WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:02.543 --> 00:00:06.503 Julie: Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us today for our 00:00:06.503 --> 00:00:09.338 webinar on How to Navigate Benefits in Housing here in Colorado. 00:00:10.423 --> 00:00:14.743 Losing a job or being in a difficult financial situation can bring on feelings 00:00:14.743 --> 00:00:18.433 of anxiety and stress, and trying to learn how to apply for benefits and 00:00:18.433 --> 00:00:21.203 assistance can be somewhat confusing. 00:00:21.513 --> 00:00:24.843 As the community's mental health center, we're not only here to support 00:00:24.843 --> 00:00:28.143 your mental health, but we're also here to provide you with help as you 00:00:28.143 --> 00:00:30.453 learn about and apply for benefits. 00:00:30.643 --> 00:00:34.003 Today, we're gonna be focusing specifically on housing and other 00:00:34.003 --> 00:00:38.853 general benefits such as Medicaid, food assistance and those types of things. 00:00:39.183 --> 00:00:42.843 We'll be talking about which benefits and resources are available, along 00:00:42.843 --> 00:00:46.353 with some tools and tips to boost your mental health during stressful times. 00:00:46.603 --> 00:00:49.693 Then at the end of the webinar, we will have clinicians available 00:00:49.693 --> 00:00:53.773 to meet with you, one-on-one, to talk, listen, lend support, and 00:00:53.773 --> 00:00:56.143 offer even more resources and tools. 00:00:56.573 --> 00:00:59.903 Before we begin, I want to thank our financial sponsors for this 00:00:59.903 --> 00:01:01.763 webinar, the Rotary Club of Golden. 00:01:01.973 --> 00:01:05.363 Thank you so much for your commitment to mental health and to our community. 00:01:06.878 --> 00:01:10.028 I'm pleased to introduce today's speaker, Angela ResMan. 00:01:10.388 --> 00:01:14.288 Angela is a licensed social worker here at Jefferson Center, and 00:01:14.288 --> 00:01:18.008 before I hand the mic over to her, I do have a few housekeeping items 00:01:18.008 --> 00:01:19.568 to cover about the presentation. 00:01:20.018 --> 00:01:23.768 First, this webinar will be available on demand after the live session, 00:01:24.008 --> 00:01:27.578 and we'll email that out to you along with additional resources, and we'll 00:01:27.578 --> 00:01:29.708 also have the slide deck available. 00:01:30.263 --> 00:01:34.853 I would also encourage you to visit our website at jcmh.org where you'll find 00:01:34.853 --> 00:01:38.573 more information about how to get it started if you're interested in using 00:01:38.573 --> 00:01:42.863 our services as well as blog posts and information about upcoming webinars 00:01:42.863 --> 00:01:44.693 on additional mental health topics. 00:01:46.463 --> 00:01:48.953 Please keep your microphones muted and turn off your video. 00:01:48.953 --> 00:01:52.973 During the presentation you'll also wanna change your zoom view to speaker 00:01:52.973 --> 00:01:55.583 mode for the best viewing experience. 00:01:55.763 --> 00:01:59.123 And next, we'd love to hear from you during today's presentation. 00:01:59.123 --> 00:02:02.363 If you have a question for Angela, please feel free to send it through 00:02:02.363 --> 00:02:04.283 the chat at the bottom of your player. 00:02:04.553 --> 00:02:07.193 We'll be answering questions at the end of the webinar and if we 00:02:07.193 --> 00:02:10.068 don't get to your question we'll be sure to follow up afterwards. 00:02:11.748 --> 00:02:15.158 Finally we'd like to encourage you to follow us on our social networks and 00:02:15.158 --> 00:02:18.758 share the recording of this webinar and other information about Jefferson Center. 00:02:19.088 --> 00:02:22.418 And so without further ado, Angela, I'll turn it over to you. 00:02:23.138 --> 00:02:24.022 Angela Resman: All right, thanks so much. 00:02:24.082 --> 00:02:27.552 I'm really excited to talk to you guys today about benefits and housing. 00:02:27.652 --> 00:02:31.162 Like Julia was saying, it can be really complicated and confusing, so I'm hoping 00:02:31.162 --> 00:02:35.602 to ease some of that frustration and make it a little more manageable for you. 00:02:43.687 --> 00:02:46.177 All right, so here's what I'm gonna talk about today. 00:02:46.177 --> 00:02:47.587 First, we'll start with benefits. 00:02:47.617 --> 00:02:51.487 We'll give you a general overview, we'll talk about what benefits are out there, 00:02:51.697 --> 00:02:55.087 and then get into a little bit more of how to apply for each of those benefits. 00:02:55.667 --> 00:02:56.627 Then we'll get into housing. 00:02:56.627 --> 00:02:58.817 We'll talk about how to search for housing. 00:02:58.872 --> 00:03:02.112 Some of the barriers that people have to housing and then some just 00:03:02.112 --> 00:03:05.202 general housing search tips that have helped help people in the past. 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:07.879 Alright, so getting into benefits. 00:03:07.929 --> 00:03:10.779 It's really hard to know where to apply, what verifications you 00:03:10.779 --> 00:03:12.669 need, what you're eligible for. 00:03:13.009 --> 00:03:15.719 There's a lot of questions around benefits and it's hard to know 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:17.069 where to get the answers to those. 00:03:17.529 --> 00:03:20.889 My goal today is to help simplify things and to give you a baseline 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:22.352 of knowledge about benefits. 00:03:23.072 --> 00:03:25.420 It can help you get started if you're looking to apply 00:03:25.420 --> 00:03:26.410 for some different things. 00:03:27.140 --> 00:03:29.130 I'll say it a lot throughout the presentation, the team that I'm 00:03:29.130 --> 00:03:32.160 on here at Jefferson Center is called Central Navigation and 00:03:32.160 --> 00:03:35.310 we help people get connected to benefits and resources every day. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:38.350 So if you have any questions please feel free to give us a call and 00:03:38.350 --> 00:03:41.960 we're happy to talk through your specific situation and give you more 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.350 guidance on benefits and the different resources that might be out there. 00:03:48.015 --> 00:03:50.895 So here is a list of kind of what benefits are out there. 00:03:51.105 --> 00:03:54.615 This isn't an exhaustive list, so there's other benefits, but these are the main 00:03:54.615 --> 00:03:57.105 ones that we have people apply for. 00:03:57.225 --> 00:03:59.810 I broke it down in different sections here, so you visualize 00:03:59.810 --> 00:04:03.830 where you would go to apply for these or to get more information. 00:04:04.320 --> 00:04:07.170 Here on the left, it's all the county administered benefits. 00:04:07.390 --> 00:04:08.830 First, I'll go through this list here. 00:04:08.860 --> 00:04:11.530 The first few are all kind of health insurance related. 00:04:11.630 --> 00:04:14.610 So Medicaid is the low income health insurance. 00:04:14.610 --> 00:04:16.890 Anyone can apply, that's under a certain income limit. 00:04:17.430 --> 00:04:20.070 The child health plan, this is also Medicaid. 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:24.290 It's has a little bit of a higher eligibility income to catch 00:04:24.380 --> 00:04:26.630 the kids who are zero to 18. 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:30.890 Even if the parents don't qualify for Medicaid the kids can still qualify. 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.050 This also works for pregnant moms. 00:04:33.080 --> 00:04:36.480 They can get on the child health plan to make sure they have that health 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:37.980 insurance to protect those kids. 00:04:38.790 --> 00:04:40.680 There's Medicare Savings programs. 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.050 Medicare isn't administered through the county. 00:04:43.390 --> 00:04:45.550 These Medicare savings programs are. 00:04:45.770 --> 00:04:47.990 There's a few different programs with different eligibility 00:04:47.990 --> 00:04:52.250 requirements and they're there to help with premiums and copays. 