In This Section
NEK-CAP, Inc.'s Non-Discrimination Statement and Policy applies to all services offered.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program provides rental assistance to the Kansas counties of Atchison (not in Atchison city limits), Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Nemaha, and Marshall counties. Eligibility for the Housing Choice Voucher program is based on a family's household income. The voucher covers a portion of the rent and the family is expected to pay the balance. The family share is an affordable percentage of their income and is generally calculated to be between 30 to 40 percent of their monthly-adjusted gross income for rent and utilities.
The HCV recipient searches for housing in the private market. Eligible housing units for the program include single family dwellings, town houses and apartments including the family's current residence if the recipient is new to the program. When the recipient finds a unit from a landlord willing to accept the HCV, the Housing Authority inspects the rental unit to ensure it meets housing quality standards (HQS) for the program. If the unit passes the Authority's minimum standards for health and safety and the requested rent is deemed appropriate for comparable rents for that size unit, the family and the landlord execute a lease agreement. At the same time, the landlord and the Housing Authority sign a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract for rental subsidy to be paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family. The family pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.
Landlords must comply with the lease agreement signed with the family and the HAP contract signed with the Housing Authority. Should the landlord fail to meet his or her obligations, the Authority may suspend or terminate payments. The family is required to comply with the lease, program requirements, pay its share of rent on time, maintain the unit in good condition and notify the landlord and the Housing Authority of any changes in their family composition or income. A family can move and continue its participation in the program as long as they notify the Housing Authority in advance and terminate the existing lease within the lease provisions. The family is then free to seek another housing unit in the NEK-CAP, Inc. HCV service area or the family may request the portability option to possibly move outside of the Housing Authority's jurisdiction.
To apply for this service click on the image below. Visit our Contact Us page for locations.
Click here to view the Tenant Guide brochure
Click here to view the Prospective Landlords brochure
For more information contact::
housing@nekcap.org
785-742-2222, ext. 156
The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program
Matching Housing Assistance Families with Existing Community Services to Achieve Economic Self-Sufficiency
The FSS program is a savings-incentive employment program for families or individuals who are currently on the Housing Choice Voucher Program and would like to become financially independent within the next five years. The HCV/FSS program is a voluntary program for families who express an interest in becoming self-sufficient. The FSS Program focuses on reducing dependence upon cash assistance programs and focuses participants to build on education, employment, and financial stability, designed to move participants from poverty to self-sufficiency.
The FSS program assists individuals in reducing barriers in obtaining general needs. Examples include but are not limited to: job training and education, job interview skills, completing a successful resume, personal finance (budgeting) skills, obtaining & maintaining reliable transportation.
As participants obtain resources needed, income increases, self-worth is gained and the cycle for improvement starts to replace the cycle of poverty.
The service area for the program includes seven Kansas counties: Atchison (outside the city limits of Atchison), Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Nemaha and Marshall.
*Self-Sufficiency is not something you wait for, it’s something you PLAN
Click Here to view the FSS brochure
For more information or to see if you qualify for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program Contact:
Mary Webb, FSS Program Coordinator
mwebb@nekcap.org
785-742-2222 ext. 112
Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) is a program designed to help income-eligible households with their security deposit, and/or utility deposits and/or rent for 12 months. Assistance in the form of a rental payment helps reduce a household’s rent to only 30 percent of their income. The amount above 30 percent is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the household.
To apply for this service click on the image below. Visit our Contact Us page for locations.
For more information contact::
housing@nekcap.org
785-742-2222, ext. 156
Homeless Programs
NEK-CAP, Inc. uses utilizes funds from HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) grants to help provide rental assistance to families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
Getting Started:
- Complete an application in our online kiosk to start the application process. Once we have received your completed application, a Housing Family Advocate will contact you to complete next steps for Coordinated and finish gathering any other information needed for our agency intake processes. At this time during COVID, office hours are sometimes limited, and most information is completed virtually. If you are unable to complete an application online, it is possible to start your application over the phone or request a social distancing visit if necessary.
