HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM

BRAG administers the Bear River Housing Authority and the Logan City Housing Authority, providing federally-funded housing assistance to residents of Northern Utah.

The housing choice voucher program, sometimes still called “Section 8,” is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.

CONTINUUM OF CARE (CoC)

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE TARGET (HEAT) – UTILITY ASSISTANCE

The Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) program provides winter utility assistance to low-income households targeting those who are truly vulnerable – the lowest-income households with the highest heating costs, the disabled, elderly, and families with preschool-age children.

HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE TARGET (HEAT) – CRISIS PROGRAM

The Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) Crisis program is one time assistance to help with utilities. The requirements are:

If HEAT assistance is available, you must receive HEAT before HEAT Crisis can be utilized;

• Must have received a shutoff notice from the utility company;
• Must have made a good faith attempt to make the payment yourself;
• Must have clear documentation to show that you are in crisis;
• Your utility account cannot be in collections, if it is, HEAT Crisis cannot assist;

When assisting with Logan or Hyrum City, HEAT Crisis can only assist with the electric portion of the bill. You may have to make a payment if the electric portion is not enough to cancel the shutoff.

When assisting with Questar Gas or Rocky Mtn. Power, HEAT Crisis will assist with the past due to cancel the shutoff.

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program was established to ensure that low to moderate income households receive all qualifying tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

VITA volunteers are available to complete basic tax returns free of charge for households that made less than $50,000. Volunteers are IRS certified and also provide education on financial stability and asset building. To find out if you are eligible for free tax assistance and to schedule an appointment, dial 2-11.

ONE-TIME HOUSING ASSISTANCE

One-time housing assistance is a program that can look at assisting with one month’s rent or mortgage (principal and interest only) payment. Clients seeking assistance with their mortgages will first be referred to a mortgage counselor, who will determine if the one time assistance is the best option.

Clients have to be financially eligible and also be able to show that after BRAG’s assistance, the household is able to sustain their housing expenses. This is a once in a lifetime progam and once utilized, a client is not eligible again. All applicants must complete an application and provide necessary documents to be considered eligible for the program. Progam funding is also limited to grant availability.