00:04:52.320 --> 00:04:55.750 If you're on Medicare but struggling with your the extra cost of those 00:04:55.750 --> 00:04:59.170 premiums and copays, then you could check in and see if there's any Medicare 00:04:59.170 --> 00:05:00.505 savings programs that would help you. 00:05:01.960 --> 00:05:05.470 The next one's Medicaid for working adults with disabilities. 00:05:05.770 --> 00:05:09.370 This is also known as Medicaid buy-in and it's just like it says, 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:13.530 depending on your income you may have to pay a little bit for this benefit. 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:18.040 And it's for folks with disabilities that are working at least an hour a month. 00:05:18.405 --> 00:05:21.685 Again, it's to try and catch a wider range has a higher income 00:05:21.925 --> 00:05:23.665 limit than regular Medicaid. 00:05:23.715 --> 00:05:25.695 But like I said, if you have a higher income, then sometimes 00:05:25.745 --> 00:05:29.255 you'll have to pay a certain amount in order to get that Medicaid. 00:05:30.765 --> 00:05:35.535 The next one, HCBS, which stands for Home Community-Based Services. 00:05:36.045 --> 00:05:40.065 LTC, is long-term care and then Home Care Services. 00:05:40.705 --> 00:05:45.435 This is for folks who are at or nearing that nursing home level of care and 00:05:45.435 --> 00:05:50.865 it provides Medicaid for those people and help with paying for folks to come 00:05:50.865 --> 00:05:53.455 into the house to provide services. 00:05:53.455 --> 00:05:58.665 For HCBS that can include a nurse coming in for medication management or 00:05:58.695 --> 00:06:00.555 light housekeeping, things like that. 00:06:01.125 --> 00:06:04.515 LTC is for people who are in a nursing home, so it helps pay 00:06:04.515 --> 00:06:06.075 for those nursing home costs. 00:06:06.715 --> 00:06:10.495 Then home care services it's a cash benefit for paying for 00:06:10.495 --> 00:06:12.145 aids that come into your house. 00:06:12.385 --> 00:06:15.645 Whether it's a friend or family member that is your aide or someone 00:06:15.645 --> 00:06:17.215 else that can help pay for that. 00:06:18.725 --> 00:06:22.175 So those kind of cover the health insurance benefits from the county. 00:06:22.275 --> 00:06:25.435 The next section is cash assistance or more financial assistance. 00:06:26.275 --> 00:06:27.715 Aid to the needing disabled. 00:06:27.715 --> 00:06:28.565 It's called AND. 00:06:29.105 --> 00:06:32.975 This is a benefit that helps bridge the gap when people are applying for SSI. 00:06:33.735 --> 00:06:39.155 Once you apply for SSI, you can also apply for AND and it'll be a monthly benefit 00:06:39.155 --> 00:06:41.705 you can get until you're approved for SSI. 00:06:42.165 --> 00:06:44.605 It's a way to help bridge that gap for folks. 00:06:45.295 --> 00:06:48.325 Old age pension, this is something you can get when you're over 60. 00:06:48.575 --> 00:06:51.825 It's a pretty low income for eligibility, but it's another 00:06:51.825 --> 00:06:53.085 cash benefit that's out there. 00:06:54.075 --> 00:06:55.095 Colorado works. 00:06:55.095 --> 00:06:58.005 This is the temporary aid for needy families. 00:06:58.375 --> 00:07:01.315 Sometimes the name's a little deceiving, so it's for families 00:07:01.655 --> 00:07:03.355 with children 18 and under. 00:07:03.775 --> 00:07:06.560 There's an employment part of it that you need to be looking 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.420 for and applying for jobs. 00:07:08.450 --> 00:07:10.910 But it's a cash benefit that families can receive. 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:14.950 For this one, there is a lifetime limit so you can only get it for 60 00:07:14.950 --> 00:07:18.580 months and whether you're on it for two months and then off it again, 00:07:18.670 --> 00:07:21.870 then on it for six months later, they all add up in your lifetime, 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:23.670 you can only use it for 60 months. 00:07:25.005 --> 00:07:26.145 Then there's food assistance. 00:07:26.195 --> 00:07:27.425 It's pretty well understood. 00:07:27.725 --> 00:07:29.825 It's a financial assistance to pay for food. 00:07:29.825 --> 00:07:33.465 You get a EBT card and that's what your benefits go on to. 00:07:34.005 --> 00:07:35.535 You can use that at the grocery store. 00:07:36.715 --> 00:07:39.895 Then the last one here on the county side is rent rebate. 00:07:40.315 --> 00:07:44.015 This is for people with disabilities and if they're paying their own rent 00:07:44.235 --> 00:07:47.205 they can apply for this rebate and get some money back, which is really great. 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:49.380 So those are the county ones. 00:07:49.410 --> 00:07:50.910 So moving over to the right side. 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:53.160 Talk about some other government benefits. 00:07:53.400 --> 00:07:56.190 Medicare is a well-known one. 00:07:56.190 --> 00:07:58.290 A lot of times people get it confused with Medicaid. 00:07:58.290 --> 00:08:00.720 I talk to a lot of people, they're like, I don't know which one I'm on. 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:01.860 They sound so similar. 00:08:02.330 --> 00:08:07.010 But Medicare is the one for people who are 65 and older, or people that 00:08:07.010 --> 00:08:08.870 have certain social security benefits. 00:08:09.090 --> 00:08:12.736 So if you're on disability, a lot of times you'll get Medicare, unlike SSDI. 00:08:13.770 --> 00:08:14.820 So that's a health insurance. 00:08:15.370 --> 00:08:16.860 Then unemployment benefits. 00:08:16.890 --> 00:08:20.010 That's run through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:23.280 If you've lost your job, which unfortunately it's been the case for a lot 00:08:23.280 --> 00:08:27.720 of folks these last few months, you can go there to apply and get monthly assistance 00:08:27.820 --> 00:08:29.125 until you're able to find another job. 00:08:30.835 --> 00:08:33.985 Then there's the low income Energy Assistance program. 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:37.930 This is called leap and it's a benefit out there for helping 00:08:37.930 --> 00:08:39.520 with heating cost in the winter. 00:08:39.770 --> 00:08:42.990 If you're struggling to pay your energy bill in the winter, to keep your heat 00:08:42.990 --> 00:08:45.660 on, then it's a program that'll help with that, which is really great. 00:08:46.790 --> 00:08:49.640 Then the next section here is Social Security benefits. 00:08:50.180 --> 00:08:56.680 This one is the main two under here that people apply for SSI and SSDI. 00:08:57.610 --> 00:09:00.640 Similar to Medicaid and Medicare, they're easily confused. 00:09:00.670 --> 00:09:06.700 The best way I've come to explain the difference is SSI is if you haven't 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:09.460 worked enough hours in your lifetime, so maybe you got a disability when 00:09:09.460 --> 00:09:12.840 you're younger and you haven't been able to work to pay into your 00:09:13.470 --> 00:09:16.170 SSDI, so you can qualify for SSI. 00:09:16.410 --> 00:09:21.120 On the flip side SSDI is if you've had a job in the past and you've worked a lot of 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:25.900 hours in order to pay into SDI, it's just a little bit higher of an income bracket 00:09:25.900 --> 00:09:27.730 that you could get into for fixed income. 00:09:28.400 --> 00:09:30.740 I'll get into the application process a little bit later. 00:09:32.595 --> 00:09:35.025 Then the last area is agency resources. 00:09:35.415 --> 00:09:39.125 That's places like the Jefferson Center that have their own grants or different 00:09:39.205 --> 00:09:43.135 funding sources that can help pay for things like rental assistance, other 00:09:43.135 --> 00:09:47.245 types of energy assistance, and then some smaller one-off type assistance. 