FUNCTION

The programs of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness (SEPH) have a common vision: access by all people to safe, affordable housing, and opportunities to improve quality of life. The mission of SEPH is to make homelessness a rare, brief, and non-recurring event by operating from a Housing First philosophy. Housing First recognizes that people are most successful when they have a choice in housing and seeks to eliminate barriers such as sobriety requirements or treatment compliance. SEPH provides a full continuum of services including housing stabilization, homeless diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, permanent housing, and healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness. SEPH programs collaborate with public and private partners through the Interagency Commission on Homelessness. Special needs populations include: veterans; both individuals and families; persons with behavioral health challenges; individuals with disabilities; transitioning youth; and seniors with disabilities experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Program Descriptions

  Admin - Services to End and Prevent Homelessness

This program provides leadership and direction for the administration of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness and advises the Interagency Commission on Homelessness (ICH) and Montgomery County Continuum of Care (CoC)....

  Homeless Services

Homeless Services provides emergency shelter, street outreach, diversion services, and transitional housing to households experiencing homelessness. All services are focused on housing, with the goal of connecting households to permanent housing as quickly as possible by addressing barriers such as locating affordable housing, limited or no access to behavioral and...

  Homeless Services for Families

Homeless Services for Families provides emergency shelter and transitional housing to families with children. Services include intake and assessment, case management, and housing location to link families experiencing homelessness to housing, behavioral health, financial, and legal programs. All services are housing focused with a goal of connecting families with permanent...

  Housing Stability Services

This program seeks to prevent the loss of housing by providing conflict resolution, mediation, financial assistance, housing location, and case management to County residents at risk of homelessness. The program's focus is to partner with families and individuals to resolve their housing emergency through creative problem-solving. State and County grants...

  Healthcare for the Homeless

Healthcare for the Homeless provides medical, behavioral health, and dental services to individuals experiencing homelessness in emergency shelters, street outreach, and transitional housing. Medical services are also provided to individuals and families served in permanent supportive housing programs. This program also coordinates discharge plans with hospitals for people experiencing homelessness....

  Rapid Rehousing

Rapid Rehousing (RRH) is a program designed to help individuals and families quickly exit homelessness, return to housing in the community, and gain stability in that housing. The core components of a rapid rehousing program are housing identification, up to 24 months of rental assistance, case management, and employment services....

  Housing Initiative Program

The Housing Initiative Program is a Housing First permanent supportive housing program serving individuals and families with disabilities. Program participants are quickly connected to permanent scattered site units without any preconditions and offered intensive wraparound support services. The rental assistance is provided by the Department of Health and Human Services...

  Rental Assistance Program

The Rental Monthly Allowance Program (RMAP), formerly the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), provides a shallow subsidy to individuals and families at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. The target populations for this program are seniors and people with disabilities....

  Interagency Commission on Homelessness

The Montgomery County Continuum of Care (CoC) coordinates the community's policies, strategies, and implementation of a housing and services system to prevent and end homelessness through a collaboration of public and private sector groups. Responsibilities include promoting a community-wide commitment to ending homelessness, providing funding for efforts to promote community-wide...

  Coordinated Entry

Coordinated entry is a process developed to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access to remedies and are quickly identified, assessed for, referred, and connected to housing and assistance based on their strengths and needs. Within a Coordinated Entry System, each person is prioritized...

  Supportive Housing

Supportive Housing includes a continuum of programs that help individuals and families obtain and maintain stable housing through subsidies, case management, and essential support services. Permanent Supportive Housing provides immediate access to long term housing subsidies and wraparound services for households with disabilities using a Housing First approach. The Short-term...