EA Emergency Family Shelter program.
Do Re-Housing Activities
Family members 18 and over will work on steps in their Re-Housing Plan to become more stable. A Re-Housing plan is a plan you and your family create each month with shelter staff. It maps out your steps to stabilize your family and find housing. This may include looking for housing, job search, job training, improving your credit score, attending important appointments, and other activities that will help you find and keep stable housing.
Attend Meetings
Attend shelter meetings and workshops required in your Re-Housing Plan, as well as meet and work with shelter staff.
Save Money
Save a percentage of your income. (This savings requirement will depend on your situation and will be developed with your re-housing staff or case manager.)
Accept Permanent Housing
Accept an offer of permanent housing unless you have good cause (a permitted reason).
Follow EA Uniform Shelter Program Rules
The EA Uniform Shelter Program Rules are a set of rules you and your family must follow to remain in shelter. They are in place to make sure that shelters are safe and work for everyone. You will sign these rules when you enter shelter. These rules include:
- Arriving by curfew
- Spending every night at the shelter unless permission is granted
- Only having guests at times and in ways outlined in the rules
- No pets (except for service animals or other animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act)
- No alcohol or illegal drugs.
- The full Uniform Shelter Rules are available on the Apply for EA webpage.
What are the types of shelters?
Congregate
Families have their own private place to sleep but share common spaces with other families in shelter.
Co-Shelter
Families are placed in apartments with other families. Families have private bedrooms and share common spaces.
Hotel
Families are placed in hotel rooms and may have access to other designated common spaces within the hotel.
Scattered Site
Families are placed in private living spaces/apartments separate from other families.
Overflow Shelter
Families who are on the EA Emergency Family Shelter waitlist may be temporarily placed in non-traditional shelter locations such as a gym or other open space with cots while they remain on the waitlist.
Shelter is a shared experience among families. You will likely share common spaces with other sheltered families.
What should families know when applying for EA Emergency Family Shelter?
Diversion Provider: An organization that supports EA eligible families to find housing instead of entering shelter. Diversion Providers mostly use the HomeBASE program to help families pay for a portion of the rent.
EA Emergency Family Shelter Waitlist: The state is not able to expand shelter capacity beyond 7,500 shelter units. Due to this, the family shelter system may not have enough space to shelter every eligible family right away. If you apply and are eligible but there is no unit available, you will be placed on a waitlist. Learn how the waitlist for EA Emergency Family Shelter works.
Homeless Coordinator: The person who helps you complete your application for EA Emergency Family Shelter and determines if you are eligible for the program.
HomeBASE: A program that can help you pay for part of the rent for an apartment or find alternative housing instead of going to a shelter. This is available if you are eligible for EA Emergency Family Shelter. If you are already in EA Emergency Family Shelter, HomeBASE is the same resource that can help you move into an apartment by paying for a portion of your rent.
What are some things families should know about living in EA Emergency Family Shelter?
EA Shelter Provider: A group that runs a shelter that is used for the EA Emergency Family Shelter Program.
Case Worker: A person who works at the shelter who is there to assist you and your family in planning how to stabilize your living situation. You will regularly meet with the case worker to work on things like getting resources to help your family (for example, childcare vouchers) and finding housing. (Also referred to as Family Advocate or Case Manager).
Housing Search Worker: A person who works at the shelter who is there to assist you and your family specifically in finding housing. (Also referred to as Housing Specialist or Rehousing Worker).