It's Take Charge Thursday and this week we're telling you about programs to keep you safe this winter.

A new program using hundreds of thousands of dollars in stimulus money to address homelessness is now running at full force.

The program isn't just aimed at people who are already homeless; in fact one of the goals of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) is to reach people who are ‘outside the system.’

Folks who may not be eligible for other types of assistance, and offering them help for as long as 18 months.

Even though the program is still young, it's already making a difference.

Alice Blaisdell had been living at the center for the homeless for 2 and a half years.

“I'm still in this dream sequence thing where I'm going to wake up and be back in that dorm any minute,” Blaisdell said as she sat in her new apartment.

HPRP now pays for her rent and utilities. Now, she says, she can focus on her pharmacy technician studies, and her job search.

“It takes a great deal (of stress) off of me right now. I don't have to worry about where the money's coming from,” Blaisdell said.

Housing was her obstacle, and the program helped her overcome it.

“People are coming from all sorts of situations but most of them, the common theme, is that they’ve gotten behind; that it's a tough economy,” said Shelia Payne, HPRP manager with the Center for the Homeless.

The Center for the Homeless, the hub of the program, has been swamped with calls since the program was announced.

But it's not just for those who are in a shelter or on the streets.

“Most of the clients calling us are eligible... To qualify for the program the household income has to be at or below 50% of the area median income,” Payne said, adding that is a much lower standard than many other area assistance programs that use the federal poverty level.

“It’s designed to help people who aren't in the system, who have never been homeless before, who have never been evicted before. Anybody who, because of this economy, is facing trouble and is at risk of homelessness,” Payne said.

People like Kathy Klos, who was falling behind on her rent after being laid-off from AM General in January. She said around July, things started really getting tough financially.

“I did the best I could for as long as I could and then I decided if help is out there, then I should go out and find it,” Klos said.

She'd never been homeless before, had never been "in the system." Thankfully, she still hasn’t.

“It's scary to think what might have happened without this program,” Klos said.

HPRP helped her with her rent to tide her over until she can find work again.

“I definitely hope that people out there who are in that kind of situation are hearing about this and know to call us,” Payne said.

Payne also stresses that there's a big back-log of calls right now, and that patience is going to be key.

They say they will get to all the calls as soon as they can.

The Madison Center is also helping administer the program.

In St. Joseph County, people who are already homeless can call the Center for the Homeless at (574) 282-8700. People who are at risk of losing their home can call the Madison Center at (574) 234-0061

People in Elkhart, Marshall, Fulton, and Kosciusko Counties can call (574) 523-3750.

Payne says they've been going through the stimulus money at a quick pace so far, but still have some available. It's coming in from the federal government gradually over the next 2 years.

She says they’ve had 150 people go through the application process so far, and about half of them have gotten help from the program.

HELP WITH UTILITY BILLS

As cold weather approaches, Real Services says now is the time to ask for help if you think you might have trouble paying your utility bills.

People that need help first need to contact their county's Real Services office.

You'll have to set up an interview to help determine if you're eligible to get a one-time credit toward your utility bill and the assurance that you won't lose utility service this winter.

If you qualify for the energy assistance program (EAP), you're protected by a moratorium that prevents your utility company from turning off your power between December 1st and March 15th.

Last year, the program helped around 13,000 people in the five county area.

EAP is available to people within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines.

For a family of two, that's an income of just under $22,000 a year, and you can add $5,600 for each additional member of the family.

If you've recently been laid off, you still might be eligible even if you made more than that when you were employed.

"We've got a couple of other ways that we can look at the income and sometimes we can help families even though the 12 month (pay stubs) may look like they're over income. So if a family is really close, or they're not sure, it doesn't hurt to call," said Ingrid Simmons with the Real Services Energy Assistance Program.

Simmons also says that right now, NIPSCO's winter warmth program isn't able to provide the funding that it has in the past.

That's because the funds haven't been approved by the state utility regulatory commission yet. Simmons thinks some people aren't applying for EAP right now because they can't get that extra money.

But she says it’s important for people to apply for EAP now anyway, especially if they already have a disconnect notice. If that winter warmth money is approved, having already applied for the program will speed up the process later.

To contact your local office, find the number below, or click on the link below for more information on the program.

St Joseph County
(Main Office)
Real Services, Inc
1151 S. Michigan St
P.O. Box 1835
South Bend, In 46634
(574)232-6501
1-800-225-3367
hours: 8:00 – 11:30 & 1:00 – 3:00

Elkhart County
431 S 3rd St, Elkhart
574-389-8858

or

1013 N Main St, Goshen
574-534-2564
hours: 8:00– 12:00 & 1:00 – 4:00

Kosciusko County
110 E Prairie St.
Warsaw, IN 46580
(574)267-2699
hours: 8:00 – 12:00 & 1:00 – 4:00

Marshall County
402 W Garro St
Plymouth, IN 46563
574-936-3339
hours: 8:00– 12:00 & 1:00 – 4:00

Fulton County
Community Resource Center
625 Pontiac St
Rochester, IN 46975
(574)223-7649
hours: 8:00 – 12:00 & 1:00 – 4:00