Tri-County CAP works to resolve housing instability

BERLIN — During a recent city council meeting, several members of the public came to speak about what they called the homeless crisis in Berlin. Following the meeting, the Berlin Sun sat down with representatives of Tri-County Community Action Program to discuss the various programs offered by the entity.

Tri-County CAP Chief Executive Officer Jeanne Robillard said CAP offers a variety of services that benefit residents from multiple populations all the way from preschoolers to senior citizens and everything in between, including services for those currently experiencing homelessness.

As the name implies, Tri-County CAP serves a three-county area that includes Coos, Carroll and Grafton counties.

Agencies like CAP have been around since the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as a means to help fight poverty in local communities. Robillard said community action programs were designed to create opportunities that could help reduce the amount of poverty in the U.S.

Housing stability is just one of the many programs available to those in Tri-County’s service area.

According to Chief Programs Officer for CAP Kristi Letendre, one of the primary goals of the organization’s Housing Stability Department is to end the immediate crisis for those suffering from housing instability.

She said once a person or family’s housing situation is stabilized, CAP works to assess the needs of the individual or family and work with them to design a plan to empower them with the skills to maintain stable housing.

As part of her role with CAP, Letendre oversees two emergency shelters. The Tyler Blain House in Lancaster serves single men and intact families. The Burch House shelter in Bethlehem serves women and children. Letendre said Tri-County also provides outreach services for those experiencing housing instability. Letendre said outreach workers engage in a needs assessment to help individuals and families end the immediacy of whatever crisis they are experiencing.

Robillard said when outreach workers are sent out, especially to those living outdoors, the workers provide a backpack with food, supplies and information about what CAP offers. She said they then do a quick assessment to determine what is needed and how CAP can be of assistance. Sometimes that assistance may be in the form of a shelter or temporary housing, but the goal is to get permanent housing from those suffering instability.

Letendre said the critical aspect of working with those suffering from housing instability is to work with them and get them the services necessary to maintain their housing long-term, not just to get them into a permanent place to live. Letendre said CAP uses a housing first model, where the initial problem of homelessness is resolved by providing a home and then work can begin on whatever issues may exist that led to the situation of a person finding themselves without housing.

Letendre said CAP uses a nine-month evidence-based practice known as critical time intervention, which she said has proved very successful in working with unhoused populations.

As part of their work to help unhoused populations, Letendre said CAP also has funds available from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and American Rescue Plan Act funds, which are available to help prevent evictions or if someone is unhoused to help them pay for housing. Because the funds are part of federal coronavirus funds, a larger swathe of the community than would normally qualify for the funds are eligible. Robillard said based upon the expanded criteria, anyone having a hard time regarding their housing situation should apply for the program. More information for which can be found on Tai-County’s website at tccap.org.

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Issues relating to housing stability are just one of many programs Tri-County CAP offers.

Tri-County also offers health and nutrition programs including the Head Start program, which is a federally-funded, family-focused child development program serving children between three and five years of age, according to an informational booklet provided to The Berlin Sun as part of this story. Children enrolled in the program attend a center-based, classroom setting five days a week for four to six hours each day where the children participate in activities that enhance their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.

CAP also has a senior meals program that provides home-delivered meals throughout Coos County. Delivery of meals is provided Monday through Thursday and the program can provide up to seven meals per week. As part of the program, CAP also provides safety checks and resource information for seniors.

Another aspect of CAP’s health program is the Tamworth Dental Center, which provides oral health care to northern New Hampshire Communities; the center welcomes children and adult patients.

Other programs provided by CAP include an energy assistance program that assists qualified households with heating costs and discounts on monthly electric bills.

CAP also has a guardianship program that provides support to people who experience age-related limitations, developmental disability, behavioral health issues and traumatic brain injury, with services personalized to meet the needs of the individual.

A retired senior volunteer program for those 55 and older residing in Coos County pairs seniors with volunteer opportunities that match their life experiences and skill sets throughout the community.

CAP also provides options through its Tri-County transit service including the flex route service that provides fixed bus stops on two flex routes, one in Berlin and Gorham and one in Lancaster, Whitefield and Littleton. CAP also provides a door-to-door service that is a shared-ride transit option that takes passengers from their door to their destination. The program operates in Berlin, Colebrook, Lancaster, Littleton, North Conway and Tamworth.

Tri-County CAP also offers a long-distance medical service that provides transportation to medical facilities outside the immediate area to persons over the age of 60, veterans and disabled individuals for nonemergency medical appointments.

For information on these and other programs contact Tri-County CAP at tccap.org or call them at 603-752-7001.

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