00:09:47.765 --> 00:09:50.725 Things like moving costs, things that aren't really covered in 00:09:50.725 --> 00:09:52.945 some of the bigger benefits that the government provides. 00:09:54.995 --> 00:09:57.035 We'll get into the application process now. 00:09:57.135 --> 00:10:00.525 Like I said, on the bottom of the screen, that's our number for central navigation. 00:10:01.025 --> 00:10:04.415 Please call us with any questions if you want more details on any of these 00:10:04.415 --> 00:10:08.655 benefits we have a lot of resource sheets that give a nice breakdown of 00:10:08.655 --> 00:10:12.515 all the different qualifications and what the different programs entail. 00:10:12.565 --> 00:10:15.625 We'd be happy to send those out to you if you have any 00:10:15.625 --> 00:10:17.335 questions about specific benefits. 00:10:18.823 --> 00:10:22.583 All right, so for county benefits how to apply for those. 00:10:23.363 --> 00:10:25.633 Right now, the best way is through their website. 00:10:25.633 --> 00:10:29.123 It's the Colorado Peak website listed right up here at the top. 00:10:29.603 --> 00:10:32.343 Luckily, it's nice, most of the different benefits all use the same 00:10:32.343 --> 00:10:35.703 application with a few exceptions. 00:10:35.703 --> 00:10:38.523 It really makes it easy to apply for multiple benefits at once. 00:10:38.573 --> 00:10:41.393 A lot of times people are applying for food assistance and Medicaid. 00:10:41.883 --> 00:10:43.983 You just check the two boxes and then carry on with the 00:10:43.983 --> 00:10:45.483 application and it's really slick. 00:10:45.973 --> 00:10:48.493 Once you go to that website, all you have to do is create an account. 00:10:49.013 --> 00:10:52.463 If you don't feel comfortable creating an account, you can also apply as a guest. 00:10:52.763 --> 00:10:55.073 Which is the same process, It goes to the same place. 00:10:55.133 --> 00:10:58.553 We just wanna make sure people know after you submit an application, 00:10:58.733 --> 00:11:00.263 they give you a tracking number. 00:11:00.683 --> 00:11:04.013 This number is important, It's a good way to check your application status if 00:11:04.013 --> 00:11:05.453 you haven't heard anything in a while. 00:11:05.803 --> 00:11:08.883 Make sure and write that down if you do apply online especially if you're 00:11:08.883 --> 00:11:12.913 applying as a guest, that tracking number will help you track your application. 00:11:14.863 --> 00:11:15.223 All right. 00:11:15.223 --> 00:11:15.853 Another note. 00:11:16.123 --> 00:11:19.873 If you're applying for food assistance or some of the other benefits like 00:11:19.873 --> 00:11:24.133 AND or the old age pension, you'll also need to complete an interview 00:11:24.253 --> 00:11:25.753 in addition to the application. 00:11:26.353 --> 00:11:28.873 So right now, these interviews are being done mostly over the phone. 00:11:29.303 --> 00:11:31.853 A lot of people don't realize that, and they'll apply and then they'll 00:11:31.853 --> 00:11:33.563 wonder why they never were approved. 00:11:33.723 --> 00:11:35.433 It's because they've missed that interview. 00:11:35.943 --> 00:11:38.573 Just be aware that if you're applying for food assistance you'll be 00:11:38.573 --> 00:11:41.183 needing to do that phone interview in addition to the application. 00:11:42.728 --> 00:11:45.038 Something that the Jefferson Center has, which is really great. 00:11:45.038 --> 00:11:48.068 We have someone from the Jefferson County Department of Human Services 00:11:48.068 --> 00:11:50.168 as our liaison, which is really great. 00:11:50.168 --> 00:11:52.058 Her name's Joe Beth, she's wonderful. 00:11:52.158 --> 00:11:54.048 She can help people do that phone interview. 00:11:54.288 --> 00:11:57.018 So you can actually call central navigation if you applied on your 00:11:57.018 --> 00:11:59.658 own, if you give us that tracking number, we can set you up with a 00:11:59.658 --> 00:12:03.128 phone interview with that liaison to help smooth the process out. 00:12:03.128 --> 00:12:06.018 We're just trying to make it as accessible as possible. 00:12:06.118 --> 00:12:10.438 Since we're not the county, we don't have access to the applications, 00:12:10.438 --> 00:12:14.038 but she does, so she's able to help answer some questions and get people 00:12:14.038 --> 00:12:15.568 connected, which is really nice. 00:12:17.468 --> 00:12:21.368 So again, I told y'all sound like a broken record, but you can contact navigation 00:12:21.828 --> 00:12:25.118 and you can set up an appointment with us and we can help you apply online. 00:12:25.238 --> 00:12:29.428 So if you're not as tech savvy or just wanna walk it through with someone so 00:12:29.428 --> 00:12:32.398 you could talk through questions as you're going through the application. 00:12:32.728 --> 00:12:35.218 Definitely feel free to call us and set up an appointment and we would 00:12:35.218 --> 00:12:36.633 be more than happy to help you apply. 00:12:38.303 --> 00:12:41.423 If you're just applying for Medicaid, there's also a phone number you can call. 00:12:41.753 --> 00:12:43.193 We've heard pretty good things about this. 00:12:43.273 --> 00:12:46.643 Clients have told us that when you call the number, it actually prompts you. 00:12:46.648 --> 00:12:49.013 You could even put your phone number in and they'll call you 00:12:49.013 --> 00:12:52.013 back instead of having to sit on hold on the phone for a while. 00:12:52.503 --> 00:12:53.253 So that's pretty nice. 00:12:53.253 --> 00:12:56.613 That's another option for you if you don't wanna apply online. 00:12:57.880 --> 00:13:01.660 All right, so these are our two energy assistance benefits. 00:13:01.780 --> 00:13:06.050 Like I said, LEAP is one that helps with heating costs throughout the winter. 00:13:06.050 --> 00:13:08.300 So it typically runs November through April. 00:13:08.690 --> 00:13:12.590 I say typically because of COVID this year they actually extended it through July. 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.645 So if you're having trouble through Energy Bill you can apply as late 00:13:16.645 --> 00:13:20.015 as today or tomorrow to still try and get that leap benefit. 00:13:20.265 --> 00:13:23.685 If not, it'll open up again in November when it becomes cold again. 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:27.330 This one actually also goes through the Colorado Peak website. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:30.480 I separated it out because it's run a little bit differently. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.200 So you can apply through peak, but it's run through different agencies, so it's 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.140 good to understand that separation. 00:13:37.955 --> 00:13:42.495 You can also call to apply over the phone, or if you prefer paper copies, 00:13:42.585 --> 00:13:45.935 there's an application online and you could print it, mail it, or email it in. 00:13:46.425 --> 00:13:48.405 The application's pretty short and straightforward, 00:13:48.405 --> 00:13:49.515 so it's really easy to do. 00:13:50.875 --> 00:13:54.115 Energy Outreach Colorado, this is one of my favorite benefits. 00:13:54.195 --> 00:13:55.275 It's really great. 00:13:56.190 --> 00:13:59.050 Energy Outreach Colorado disperses funding to different 00:13:59.050 --> 00:14:00.340 agencies throughout the state. 00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:05.280 Then they can help people apply and give them funding for their energy bill. 00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:08.640 Some of the eligibility for this, there's an income limit and then you 00:14:08.640 --> 00:14:11.010 also have to have a pass due energy bill. 00:14:11.430 --> 00:14:14.550 So on your Excel bill, there's a section that'll say pass due. 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:16.040 That kind of helps you queue you in. 00:14:16.530 --> 00:14:19.070 Again, you can call navigation and we are one of the agencies 00:14:19.070 --> 00:14:20.300 that distributes that funding. 00:14:20.730 --> 00:14:24.110 If you give us a call, we can talk through eligibility with you, and if 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:26.330 you're qualified, we can help you apply. 