Enter Provo-based Community Action Services & Food Bank. In coordination with other agencies in the Mountainland Continuum of Care, a coalition of local nonprofit and government agencies working to put an end to and prevent homelessness in Utah, Wasatch and Summit Counties, CASFB looks for affordable rental properties within our communities. The combined efforts of the Continuum of Care identify gaps in our local housing resources, and seek to engage community resources to help individuals and families receive the housing support they need.

How does Community Action Services & Food Bank provide help to families in need of shelter? It begins with eliminating barriers to people looking to find a new and affordable place to live, and there are many opportunities for the average person to get involved.

Rental assistance

Utah has the 24th highest rent in the country out of 56 states and territories surveyed. With prices continuing to climb, some renters find themselves priced out of their current living situation. Rental assistance can help individuals or families get into a new lease or apartment through a voucher that covers move-in costs (first month’s rent, application fees, or a rental security deposit). 

CASFB also helps connect individuals and families who would otherwise be completely priced out of the market. Other rental assistance programs available in the community help make rents more affordable through vouchers that pay a portion of their rent, helping to keep their rental costs below 30% of their income. With rising inflation, this helps prevent rent from digging too deeply into their household budget.

Landlord outreach

With 15% of Americans paying their rent late this fall, landlords are feeling the pinch as well. In order to fully bridge the housing gap in Utah, landlords are a critical part of the solution. Community Action Services and Food Bank helps connect qualified tenants with landlords in the area. 

Understanding that landlords need a reliable tenant who pays on time, rental assistance payments are made directly from CASFB. In addition, tenants are screened as part of their enrollment in the program. Participants in the program are provided with tenant education classes, and CASFB  continues to act as a bridge between the tenant and landlord if additional needs arise. 

By accepting rental applicants within the program, landlords can help eliminate barriers to renting for the vulnerable segments of our population.

How to get involved

With nearly 10% of the population in Utah County currently living in poverty and 75% of them being seniors, children or people with disabilities, we must find a way to ensure each individual and family member has access to affordable housing. How can you get involved and help members of your community? 

First, you can refer a friend to the rental assistance program. Being aware of the needs of those around you and offering support is a great way to get involved. Secondly, if you are in need of help, consider applying to the program to see if you qualify for assistance. Finally, refer a landlord to the program. Helping to build the list of qualified landlords and tenants is a powerful way to help bridge the housing gap here in Utah.

For individuals and families looking for rental assistance, applications are available through the Community Action Services Emergency Assistance program. All applicants are screened and reviewed to see if they meet the qualifications for assistance before being accepted to the program.

Landlords who want to be matched with qualified applicants can contact Jessica Miller at CASFB by emailing landlord@communityactionuc.org. Qualified rental units will be added to a list and provided to the Continuum of Care agencies to ensure individuals throughout Utah, Wasatch and Summit Counties are being served. 

The efforts by Community Action Services and the Mountainland Continuum of Care, along with the help of members of the community, are the keys to successfully providing affordable housing to the vulnerable in our community.

To learn more about the rental assistance initiative, landlord outreach program and other services provided by Community Action Services, be sure to visit the website.