Homelessness Prevention Department

Housing First’s Homelessness Prevention Department (HPD) is charged with aiding individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of losing housing. The HPD team carries out their duties by completing street and community outreach, intake screening, and case management and housing coordination.

Three federal grants are utilized by the HPD team to carry out their charge-the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Grant, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and the Family Youth Services (FYS) Grant, which is funded by the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. With the help of these grants, the HPD team is able to aide those who are in need of assistance and provide case management, referrals, temporary rental assistance, and other much-needed services required for the client to obtain permanent housing.

Services for Veteran Families Grant

SSVF is a program set aside exclusively for veterans and their families. Services are provided for veterans who are facing homelessness or are at imminent risk of losing housing. Upon entering the program, clients receive extensive case management to promote housing stabilization and prevent future episodes of homelessness or becoming at-risk again.

To be deemed eligible for SSVF, a client must:
• Be homeless or at imminent risk of losing housing.
• Have served in the armed forces and completed basic training.
• Have an acceptable discharge status.
• Not surpass the 50% Average Monthly Income (AMI) limit for their household size.

Services provided include, but are not limited to:
• Housing assistance.
• Case management.
• Transportation assistance.
• Referrals to various community agencies including those for employment, education, childcare, food pantries and food assistance, and other life skills such as budgeting and credit counseling.

All services provided are to ensure general housing stability for the client and promote general welfare. Clients are encouraged to participate in the program fully. Success within the program is solely dependent on the client’s willingness to set and achieve goals which are put in place upon entry into the program.

Family Youth Services Grant

The CoC Program funds the Family Youth Services Grant, which is a grant dedicated for families and unaccompanied youth facing literal homelessness.

To be deemed eligible for FYS, a client must:
• Be literally homeless, as defined by HUD.
• Be unaccompanied youth, aged 18-24.
• Be an adult with a child under 18 or pregnant.

Clients enrolled in FYS are eligible for case management as well as temporary rental assistance to enable clients to become self-sufficient and obtain stable housing. In partnership with the HPD team, the FYS client will be expected to utilize resources and actively work to gain independence.

Emergency Solutions Grant

The ESG Program provides assistance in rapidly re-housing the homeless and aiding to prevent homelessness when applicable. The ESG program is funded by grants through Mobile County, the City of Mobile, and the State of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Development (ADECA). Each division carries its own eligibility criteria and services provided. Clients are encouraged to work with HPD staff to set and achieve goals which will directly lead to securing stable housing within an allotted time frame of which they are considered eligible for services.

To meet eligibility criteria for ESG, a client must:
• Be literally homeless or have been served a court-ordered eviction letter.
• If considered at-risk of losing housing, client’s income must not exceed the 30% AMI limit for the service area.

Admin Office
107 St. Francis Street
Suite 1970
Mobile, AL 36602
Phone: 251-450-3345

Housing Assistance/
Downtown Office
279 N. Washington Ave., Bldg. 3
Mobile, AL 36603
251-450-3345
coordinatedentry@hfal.org

Downtown Office