00:14:27.050 --> 00:14:30.320 Also, if you go to the website there's a spot where it could enter your zip 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:34.640 code and it'll list all the different agencies that have this EOC funding. 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:37.940 If for some reason the Jefferson Center runs out of funding, 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:39.470 you can check that website. 00:14:39.470 --> 00:14:42.010 There's other places that also have EOC funding. 00:14:43.070 --> 00:14:46.350 The EOC funding you're only eligible for once a grant year. 00:14:46.680 --> 00:14:49.303 So I think the grant year starts either September, October. 00:14:50.173 --> 00:14:52.063 You can only apply once throughout the year. 00:14:52.493 --> 00:14:54.893 Because of COVID they actually extended that to twice. 00:14:55.053 --> 00:14:57.873 So if you have applied already this year, you may be eligible again. 00:14:58.273 --> 00:15:00.043 Definitely call us to check in about that. 00:15:01.137 --> 00:15:02.967 Alright, social security benefits. 00:15:03.067 --> 00:15:07.467 Applying for SSI and SSDI can be pretty long intense processes. 00:15:07.917 --> 00:15:10.497 You can apply online for the initial application or you 00:15:10.497 --> 00:15:11.837 can call the number here. 00:15:12.407 --> 00:15:15.347 It can take a minimum of three to five months to process an application. 00:15:15.347 --> 00:15:17.357 It goes through a whole long process. 00:15:17.357 --> 00:15:20.087 So just be prepared for that when you're getting into that. 00:15:20.537 --> 00:15:21.557 Again, you can contact us. 00:15:21.557 --> 00:15:24.107 We have some really good benefit overview sheets that help talk 00:15:24.107 --> 00:15:27.987 through the process a little bit more and what you need to apply and what 00:15:27.987 --> 00:15:29.517 to expect throughout that process. 00:15:29.567 --> 00:15:31.657 Let us know if that's something you're interested in doing. 00:15:52.157 --> 00:15:56.627 For people 65 or older, or people with certain social security benefits. 00:15:56.927 --> 00:16:01.427 It's important to note once you turn 65, if you had Medicaid, so 00:16:01.427 --> 00:16:04.997 the other type of health insurance, it'll end when you turn 65. 00:16:05.337 --> 00:16:07.467 So that's really important to know. 00:16:07.467 --> 00:16:10.257 Some people don't realize that and all of a sudden they don't have health. 00:16:14.167 --> 00:16:16.477 Make sure and you're aware of that if you are on Medicaid. 00:16:16.877 --> 00:16:19.073 If you're on Medicare, then there's a window of time around your 00:16:19.073 --> 00:16:20.693 65th birthday that you can apply. 00:16:20.693 --> 00:16:22.493 So check out their website for more info. 00:16:23.513 --> 00:16:25.883 Unemployment benefits, this is a big one right now. 00:16:25.893 --> 00:16:29.013 Like I said, it's run through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. 00:16:29.823 --> 00:16:32.553 We don't have any liaison with them, so we don't know a lot 00:16:32.553 --> 00:16:34.263 about the ins and outs of this. 00:16:34.313 --> 00:16:38.403 Our employment team does, but you can file a claim online. 00:16:38.683 --> 00:16:40.693 You can also file a claim by phone. 00:16:41.053 --> 00:16:44.173 I know at least in April, they were having a big surge of applications, 00:16:44.173 --> 00:16:45.703 so their site was crashing a lot. 00:16:46.003 --> 00:16:49.947 So they put this layout out there if your last name's A through M, applying 00:16:49.947 --> 00:16:53.517 on certain days or times, and if your last name starts with an N through Z, 00:16:53.907 --> 00:16:57.567 applying at these times to try and help the flow of applications on their website. 00:16:57.867 --> 00:17:00.017 I think they're doing a little better now, but it doesn't hurt 00:17:00.017 --> 00:17:01.847 to still follow those guidelines. 00:17:02.417 --> 00:17:05.597 If you're looking for other employment resources like workforce centers 00:17:05.597 --> 00:17:10.417 or other places that have resources like job readiness programs or 00:17:10.447 --> 00:17:12.757 helping with resumes, let us know. 00:17:12.757 --> 00:17:15.427 We've got a list of places that offer those services, and I know a lot of 00:17:15.427 --> 00:17:16.987 them are doing things over Zoom now. 00:17:17.037 --> 00:17:18.537 Definitely worth looking at. 00:17:19.780 --> 00:17:22.120 Someone from the Jefferson County sent me this, which I thought 00:17:22.120 --> 00:17:23.200 would be helpful to share. 00:17:23.280 --> 00:17:26.080 They're doing a lot of workshops right now to help people learn more 00:17:26.080 --> 00:17:28.390 about job searching and get connected. 00:17:28.630 --> 00:17:29.020 It's neat. 00:17:29.020 --> 00:17:32.700 These workshops count as valid work search activities. 00:17:33.060 --> 00:17:35.800 So if you're on unemployment you need to have a certain number 00:17:35.800 --> 00:17:38.980 of work search activities and so this counts towards that. 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:42.020 If you're interested in any of these workshops they look really 00:17:42.020 --> 00:17:45.710 great and interesting and it'd be a good resource to have. 00:17:46.723 --> 00:17:48.613 So now down to agency resources. 00:17:49.013 --> 00:17:51.433 One of the main things some agencies have are rental and 00:17:51.433 --> 00:17:52.993 security deposit assistance. 00:17:53.483 --> 00:17:54.843 We get a lot of calls about this. 00:17:55.223 --> 00:17:58.428 Each agency depending on the grant they have for this type of 00:17:58.428 --> 00:18:01.638 assistance, it can really change what the eligibility requirements 00:18:01.638 --> 00:18:03.258 are in their application process. 00:18:03.258 --> 00:18:06.278 So it's good to check with any place that offers assistance. 00:18:06.528 --> 00:18:10.748 I know one of our rental assistance programs doesn't cover Arvada or Lakewood. 00:18:10.938 --> 00:18:13.638 So if you're in Wheat Ridge then you could qualify for the assistance. 00:18:13.638 --> 00:18:16.703 But there's requirements that we have to follow due to the grants. 00:18:17.778 --> 00:18:21.438 I listed some of the agencies here that typically have rental assistance. 00:18:21.868 --> 00:18:24.568 Again, we have a resource sheet on this if you want more of the 00:18:24.568 --> 00:18:28.568 contact details and things like that, you can let Central Navigation 00:18:28.568 --> 00:18:29.708 know and we'll send it your way. 00:18:31.283 --> 00:18:35.533 I will say for rental and security deposit a lot of times one of the requirements 00:18:35.533 --> 00:18:39.933 is having a eviction notice, whether it's a three day eviction notice or not. 00:18:39.933 --> 00:18:43.233 That's something to be aware of if you're looking for rental assistance, 00:18:43.243 --> 00:18:45.903 a lot of times a requirement to receive that assistance. 00:18:46.273 --> 00:18:48.613 Then if you're looking for security deposit assistance. 00:18:48.713 --> 00:18:52.373 A lot of times they'll need that lease to show the place you're renting from. 00:18:52.883 --> 00:18:56.613 So just smart to gather that information beforehand, so you're prepared 00:18:56.613 --> 00:18:57.898 when you talk to these agencies. 00:18:59.698 --> 00:19:02.368 Then other types of one-off type funding I was talking about. 00:19:02.768 --> 00:19:06.578 We recommend a lot to people if they're calling for a really specific financial 00:19:06.578 --> 00:19:11.288 need that we don't have any resources for, to contact local churches. 00:19:11.418 --> 00:19:12.498 They're a great resource. 00:19:12.558 --> 00:19:15.588 A lot of times they have funding that they can use to help people 00:19:15.918 --> 00:19:19.478 and they can be more flexible with it because it may not be part of a 00:19:19.478 --> 00:19:21.728 grant that has certain requirements. 00:19:21.728 --> 00:19:26.100 So it's always good to check there just to see if they have any funding 00:19:26.100 --> 00:19:28.320 available for those one-off situations. 