Housing Support Services for Unhoused Families & Youth In Santa Cruz County

Isabel and her two young children were staying here and there following her rental unit being foreclosed on. She was worried about how she would afford housing along with all her other bills. She was paying almost half of her income just for a patchwork system of childcare. She and her FIT Case Manager mapped out a plan that included budgeting for future income expenses, saving her income tax return for higher cost child care for her older child, and getting on the list in the spring for a full day Head Start program for her younger child. When she found a small cottage, she was provided with the first months rental assistance, followed by several months of partial assistance while waiting for her youngest child to enter the Head Start program so she could work full-time. Upon exiting the program, Isabel and her family were able to fully sustain their rental unit and have been able to successfully stay out of experiencing homelessness.