SOS Transitions into New Role

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

SOS Community Services has remained a place for help and hope since 1970. Over the years, SOS and its supporters have worked together to provide at-risk and homeless families with the things they need: food, eviction prevention, shelter, and other housing crisis services.

This fall the agency, along with other Washtenaw Housing Alliance member agencies, have collaborated in an effort to streamline the services provided to those facing a housing crisis. Nationally, funding institutions have set a goal of preventing homelessness, rapidly re-housing those facing homelessness and decreasing shelter stays.

Our state funder, MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority), mandated that all funded communities across the state identify a single point of entry for housing crisis services, and SOS was appointed to transition the Housing Crisis Center to accommodate this change. This means that anyone experiencing housing instability or homelessness in Washtenaw County will be directed to call SOS where they will receive an assessment of their needs and be connected to available resources.

The new entity responsible for providing housing assistance is called the Housing Access of Washtenaw County. Anyone seeking housing assistance in Washtenaw County should call the Housing Access Line at (734) 961-1999. Housing access coordinators will do an in-take screening for each caller, gaining household characteristics and housing needs. The callers can schedule an appointment with the coordinators who will be able to determine what financial or housing resources may be available.

All visitors to River St. (on Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Fri.) MUST have an appointment scheduled. For those accessing the food pantry, walk-in hours are on Tuesday 10 am – 6:30 pm.

In addition, SOS has a new division at the River St. center called Housing Stability. This department is comprised of staff members that will provide case management services to homeless families in the community.

All changes became effective as of October 3, 2011.