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:33.340 Another resource I like a lot is the Aunt Bertha website, just aunt bertha.com. 00:19:33.670 --> 00:19:36.970 You can put in your zip code and it lists a whole bunch of different resources. 00:19:36.970 --> 00:19:39.100 It's really a well done website. 00:19:39.370 --> 00:19:41.510 It's easy to search and look through. 00:19:42.350 --> 00:19:43.550 They try to keep it up to date. 00:19:44.030 --> 00:19:47.450 But at least it gives you a starting point for understanding if what you're looking 00:19:47.450 --> 00:19:51.350 for might be out there or what other types of resources could be helpful for you. 00:19:53.810 --> 00:19:56.540 So that's all the benefits and now we're gonna move on to housing. 00:19:57.230 --> 00:19:58.370 Housing is really tough. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:02.320 I wish I had a magic wand that made affordable housing 00:20:02.320 --> 00:20:03.730 for everyone really easy. 00:20:03.830 --> 00:20:07.480 It's hard, especially here in Denver where it's a popular place to live and we 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:09.220 don't have a lot of affordable options. 00:20:09.670 --> 00:20:12.910 But there are options out there and you just have to be 00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:15.060 patient and know where to look. 00:20:15.060 --> 00:20:19.890 So we'll try and help you out here just to give you a good head start into looking 00:20:19.890 --> 00:20:21.720 for housing if you're in that situation. 00:20:22.933 --> 00:20:25.713 That's how I like to explain it to people, three different categories. 00:20:25.763 --> 00:20:29.253 If you have a little bit more income, even if it's not a lot, you can search 00:20:29.253 --> 00:20:31.833 for affordable market rate apartments. 00:20:31.883 --> 00:20:35.773 Looking in certain neighborhoods to find those affordable market rate options. 00:20:36.098 --> 00:20:38.558 If you're more limited income, maybe you're on a fixed income 00:20:38.558 --> 00:20:43.958 like SSI or SSDI, then your best options are subsidies or vouchers. 00:20:44.348 --> 00:20:48.448 Subsidies are discounted rent, so a lot of times depending on 00:20:48.448 --> 00:20:52.268 your income limit, you'd have to pay 30% of your income a subsidy. 00:20:52.818 --> 00:20:54.438 Then vouchers are similar. 00:20:54.438 --> 00:20:55.968 I'll talk about vouchers here in a second. 00:20:56.398 --> 00:20:59.058 Another way to get reduced rent for places. 00:20:59.908 --> 00:21:02.508 If you don't have any income housing can be very difficult. 00:21:02.508 --> 00:21:05.838 There's not as many options, but again, vouchers could work for you. 00:21:05.838 --> 00:21:09.088 Or something called the coordinated entry system, which I'll talk 00:21:09.088 --> 00:21:09.958 about in a little bit here. 00:21:11.193 --> 00:21:14.273 So when you're searching for housing, if you're in that higher bracket, just 00:21:14.303 --> 00:21:15.797 looking for affordable market rate. 00:21:16.707 --> 00:21:18.328 These are some of my favorite places to look. 00:21:18.838 --> 00:21:22.668 Craigslist is really great for private landlords, which is good if you have 00:21:22.668 --> 00:21:25.998 a criminal background or something else that you might need to talk to 00:21:25.998 --> 00:21:27.808 a landlord about more on one-on-one. 00:21:27.808 --> 00:21:29.608 So private landlords can be good for that. 00:21:30.373 --> 00:21:33.543 Or if you're looking for a roommate, there's listings for roommates 00:21:33.543 --> 00:21:36.663 on Craigslist, which can help lower the cost of your housing. 00:21:36.713 --> 00:21:38.063 If that's an option for you. 00:21:38.493 --> 00:21:40.783 I will say, if you're looking for a roommate, make sure you interview each 00:21:40.783 --> 00:21:44.683 other beforehand and do your own check on their background to make sure you don't 00:21:44.683 --> 00:21:46.568 get yourself into a tough situation. 00:21:48.233 --> 00:21:50.433 Colorado housing search socialserve.com. 00:21:50.453 --> 00:21:52.073 You can search by county. 00:21:52.103 --> 00:21:54.203 That one lists some different senior housing, which is nice. 00:21:54.653 --> 00:21:56.333 It'll show like different two bedroom units. 00:21:56.333 --> 00:21:59.723 It has some places that have subsidized housing are listed there. 00:22:00.143 --> 00:22:01.703 So that's another good one that we use. 00:22:01.753 --> 00:22:05.173 And then pad mapper is my favorite for the visual look of it. 00:22:05.173 --> 00:22:08.613 It's nice because as you can see there on the screen, there's a toggle and 00:22:08.613 --> 00:22:10.113 you could put in your rent amount. 00:22:10.483 --> 00:22:12.913 So it's really good to know your price range before you start looking 00:22:12.913 --> 00:22:15.193 to help you narrow in on areas. 00:22:15.563 --> 00:22:19.028 That's why I like pad mapper 'cause you could put your range in and it'll help 00:22:19.028 --> 00:22:22.088 you realize, okay, here are certain areas I should look at and then you can 00:22:22.088 --> 00:22:24.518 click on them and call to certain places. 00:22:24.518 --> 00:22:28.598 It helps you find areas that have more housing in your price range. 00:22:29.018 --> 00:22:29.828 Which I like a lot. 00:22:36.518 --> 00:22:37.388 All right. 00:22:38.603 --> 00:22:43.673 So the housing search part of the housing vouchers and subsidies. 00:22:44.093 --> 00:22:46.283 This can get easily confused between each other. 00:22:46.383 --> 00:22:48.003 So the first, I'll talk about vouchers first. 00:22:48.003 --> 00:22:51.943 The housing choice voucher, most people know of this as section eight. 00:22:52.523 --> 00:22:55.553 Each housing authority manages their own voucher program. 00:22:56.003 --> 00:22:58.313 That means their wait list opened at different times. 00:22:58.313 --> 00:23:00.083 They keep them open for different lengths of time. 00:23:00.083 --> 00:23:03.693 They all have their own system for how they manage their wait lists. 00:23:04.233 --> 00:23:08.283 The cool part about a housing choice voucher is that it stays with the tenant. 00:23:08.373 --> 00:23:10.353 So if you move, the voucher goes with you. 00:23:10.753 --> 00:23:12.463 This is a really great benefit to have. 00:23:12.493 --> 00:23:16.723 Why the wait lists are long 'cause it's a really great voucher if you can get one. 00:23:17.123 --> 00:23:19.663 That means once you get the voucher, you find a place to live. 00:23:20.143 --> 00:23:23.303 If you need to move in a couple years or something changes, then 00:23:23.303 --> 00:23:25.763 you can move and you still have that voucher, which is really helpful. 00:23:27.333 --> 00:23:29.133 Site-based subsidized housing. 00:23:29.283 --> 00:23:32.553 So this is the housing I was talking about, these subsidies where maybe 00:23:32.553 --> 00:23:36.493 it's 30% of your income or they can have different types of subsidies 00:23:36.493 --> 00:23:38.763 that just give you a reduced rate. 00:23:39.133 --> 00:23:41.053 These subsidies are apartment based. 00:23:41.323 --> 00:23:44.093 You would apply for a certain apartment, a certain complex 00:23:44.093 --> 00:23:45.443 that has subsidized housing. 00:23:45.933 --> 00:23:48.443 Then if you wanna move out or if you have to move out, then you'll 00:23:48.443 --> 00:23:51.133 lose that subsidy and you'd have to find a different place to help you. 00:23:51.183 --> 00:23:54.433 That's the main difference between the voucher and different subsidies. 00:23:55.453 --> 00:23:58.673 The good thing about site-based subsidized housing is there are quite 00:23:58.673 --> 00:24:02.663 a few out there and they sometimes have shorter wait lists than section eight. 00:24:02.973 --> 00:24:06.633 So some of the places you have to look at the individual apartment 00:24:06.633 --> 00:24:08.223 complexes that offer these. 00:24:08.373 --> 00:24:12.333 Some of the places are Metro West Housing Solutions, south Metro Housing 00:24:12.333 --> 00:24:14.343 Options, mercy Housing Authority. 