Homeless Resources

Shelter Plus Care Program

The Columbia Housing Authority Shelter Plus Care Program (S+C) provides affordable housing and support services to homeless people living on the street. The Shelter Plus Care Program was created under the Stewart B. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Shelter Plus Care is designed to promote permanent housing with supportive service to persons with disabilities coming from the streets and emergency shelters. Shelter Plus Care grants require a supportive services match equal to, or greater than, the Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance award.

To be eligible for the program, a person must be homeless (see definition below), with a mental illness, substance abuse problem, HIV/AIDS, or dual diagnosis. In addition to receiving a rental subsidy, Shelter Plus Care participants receive support services through a network of local partnering service agencies and must be referred to us by one of those agencies. Applications received from these agencies are reviewed for Shelter Plus Care eligibility.

Homeless includes a family or individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; and has a primary nighttime residence that is:

1. A supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); or
2. An institution that provides a temporary residence for persons intended to be institutionalized; or
3. A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (street, park, hallway, freeway underpass).