The Housing Resource Center (HRC) mission is to provide a continuum of housing resources for homeless prevention and affordable housing opportunities. HRC fosters community stability, stronger communities, and personal economic empowerment through education, advocacy, counseling and services. They help people who are homeless and need a place to rent and those with a notice to vacate who at risk of becoming homeless. They operate CalWORKs programs for families, programs to reunite families with a CPS case, Prop 47 to support substance-recovering individuals, and a small program to support those actively fleeing domestic violence. Within these programs, HRC determines if the case is in need of temporary shelter as they locate permanent housing or negotiate with their landlords to stabilize current housing and prevent families from entering into homelessness. No matter which outcome their cases are facing, HRC understands knowing where to go and who to speak to can be rather daunting. They pride themselves on being a resource for all those in need; even if they do not qualify for their programs, they work to direct them to an agency that can.

Since 1984 HRC has been working to reduce homelessness, develop partnerships, advocate, and find solutions to the housing crisis within our community. They have developed their Landlord Gold Standard program that has been focused on developing partnerships that will increase housing inventory and allow for more landlord involvement in reducing the NIMBY attitudes towards helping those who are unhoused.

We all know about the housing crisis in our area. This problem touches everyone. Most of us just complain while we pay. We don’t worry so much about ending up on the street. Maybe we don’t even have much awareness of what it’s like to live with that threat, to be on the curb, or to be in the street. I know we want to share with those who are not so fortunate.

How does my donation make an impact?
Helping people is very costly work. Here is a list of some of the costs, not counting staff.
$ 25 Cost of one credit report
$ 35 Application fee for one applicant
$ 50 Fuel fees for one car per week
$ 100 Cost to pay average unpaid utilities
$ 300 Cost of basic outreach materials HRC
$1000 Cost of hotel for a family for one week
$1500 Average rent for one month
$1500 Average security deposit
I nominated the Housing Resource Center to be our shared offering this month for several reasons:

1. I wanted an organization that helps individual people and families who are without shelter.
2. I wanted an organization that advocates and works toward changing the system that creates homelessness.
3. I wanted an organization that crosses the “lettuce curtain” with our message of love, freedom, and action.

The Housing Resource Center has many partners listed on their website, including UUCMP! Let’s show we are good partners, in this effort, working toward a county where everyone has a home.
— Karen Brown