00:24:14.793 --> 00:24:18.303 Again, we at Central Navigation, we have a full list of these with 00:24:18.303 --> 00:24:21.033 their contact information and kind of a little bit more info on that. 00:24:21.493 --> 00:24:24.493 So feel free to give us a call and we can send that out as well. 00:24:24.943 --> 00:24:25.423 All right. 00:24:26.368 --> 00:24:28.217 Then the lowest bracket, if you have no income. 00:24:28.217 --> 00:24:29.111 There is something called 00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:30.770 Angela Resman: the coordinated entry system. 00:24:31.050 --> 00:24:34.690 It's something that they're working to build out in Colorado to try 00:24:34.690 --> 00:24:38.650 and help people who are the most vulnerable in our community. 00:24:39.080 --> 00:24:40.430 They use a screening tool 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:42.260 called the VI-SPDAT. 00:24:42.260 --> 00:24:46.370 Angela Resman: It's a vulnerability index service prioritization, 00:24:46.370 --> 00:24:47.900 decision assistance tool. 00:24:48.410 --> 00:24:48.860 Um. 00:24:49.625 --> 00:24:51.195 Mostly goes by VI-SPDAT. 00:24:51.215 --> 00:24:52.325 It's such a long name. 00:24:52.725 --> 00:24:56.595 This is a screening tool that certain access points, the Jefferson Center is 00:24:56.595 --> 00:24:58.605 an access point with skilled assessors. 00:24:58.655 --> 00:25:03.215 We have some people that are able to do this VI-SPDAT screening with folks. 00:25:03.585 --> 00:25:06.525 It's mostly for people who are really vulnerable. 00:25:06.525 --> 00:25:09.445 They're homeless or at risk of homelessness, people who are chronically 00:25:09.445 --> 00:25:14.711 homeless can get on a wait list, and it connects people to housing programs. 00:25:14.981 --> 00:25:19.061 Right now a lot of it is connecting to permanent supportive housing, like I said, 00:25:19.061 --> 00:25:20.561 for people who are chronically homeless. 00:25:20.961 --> 00:25:23.461 But just trying to really capture those folks that are really 00:25:23.461 --> 00:25:24.731 struggling and help them out. 00:25:25.101 --> 00:25:26.751 Like I said, it's vulnerability based. 00:25:26.751 --> 00:25:30.431 So even if you apply and say you're a hundred on the list, but then the 00:25:30.431 --> 00:25:33.911 next day someone else applies that has their vulnerability is a little more 00:25:33.911 --> 00:25:37.361 than yours, then you would get bumped, they would go above you on that list. 00:25:37.411 --> 00:25:39.781 There aren't any guarantees for housing with this list. 00:25:40.361 --> 00:25:45.041 They're trying to centralize where people go so they don't get lost in 00:25:45.041 --> 00:25:48.681 the cracks and trying to help people who really need to find housing. 00:25:49.351 --> 00:25:51.541 If you feel like you're in that situation, you can definitely give us a 00:25:51.541 --> 00:25:55.821 call and we can talk about potentially doing the VI-SPDAT screening for you. 00:25:57.018 --> 00:25:58.608 So overcoming barriers. 00:25:58.688 --> 00:26:00.188 There can be a lot of barriers to housing. 00:26:00.188 --> 00:26:01.148 It can be really tough. 00:26:01.518 --> 00:26:05.178 Landlords have a lot of power on what they can do or not do for folks. 00:26:05.658 --> 00:26:08.658 These are just some of the different ones that I've seen, whether it be 00:26:08.658 --> 00:26:12.208 an immigrant status, if you have a lot of children, maybe a certain 00:26:12.208 --> 00:26:14.038 neighborhood isn't safe for you. 00:26:14.408 --> 00:26:15.668 Health and disability is tough. 00:26:15.668 --> 00:26:18.118 Maybe you need a floor level unit, you can't be in a building 00:26:18.118 --> 00:26:19.258 that doesn't have an elevator. 00:26:19.258 --> 00:26:22.368 Things like that can really make it hard to find housing sometimes. 00:26:22.368 --> 00:26:25.428 I'm gonna talk a little bit more about evictions, criminal 00:26:25.428 --> 00:26:28.128 background, and if you have a sex offender status, what you can do. 00:26:29.663 --> 00:26:34.983 My three hot tips for overcoming barriers are be smart, be honest, and be creative. 00:26:35.463 --> 00:26:36.753 So what do I mean by be smart? 00:26:37.260 --> 00:26:40.560 When you're looking to apply to a certain place, especially if it's a 00:26:40.560 --> 00:26:43.510 larger complex, you definitely wanna check and talk with someone to make 00:26:43.510 --> 00:26:47.710 sure you're not gonna be automatically rejected if you pay an application fee. 00:26:47.760 --> 00:26:51.750 Sometimes there's a $25 application fee, but then if you just get 00:26:51.750 --> 00:26:54.140 automatically rejected, it's just sad to lose that money. 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:55.940 So if you check beforehand with people. 00:26:56.645 --> 00:26:58.745 Then you can try and be smart and save some money. 00:26:58.745 --> 00:27:01.062 If they're like, because of our system, you're definitely gonna 00:27:01.062 --> 00:27:02.321 get automatically rejected. 00:27:02.321 --> 00:27:04.961 Then you can find another place and not waste your money 00:27:04.961 --> 00:27:06.311 on those application fees. 00:27:07.451 --> 00:27:09.091 Being honest, that's a really big one. 00:27:09.091 --> 00:27:09.781 It's hard to do. 00:27:09.831 --> 00:27:12.771 Sometimes people are like, maybe they won't find out about this or that. 00:27:13.141 --> 00:27:17.366 A lot of times apartments, do background checks and things like that. 00:27:17.396 --> 00:27:19.947 So they will find out most likely what's in your background. 00:27:20.287 --> 00:27:23.317 So I always recommend people to tell your landlord the situation upfront 00:27:23.527 --> 00:27:24.967 before they find out on their own. 00:27:25.297 --> 00:27:29.527 It just gives them more trust in you and it helps give you a chance to explain your 00:27:29.527 --> 00:27:34.187 situation before they see it written out however it is on those background checks. 00:27:34.347 --> 00:27:36.477 When they do see it, they're like, oh yeah, they told me about this. 00:27:36.527 --> 00:27:37.337 They're expecting it. 00:27:37.737 --> 00:27:39.808 That's just a really good tip to be honest with them. 00:27:40.178 --> 00:27:43.238 It really goes a long way and can really build that trust with the landlord and 00:27:43.298 --> 00:27:45.448 hopefully have them wanna rent to you. 00:27:46.963 --> 00:27:48.523 My last steps of being creative. 00:27:48.703 --> 00:27:51.283 This means things like looking for potential roommates, if 00:27:51.283 --> 00:27:52.543 that's an option for you. 00:27:52.993 --> 00:27:54.403 Meeting landlords in person. 00:27:54.403 --> 00:27:56.233 This is hard right now because of COVID. 00:27:56.633 --> 00:27:59.963 Once things open up again, it is helpful to have that face to face 00:27:59.963 --> 00:28:03.312 interaction to make people trust you or understand your situation more. 00:28:03.672 --> 00:28:05.172 It's easy to do when you can talk to them. 00:28:05.872 --> 00:28:10.582 Then seeking out private landlords, like I said, some of the bigger companies, 00:28:10.612 --> 00:28:13.362 they just have some really strict rules and they can't budge on them. 00:28:13.662 --> 00:28:16.362 So even if they wanted to, they really have to stick to their rules. 00:28:16.662 --> 00:28:20.272 But private landlords have more flexibility and they can a lot of times be 00:28:20.272 --> 00:28:22.452 more open to helping someone get housing. 00:28:22.602 --> 00:28:23.412 Definitely check those out. 00:28:23.412 --> 00:28:26.862 Like I said, Craigslist is one place that has a lot more private landlords. 00:28:26.892 --> 00:28:28.032 So it's a good place to look. 00:28:32.292 --> 00:28:33.732 Alright, so overcoming barriers. 00:28:33.732 --> 00:28:37.242 Here's some ideas for people with these types of backgrounds. 00:28:37.302 --> 00:28:40.042 If you have an eviction on your background, it's not the end of the world. 00:28:40.092 --> 00:28:41.172 There are options out there. 00:28:41.222 --> 00:28:44.162 Working with a lawyer can help not get the eviction. 00:28:44.212 --> 00:28:48.612 We have some legal resource sheets that we could give you if you're looking for 00:28:48.612 --> 00:28:50.562 a lawyer for this type of situation. 