Information for Families in Need

The Housing Now for Homeless Families Program (HNHF) funds local nonprofits that provide temporary financial assistance and supportive services to rehouse families with children that are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. HNHF grants are administered by COHHIO and funded by federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funding provided by the State of Ohio.

To be eligible for HNHF assistance, families must:

  • Be homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, or fleeing/attempting to flee domestic violence
  • Have custody of at least one minor child or be a single parent at least six months pregnant
  • Be eligible for TANF assistance in Ohio, meaning household income is below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines
  • Be identified and prioritized for assistance through the local homelessness Coordinated Entry (CE) system or other defined local process

Housing Now for Homeless Families assistance is not available everywhere in Ohio. If your family is homeless or at-risk, click on the map below to see if there is an HNHF program in your county. If not, contact your local homeless services agency.

    Information for Provider Agencies

    For several years COHHIO has been raising the alarm about rapidly escalating homelessness among children and families in Ohio. Nearly one-third of the more than 76,000 Ohioans who need homeless services annually are children. In recent years, minors have become one of the most rapidly growing segments of Ohio’s homeless population. Local networks that include homeless services agencies, faith-based organizations, community nonprofits, county job and family services offices, and other local groups were already using effective strategies to fight family homelessness, but they lacked the resources necessary to address the scale of the problem.

    In early 2020, the DeWine administration awarded COHHIO a $1 million grant to pilot the use of federal TANF funding to divert families with children out of emergency shelters using Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing (RRH) services. In August 2020, the administration provided an additional $15 million in TANF to expand the pilot into the Housing Now for Homeless Families program to quickly move more homeless and at-risk families into permanent housing. Due to restrictions unique to the federal TANF program, HNHF funds are intended to supplement other existing sources of funding for RRH and Homeless Prevention services.

    From March 2020 to June 2021 the HNHF program served 13,852 Ohio family members.

    HNHF Provider Agency Program Documents

    The following documents and invoice templates replace all previous versions issued prior to July 1, 2021 for State Fiscal Year 2022. Each document includes the web links to access both State and Federal references codes and required program forms.

    2020 ODJFS Earmark Non-Assistance Participant Self-Attestation Application (7-22-19)
    2020 ODJFS Earmark Non-Assistance Participant Self-Attestation Application (2019 – Spanish)
    2022 Billing Blank Revised Form
    2022 New HNHF MOA with Links
    HNHF Community Self-Attestation Final (4-1-21)
    HNHF Program Guidelines with Links 2022
    HNHF Referral Map Document 7-1-21
    HNHF Report Template COHHIO

    Agency HNHF Referral Phone Number Counties of Coverage
    Alliance for Children and Families 330-452-4363 Stark
    Coleman Professionals 440-632-5355 Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Portage, Trumbull
    Columbus Federation of Settlements 614-268-3535 or 211 Franklin
    Community Shelter Board 614-274-7000 or 211 Franklin
    Community Action Agency of Columbiana County 330-424-4013 Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson,Tuscarawas
    EDEN 216-674-6700 or 211 Cuyahoga
    Family Promise of Butler County 513-444-2033 Butler, Clermont, Warren
    Great Lakes Community Action Partnership 419-334-8911 Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood
    Homefull 937-262-4633 Montgomery
    Homeless Families Foundation 614-461-9247 ext. 141
    614-715-8661 or 211
    Franklin
    Interfaith Hospitality Network of Springfield 937-325-8154 Clark, Greene
    Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency 740-653-4146 Coshocton, Fairfield, Holmes, Knox, Muskingum
    Licking County Coalition for Housing 740-345-1970 ext. 1 Licking
    Northwestern Ohio Community Action Center 419-782-6962 Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams
    One Eighty, Inc. 330-264-8498 Ashland, Lorain, Medina, Wayne
    Strategies to End Homelessness 513-381-7233
    513-338-8596
    Hamilton
    Washington-Morgan County Community Action 740-373-3745 Morgan, Washington
    West Ohio Community Action 419-227-2586 Allen, Auglaize, Mercer
    Zepf Center 419-841-7701 Lucas