The Riverside City Council allocated funding to establish the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA) to help address the need for permanent housing solutions for individuals and families that are homeless or on the verge of homelessness in the City of Riverside. To that end, staff in the Housing and Neighborhoods Division is working with our community partners to implement a new pilot project based on the nationally acclaimed best practice “Housing First” approach which emphasizes moving people into housing as quickly as possible and providing the appropriate level of services to support housing stabilization and retention.

The Housing First approach represents a significant shift away from the traditional homeless service delivery system to one focused on rapid re-housing and home-based case management to facilitate client stabilization leading to self-sufficiency. The initial pilot project includes a “street to home” component assisting a target group of chronically homeless individuals with exiting life on the streets and moving directly into housing coupled with aggressive case management provided by the City’s Homeless Street Outreach Team.

The Housing Authority of the County of Riverside is presently administering the city’s TBRA program under a Housing First approach utilizing federal HOME and CDBG funding. The TBRA program provides eligible homeless individuals and families as well as those at-risk to homelessness in Riverside with short-term rental subsidies coupled with home-based case management. The Housing Authority is also working with us to expand the use of Shelter Plus Care and other available housing subsidies to facilitate a Housing First approach. The ultimate goal is to develop a variety of strategies, tools and resources to incorporate the “Housing First” approach into all aspects of our local continuum of care.

City of Riverside Tenant-based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA)

Key Objectives

• Rapid re-housing for homeless individuals/families in the shelter/transitional housing system
• Housing stabilization for low-income households at-risk of becoming homeless
• Housing placement and support for homeless individuals targeted by the City’s Homeless Street Outreach Team under a “Housing First” approach
• Support families in shelter/transitional housing who are receiving Cal Works in making the transition back to market rate housing
• Support working individuals/families in shelter/transitional housing to make the transition to market rate housing
• Provide supportive service linkages with the primary goal of assisting the individual/family to increase their household income and attain housing stability

Target population:

• Homeless individuals/families in the City of Riverside participating in service-based programs
• Chronically homeless individuals targeted by the City’s Homeless Street Outreach Team
• Low-income individuals/households facing the loss of their affordable housing

Forms of Assistance

• Short-term rental subsidy for homeless individuals/households (up to 12 months)
• Short-term rental subsidy for eviction prevention (up to 12 months)
• One-time assistance with security deposits
• Case management and supportive service coordination

Eligibility Criteria for Individuals/Households

• Meets HUD low-income limit defined as 80% or below area median
• Participation in a homeless service program in the City of Riverside, or is facing loss of housing in the City of Riverside
• Ability to demonstrate history of Riverside residency or employment
• Have a steady source of income or demonstrated ability to secure a steady source of income
• Must agree to participate in and comply with case management provided by the Housing Authority, the Homeless Street Outreach Team and/or a qualified participating agency and comply with all other provisions of program participation
• Tenants must provide proof of citizenship or legal residency
• Assistance provided only for housing within the City of Riverside

Qualifying individuals/households accepted into the TBRA program are required to participate in case management and/or other supportive services as a condition of receiving assistance through the program. The goal is to help participants achieve housing stability while working to accomplish measurable goals toward attaining self-sufficiency. Program case management and supportive services are provided through a coordinated effort involving the TBRA program administrator working in partnership with the City’s Homeless Street Outreach Team and other local continuum of care providers.

If you believe you qualify for assistance under the City of Riverside TBRA program based on the criteria above, please contact Ofelia Wilson at the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside at 951/343-5462.