00:28:51.687 --> 00:28:54.427 And then when you're applying, say you already have an eviction in your 00:28:54.427 --> 00:28:57.567 past, it's always a good idea to write a letter explaining your situation. 00:28:57.937 --> 00:29:01.777 Being honest and upfront about things can really help landlords trust you 00:29:01.777 --> 00:29:04.507 and understand your situation from a different perspective than just 00:29:04.507 --> 00:29:05.887 seeing that you have an eviction. 00:29:06.347 --> 00:29:10.937 Especially if the eviction wasn't due to late rent payment, the landlord 00:29:10.937 --> 00:29:14.307 might be more willing to rent to you even if you have an eviction. 00:29:14.307 --> 00:29:18.567 So it's really good to have those letters of explanation to have a 00:29:18.567 --> 00:29:20.007 better way to talk to the landlords. 00:29:21.277 --> 00:29:22.067 Criminal Backgrounds. 00:29:22.087 --> 00:29:25.267 Similarly, if you can write a letter explaining the situation 00:29:25.367 --> 00:29:26.627 that can really help you out a lot. 00:29:27.047 --> 00:29:28.427 You can also work with a lawyer. 00:29:28.697 --> 00:29:30.917 It depends on the type of criminal background you have. 00:29:31.377 --> 00:29:33.987 You could try expungement or ceiling records to try and 00:29:33.987 --> 00:29:35.787 get them off your record. 00:29:35.877 --> 00:29:38.447 It's not possible for every situation, but it is for some, and 00:29:38.447 --> 00:29:41.657 so it's worth checking out to see if that's would help your situation. 00:29:42.930 --> 00:29:44.150 Then if you have a sex offense. 00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:45.070 There's a great website. 00:29:45.110 --> 00:29:47.850 It's definitely hard to find housing, but there's a really good website 00:29:47.850 --> 00:29:49.280 that lists, different places. 00:29:49.280 --> 00:29:50.270 I've listed it here. 00:29:50.540 --> 00:29:54.370 You can search by county in Colorado, and it lists some different places to try. 00:29:54.670 --> 00:29:58.630 So it's just a good starting point to see where you might be able to 00:29:58.630 --> 00:30:00.700 find some housing that could work. 00:30:01.370 --> 00:30:02.960 So here's some more housing search tips. 00:30:03.060 --> 00:30:05.890 Similar to when you're applying for benefits, when you're looking 00:30:05.890 --> 00:30:09.170 for housing, it's really good to gather these things that I have 00:30:09.170 --> 00:30:10.890 listed here before you get into it. 00:30:10.890 --> 00:30:13.560 So that way if you did apply for a wait list and your name 00:30:13.560 --> 00:30:15.030 comes up, you're ready to go. 00:30:15.030 --> 00:30:18.030 Because a lot of times they'll ask for this documentation and they'll 00:30:18.030 --> 00:30:21.660 only give you a certain window of time that you can have to gather it. 00:30:21.730 --> 00:30:23.590 So that can be a barrier for people sometimes. 00:30:24.120 --> 00:30:27.850 When you're looking for housing, I always recommend gathering these documents 00:30:28.360 --> 00:30:32.140 as soon as you can and keeping them so that once a housing opportunity 00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:33.970 comes up, you can really jump on it. 00:30:34.020 --> 00:30:36.780 Like I said, having those letter as an explanation. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:39.550 Also if you have a landlord, a previous landlord that really liked 00:30:39.550 --> 00:30:42.340 you or that you guys had a good relationship, it's great to get a 00:30:42.340 --> 00:30:43.840 letter of recommendation from them. 00:30:44.030 --> 00:30:48.520 That also helps future landlords if they know you had a really good living 00:30:48.520 --> 00:30:52.950 situation before, it helps them trust that you'll be a good tenant for them. 00:30:54.797 --> 00:30:55.577 Some more tips. 00:30:55.677 --> 00:30:58.137 Really get your name on every wait list possible. 00:30:58.737 --> 00:31:02.007 Sometimes it can be daunting and it feels like, why would I put my name on a list 00:31:02.007 --> 00:31:05.787 if they're saying it's not gonna be a year or two until my name would get called. 00:31:06.277 --> 00:31:08.347 The thing is, you never know where you'll be in a year or two. 00:31:08.417 --> 00:31:11.807 So you might as well put your name on the list because maybe a year from 00:31:11.807 --> 00:31:14.727 now you still need housing and it'd be really great that your name got pulled. 00:31:15.207 --> 00:31:18.147 It's also just good sometimes wait lists could go faster than you think. 00:31:18.607 --> 00:31:20.917 So just apply for all the wait lists that you know of. 00:31:21.247 --> 00:31:23.887 Similarly apply for all section eight wait list openings. 00:31:23.987 --> 00:31:27.767 Like I said, they open the wait list open at different times. 00:31:28.137 --> 00:31:31.307 So at central navigation we try and keep an ear out for those so 00:31:31.307 --> 00:31:34.547 we know when certain wait lists are open so we can tell people to apply. 00:31:35.067 --> 00:31:38.067 Always feel free to check in with us to see if there's one open. 00:31:38.407 --> 00:31:40.601 Right now there actually is a current wait list opening for the 00:31:40.661 --> 00:31:44.671 Foothills Regional Housing, formerly Jefferson County Housing Authority. 00:31:45.301 --> 00:31:47.731 They have a wait list opening right now and you can apply online. 00:31:47.781 --> 00:31:50.961 Check out their website or give us a call and we'll help you navigate that. 00:31:51.241 --> 00:31:54.151 Again, when one opens up, apply for it 'cause it can't hurt. 00:31:55.111 --> 00:31:57.721 It's also good to check back regularly with landlords on wait 00:31:57.721 --> 00:32:00.711 lists you're already on just to let them know that you're still looking 00:32:00.711 --> 00:32:01.911 and that you're still interested. 00:32:02.361 --> 00:32:05.721 It's really helpful to have that interaction so they know you are not just 00:32:05.721 --> 00:32:09.421 a name on the list and you're ready if your name gets pulled for that wait list. 00:32:11.026 --> 00:32:14.476 Another good thing to do is when you're searching for housing, you 00:32:14.476 --> 00:32:16.186 really wanna document everything. 00:32:16.526 --> 00:32:18.580 All the phone calls you make, who you talk to. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:23.358 If you do get the resource sheets from us that list the different subsidized housing 00:32:23.358 --> 00:32:26.748 or things like that, I always recommend people take really good notes on there. 00:32:26.748 --> 00:32:31.543 So, if you talk to someone and they say, oh, like our wait list isn't open now, but 00:32:31.573 --> 00:32:33.463 in a month we're thinking it's gonna open. 00:32:33.463 --> 00:32:36.253 You could write that down so you know, to call back again in a month. 00:32:36.913 --> 00:32:40.386 Or if they say, oh, we're definitely, we won't have an opening for a really 00:32:40.386 --> 00:32:41.856 long time, you could just X them off. 00:32:42.306 --> 00:32:45.816 Just so you don't waste your time calling places multiple times and 00:32:45.816 --> 00:32:47.426 we can keep you organized with that. 00:32:47.936 --> 00:32:48.566 On another note. 00:32:48.596 --> 00:32:52.226 It's really important if you are on all these wait lists, if your phone number 00:32:52.226 --> 00:32:56.060 changes or your mailing address changes, you really wanna update that with them. 00:32:56.850 --> 00:32:59.275 If you keep a good list of all the wait lists you're on and you get 00:32:59.275 --> 00:33:02.615 a new phone number, you'll know exactly who to call to let them know 00:33:02.615 --> 00:33:03.935 that your phone number has changed. 