- NEK-CAP, Inc. participates in the Coordinated Entry process with the Kansas Balance of State Continuum of Care. This means that all applicants to our Homeless Services programs are assessed for current homeless status and barriers by completing forms with Housing Family Advocates. The applicant’s name and status is placed onto the Coordinated Entry list with our Northeast Region. This list is reviewed regularly by regional agencies who provide services to individuals/families experiencing homelessness. If an agency has an opening, a referral for a family is made to the agency for services to see what they can assist with.
Things we want you to know:
- The Coordinated Entry process is confidential. All of your information is kept private and participating agencies are not allowed to share your information without your consent.
- Completing an application for our Homeless Services program is not a guarantee of services through NEK-CAP, Inc. The purpose of the Coordinated Entry is to help you get into housing as quickly as possible. If an option from another agency comes available, we ask that you consider it.
- If you are contacted by a different agency but feel that their services are not appropriate for you, you have the right to decline. You can still stay on the list, but it just might be a while before another offer comes depending on funding and spots.
For more information regarding the Coordinated Entry process, please visit https://www.kshomeless.com/ces.html
General Information:
- Our CoC program is a Rapid Rehousing program.
- Kansas counties included in this grant include Atchison, Brown, Marshall, Leavenworth.
- Our ESG program has both a Rapid Rehousing program and a Homeless Prevention program.
- Kansas counties included in this grant include Atchison, Brown, Doniphan Jackson, Jefferson, Nemaha, Marshall.
- For both programs, if a family is offered a spot in the program, they will complete eligibility documentation with our Housing Family Advocates including:
- Verification of homelessness, must fall into one of the following categories in order to be eligible for one of the programs, as defined by HUD:
- Category 1: Literally Homeless (Rapid Re-Housing component only)
- Category 2: Imminently losing their primary night-time residence (Homeless Prevention component only)
- Category 4: Fleeing/Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions (both components)
- Verification of income-Homeless Prevention requires that a household be within 30% of the are median income for the county.
- Housing Stability plan to set up goals of what you’ll need to obtain and maintain your housing.
Other Things You Should Know:
- Both programs come with Family Development Advocacy. As described on our Family & Community Resources page, Housing Family Advocates work with individuals/families to identify their goals of finding housing and improving basic needs. Families and Housing Advocates will meet at least monthly, or more often as they decide together based on what the family needs. Because we use wraparound services, our Housing Advocates often check in with families about several areas of needs including enrollment of children into available school programs, accessing medical health services as needed, accessing drug/alcohol counseling/support as needed, accessing domestic violence support as needed, etc.
- These are not long-term programs, and families are expected to establish and/or improve reliable income when possible to help maintain your housing after our services have ended. We can help with the security deposit and some rental assistance. Further details about length of time is provided to the individual/family at the time they are enrolled in a program.
- All families choose the housing they live in during the time they are in one of these programs. We do not own any housing we help pay the rent. Families find housing that they feel will work for them, and then we complete an inspection to ensure it meets safety requirements, and we also complete Fair Market and Rent Reasonable forms to ensure that it also meets financial eligibility according to HUD. The lease is between the family and the landlord, and we will have a rental contract between the three of us which outlines what we will be helping with towards your rent and for how long. This helps to keep everyone on the same page.
Click Here to view the Homeless Programs brochure
For General Inquiries about the program, please contact our Homeless Services office.
If you have already completed the Coordinated Entry or are a current participant and you need to follow-up with a Housing Family Advocate, please contact their office directly. If you have a wifi phone only, their emails are listed as well so that you can contact them via email.
Housing Family Advocates and Kansas counties covered:
Betty-Atchison, Leavenworth, Jefferson, Brown, Doniphan
913-367-7114, ext 6
ekane@nekcap.org
Bailey-Atchison, Leavenworth, Brown, Jackson, Nemaha, Pottawatomi, Marshall
913-367-7114, ext 301
bbuttron@nekcap.org
Brandi Folsom, Housing Continuum of Care Coordinator
homeless@nekcap.org
785-288-0117
