Households Can Benefit From New SEVCA Service Programs: Family Services Program Update
SEVCA is pleased to announce new programs, Healthcare Assistors, COVID-19 Recovery Navigators, and Rapid Resolution Housing. State-certified Healthcare Assisters are now available to help individuals apply, update, or resolve issues with their health insurance through Vermont Health Connect. Assisters provide information about health insurance, qualified health plans, Medicaid and other public programs, and offer impartial application assistance.
Open enrollment for health insurance begins November 1 for coverage beginning January 1, 2021. However, if you’ve lost health insurance coverage or experienced a qualifying event like pregnancy/birth/adoption, marriage/divorce, aging out of parental coverage, among other life changes, you may be eligible for a special enrollment period. Medicaid and Dr. Dynasaur, VT health insurance for children, continues enrollment year round.
If you need help applying for, updating, or resolving issues with your healthcare insurance, call SEVCA to set up an appointment with a Healthcare Assister. Residents of Windham County can request an appointment with a healthcare assister by calling Daniel Quipp at 802-428-3038. Residents of Windsor County can request an appointment by calling Laura Prothero at 802-428-3029.
COVID-19 Recovery Navigators
SEVCA’s Recovery Navigators are available to assist families and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis in accessing programs, financial help, and services like housing, utility, and other types of assistance. For more information, please contact Daniel or Laura at the numbers above or SEVCA’s outreach offices in Brattleboro, Westminster, Springfield, or White River Junction. Contact info for offices: https://sevca.org/contact/sevca-locations.
Rapid Resolution Housing Initiative
SEVCA is also administering the Rapid Resolution Housing Initiative funding for Windham and Windsor Counties. The Rapid Resolution Housing Initiative (RRHI) is a state-wide program to help Continuum of Care (CoC) partners throughout the state reduce homelessness. This program provides short-term, one-time financial assistance to people who are currently homeless or who experienced homelessness, between April 1 and June 30, 2020, in order to access safe housing. RRHI funds can be used for security deposits and rental support, in addition to alleviating barriers to obtaining housing, for ex. old utility balances and deposits, reducing debt, moving costs, etc.
Partners in the three CoCs in Windham and Windsor Counties can contact Pat Burke (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Amy Downing (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for application materials and more information. If you are experiencing a housing crisis and would like more information about SEVCA’s housing programs, please call 800-464-9951 and you will be directed to your local SEVCA office.
In accordance with our mission, SEVCA continues to provide services to support individuals and families with low incomes in Windham and Windsor Counties, and these include a wide array of programs addressing immediate needs for housing, clothing, food, fuel/utilities, and other essentials, and more long-term needs like home weatherization, Head Start, small business development, Financial Fitness courses, matched savings plans, Ready for Work services, and tax preparation. SEVCA’s Good Buy stores are open, and Head Start is accepting applications. Find out more at www.sevca.org, or call 1-800-464-9951.