The Emergency Housing Project involving the United Way of the Flint Hills and ECKAN officially starts taking applications for help Monday, but there has already been a lot of demand since the program was announced.
Announced Tuesday, the goal is to provide housing for people in emergency situations. ECKAN Human Services Coordinator Destiny Siegrist says the process is currently by appointment only.
The meeting process includes setting goals and assessing strengths. Siegrist says the goal is to line up emergency housing immediately, and ECKAN will work with clients to find affordable housing for them. ECKAN is working with the Salvation Army, SOS and other partners to ensure available housing through this program, although the current housing crisis may make it challenging to have homes ready for this program.
The project is an offshoot of the Plumb Place Steering Committee led by the United Way and will remain in place until Plumb Place is re-established or a similar agency can meet the crisis housing need. The United Way has secured a $90,000 grant from the Jones Testamentary Trust and a $25,000 grant from the Trusler Foundation to start this work.
Close to 10 families were signed up for meetings at last word and Siegrist says her phone has been swamped with calls from people seeking information. Homeless residents qualify, so long as their salaries are under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, based on the size of the family.
For more information, call ECKAN at 620-342-4607 or the United Way at 620-342-7564.