00:33:04.165 --> 00:33:07.825 It's really sad when you're going down a wait list calling people for housing 00:33:07.855 --> 00:33:11.515 and you know the number's out of service now or you just can't find them. 00:33:12.025 --> 00:33:13.705 You don't want that to be the case for you. 00:33:14.095 --> 00:33:16.975 If you get a new phone number, especially your mailing address, to 00:33:16.975 --> 00:33:22.155 let those different authorities know so that they can contact you if and when 00:33:22.155 --> 00:33:24.555 your name comes up on that wait list. 00:33:26.210 --> 00:33:30.200 The last tip would be set a goal for applications to complete each day or week. 00:33:30.300 --> 00:33:31.500 It can be really overwhelming. 00:33:31.500 --> 00:33:32.790 It could be really frustrating. 00:33:32.840 --> 00:33:36.310 So if you have a goal, then once you reach that goal, you can take a deep breath. 00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:41.010 It helps keep you motivated and chugging along when it can feel 00:33:41.010 --> 00:33:42.750 really like a big, daunting task. 00:33:44.170 --> 00:33:48.270 So with all that information, it's really good to remember our mental 00:33:48.270 --> 00:33:53.400 health and to keep up practices that keep you sane and keep you calm when you're 00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:55.080 trying to navigate all these benefits. 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:57.054 Because it can be really frustrating and hard. 00:33:57.884 --> 00:34:00.945 So some ideas, really practice self care and patience. 00:34:01.065 --> 00:34:04.715 It's really hard waiting for callbacks, so finding things 00:34:04.715 --> 00:34:06.365 you can do that keep you happy. 00:34:06.365 --> 00:34:10.365 Whether it's going for a walk outside or just taking a 00:34:10.365 --> 00:34:12.285 quick nap, anything like that. 00:34:12.765 --> 00:34:15.820 Eating a piece of candy, all things you can do to try and 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:19.040 keep your self care while you're going through these processes. 00:34:19.490 --> 00:34:22.740 On a similar note, it's always good to take breaks and take breaths. 00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:25.405 If you're getting really frustrated, just take a few deep breaths 00:34:25.405 --> 00:34:27.875 to try and center yourself. 00:34:27.945 --> 00:34:31.345 Remember that this is hard and that you're doing a good job. 00:34:31.915 --> 00:34:35.145 You could take breaks similarly, going on a walk or just putting the phone 00:34:35.145 --> 00:34:38.235 down for a little bit just to give yourself a break from making phone 00:34:38.235 --> 00:34:40.065 calls and trying to sort things out. 00:34:41.055 --> 00:34:44.475 Another good tip for mental health is reaching out for resources and support. 00:34:45.105 --> 00:34:45.765 I'll say it again. 00:34:45.765 --> 00:34:48.045 You can call navigation even if you just wanna vent. 00:34:48.105 --> 00:34:51.855 Even if you just wanna say, this is hard and I don't understand my 00:34:51.855 --> 00:34:53.625 benefits, I don't know what's going on. 00:34:53.675 --> 00:34:57.485 Even if there isn't a specific question we can answer, we can definitely support 00:34:57.485 --> 00:35:01.505 you in that venting and understanding the frustration because a lot of people 00:35:01.505 --> 00:35:03.025 experience it and it's really hard. 00:35:03.095 --> 00:35:05.995 So reach out to us, reach out to family and friends for support 00:35:05.995 --> 00:35:08.095 and just to have that connection. 00:35:08.690 --> 00:35:11.530 Like I said, for similarly for the resources, when you do call center 00:35:11.530 --> 00:35:15.370 navigate, we also could know of another place that's open or we might have some 00:35:15.370 --> 00:35:19.550 ideas for different places you could look, whether it's for benefits or housing. 00:35:19.550 --> 00:35:22.240 So definitely reach out for that support. 00:35:23.110 --> 00:35:24.880 And finally, don't be hard on yourself. 00:35:25.150 --> 00:35:28.360 It's benefits in housing are complicated and hard, daunting. 00:35:28.410 --> 00:35:29.100 It can be a lot. 00:35:29.130 --> 00:35:31.590 So understanding that it's not you. 00:35:32.130 --> 00:35:37.060 Sometimes it's the systems we're working in and yeah, just take those breaths, 00:35:37.180 --> 00:35:40.814 take those breaks, and realize that you're doing the best you can and hopefully 00:35:40.814 --> 00:35:44.294 with time things will work out and and you'll get those benefits in that housing. 00:35:45.065 --> 00:35:46.505 All right, so that's everything I've got. 00:35:46.555 --> 00:35:47.395 Are there any questions? 00:35:48.455 --> 00:35:51.275 Julie: Angela, thank you so much. 00:35:51.535 --> 00:35:53.275 We did have one question. 00:35:53.495 --> 00:35:55.875 It's related to housing and benefits. 00:35:55.875 --> 00:36:00.145 Somebody was wondering, some people who have been having technology issues, 00:36:00.305 --> 00:36:03.965 they don't have access to a computer or they don't have access to the internet. 00:36:04.215 --> 00:36:08.425 Are there any benefits available that address technology? 00:36:09.655 --> 00:36:11.065 Angela Resman: Yeah, that's a great question. 00:36:11.185 --> 00:36:12.415 That is hard finding internet. 00:36:12.415 --> 00:36:15.775 I know some of the libraries have been trying to find ways that you 00:36:15.775 --> 00:36:19.015 could still access the internet from outside of library locations. 00:36:19.525 --> 00:36:22.742 Again, if you're looking for certain benefits, like I said, like calling 00:36:22.742 --> 00:36:25.202 churches if you need a computer or need something like that. 00:36:25.562 --> 00:36:28.595 There are some places that I've heard of that have computers. 00:36:29.015 --> 00:36:30.545 Actually, there's a resource that's coming to mind. 00:36:30.625 --> 00:36:32.095 Let us know if you're having those troubles. 00:36:32.095 --> 00:36:33.825 That's also why our team is there. 00:36:33.875 --> 00:36:37.725 Because a lot of people can still access a phone, so giving us a call, and we can 00:36:37.725 --> 00:36:41.325 either help you apply, whether it's those county benefits, we can help people apply 00:36:41.325 --> 00:36:43.568 online if you have internet access issues. 00:36:43.998 --> 00:36:46.615 Some of the other benefits that we can't help you apply for we can 00:36:46.615 --> 00:36:47.755 point you in the right direction. 00:36:48.085 --> 00:36:51.155 I know a lot of places are trying to have more call in services if 00:36:51.155 --> 00:36:52.475 you're unable to apply online. 00:36:52.475 --> 00:36:55.130 Let us know the specifics of your situation and we can see if there's a 00:36:55.130 --> 00:36:56.450 resource out there that could help you. 00:36:57.088 --> 00:36:57.448 Julie: Great. 00:36:57.478 --> 00:36:58.018 Thank you. 00:36:58.018 --> 00:37:03.128 I also wanna add that several of the internet providers around here, like 00:37:03.128 --> 00:37:08.728 CenturyLink and Comcast, actually do have specific programs that you can 00:37:08.728 --> 00:37:11.718 apply to, to get cheaper internet access. 00:37:11.718 --> 00:37:15.668 So actually reaching out to the providers themselves is another option as well, and 00:37:15.668 --> 00:37:17.958 if you contact us we can help with that. 00:37:18.058 --> 00:37:22.578 I just wanna mention again, if you wanna talk to a clinician right now after 00:37:22.892 --> 00:37:26.605 this webinar privately please message us and let us know and we will get you 00:37:26.605 --> 00:37:29.135 connected with somebody right after this. 00:37:29.475 --> 00:37:32.775 Angela, I think that's the only question we had, so I think we'll 00:37:32.775 --> 00:37:34.395 go ahead and wrap everything up. 00:37:34.745 --> 00:37:37.775 I just wanna say that no matter what you're facing in life, if you're feeling 00:37:37.775 --> 00:37:41.375 overwhelmed, worried, or stressed, Jefferson Center is here for you. 00:37:41.375 --> 00:37:45.725 And we are open, accepting new clients and accessing care is easier 00:37:45.725 --> 00:37:47.465 than ever with virtual appointments. 00:37:47.495 --> 00:37:52.525 You can visit our website at jcmh.org or follow us on Facebook for more resources 00:37:52.525 --> 00:37:59.475 and information, and you can also reach us by calling us at (303) 425-0300. 00:37:59.755 --> 00:38:01.495 Thank you all and have a great day.