An individual or family must meet the criteria in one of the four categories below:
- Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
- Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation;
- Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or
- Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.
- Individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that:
- Residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance;
- No subsequent residence has been identified; and
- The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing
- Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with Category 3 children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who:
- Are defined as homeless under the other listed federal statutes;
- Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing during the 60 days prior to the homeless assistance application;
- Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during in the preceding 60 days; and
- Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time due to special needs or barriers
- Any individual or family who:
- Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence;
- Has no other residence; and
- Lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing
The head of household has a disabling health condition(s) that is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impedes the persons’ ability to live independently, such as a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability.
Housing Match Documents are important to collect for all types of housing applications including mainstream, affordable, subsidized, and permanent supportive housing. In Alameda County, having all of your documents will increase the likelihood of being matched to permanent housing.
- Housing Match Documentation Checklist – Use the checklist to ensure you have completed all the required forms.
- Verification of Homelessness Templates and Resources
- Chronic Homeless Verification Packet – This packet includes information about the definition of chronic homelessness, tools and a quick guide, as well as templates for verifying chronic homelessness.
- 3rd Party Verification of Literal Homelessness
- Self-Certification of Homelessness
- Disability Verification – Must be completed by a medical professional.
- Release to Request Identifying Documents and Verification of Benefits from AC Social Services Agency – This form can be completed and sent to HomeStretch@acgov.org to request identifying documents and verification of benefits, like GA, from AC Social Services Agency.
- Certification of Zero Income Form – This form can be used to verify income when someone has no income.
- Elemeno is an online platform containing tip-sheets, guides, videos, and other resources for service providers within Alameda County. Use the self-registration feature by clicking “First time? Create an Account” and entering your organization email here.
- Home Stretch Matching FAQ
Connecting with Coordinated Entry
Home Stretch matches people to housing opportunity as part of Alameda County’s Coordinated Entry System. They match based on coordinated entry prioritization and policies. In order to receive coordinated entry services, including housing problem solving and assessments, individuals and families should connect with an access point.
- To connect with the “Coordinated Entry System”, please call 2-1-1 or connect directly with a regional Housing Resource Center.
- Turn in all Housing and Public Benefits Portfolio documents to your service provider or the staff at the Housing Resource Center. Please refer to the “Housing and Public Benefits Portfolio” section above for more information.
Contact Information
E-Mail: HomeStretch@acgov.org
Phone Number: 510-567-8017
