SERVICES
Central Wisconsin Community Action Council (CWCAC) provides a number of programs that fights poverty by creating opportunities.

• Housing & Energy Programs

   

  Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP)
  Adams, Juneau & Waushara Counties

  WHEAP provides a one time annual heating Assistance payment.  Household income limit is 150% of poverty.  Households may also receive crisis assistance (subject to funding availability) for additional fuel, furnace repair or furnace replacement.  Case Managers are on call for crisis assistance during off-hours and are contacted through the local sheriff's department.

  Weatherization Assistance Program (WX)
  Adams, Columbia, Juneau & Sauk Counties

  Available to homeowners or renters at or below 150% poverty, WX provides energy efficiency and health and safety measures funded through the State Department of Administration, Division of Energy.  Assistance provided includes attic insulation, sidewall insulation, smoke detectors, air sealing, and furnace, water heater and refrigerator replacement.

  Home Buyer Down Payment Assistance
  Adams, Columbia, Dodge, Juneau & Sauk Counties

  Provides down payment and/or closing cost assistance toward a home purchase for households with members who have a disability.
  Household income may not exceed 80% County Median Income.
   

  Home Rehab (Repair) Program
  Adams, Columbia, Dodge, Juneau & Sauk Counties

  Home repair assistance to households whose income does not exceed 80% of county median income.  Rehabilitation funds assist with home repairs and accessibility modifications based on HUD Housing Quality Standards, and each household's specific accessibility needs.
   

  Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
  Selected Municipalities

  CDBG funding assists homeowners with major repairs, septic replacement, well repair/replacement, etc.  Income limit is 80% of County Median Income.
   

  Emergency Assistance Program - Community Development Block Grant
  Selected Municipalities

  EAP-CDBG funding assists communities and individuals affected by natural disasters by providing funding to help repair homes and rebuild communities.
   

  Rental Housing Development (RHD) Activities

  CWCAC is a designated County Development Housing Organization recognized by the Federal Department of Housing & Urban Development and the State Department of Commerce.  Our focus is developing affordable rental units in our geographic area.  We have completed six projects totaling 69 units

   

   

  Homeless Unit Programs

   

  
  Crisis Assistance Programs
  This program provides a one-time crisis assistance to households - generally rent or mortgage.  This program actually combines a number of different funding sources including CSBG, Emergency Food & Shelter Program, Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and United Way.  Client applications are reviewed and approved based on a number of criteria, including funding availability, the ability to positively resolve the crisis, and other factors.
   

  Emergency Food & Shelter Program
  still informally referred to as FEMA

  ESFP is a restricted federal grant.  Program expenditures are limited to food, meals, shelter (motel/hotel vouchers), rent/mortgage assistance and utility assistance.  EFSP is governed by a National Board that selects jurisdictions for funding, and based on the latest census and unemployment figures determines the amount of funding to be given.  Local Boards are then convened to determine the highest need and best use of those funds and to select Local Recipient Organizations (LRO's) to provide emergency food and shelter services.  Each year, needs are reassessed in an effort to adapt to community needs.  We receive EFSP funds in each of the five counties, and are able to say how much we want to put towards rent/mortgage assistance and how much towards motel stays.  The criteria we use is that we will provide rental assistance to individuals or families with a five-day eviction notice and verification of employment, or motel stays to Homeless individuals or families.

  
  United Way/United Fund

  We receive funds from United Way of Portage, United Way of Dodge County, Baraboo Area United Fund, Reedsburg United Fund, Wisconsin Dells Area United Fund and United Way of Inner Wisconsin (for Adams County).  We have not requested funds from Sauk-Prairie United Way for the last three funding cycles as the demand from that part of Sauk County has not been as great.  We use these funds for emergency shelter stays and rent/mortgage assistance for families or individuals.  If a motel stay, there must be verification of homelessness; if rent/mortgage assistance, there must be verification of employment.

  
  Emergency Shelter Grand (ESG)

  This is a grant from HUD through the State of Wisconsin, Department of Commerce, Bureau of Housing.  It is used to support River Haven Holeless Shelter in Portage and to support our Transitional Housing Program.  Residents at River Haven can apply for security deposit funds and/or first month's rent.

  Project Chance (PC) Scattered Site Transitional Housing
  
  PC is a Supportive Housing Program for homeless families or individuals funded by a HUD Continuum of Care Grant.  The three goals of the program are to help participants obtain and remain in permanent housing; to help participants increase skills and/or income; and to help the participants achieve greater self-determiniation.  Case Managers work with program participants for up to 24 months to help connect them with housing, employments, benefits such as Food Stamps or SSI, W-2, educaiton/job skills training, counseling for mental health or AODA issues, childcare etc.  We contract with individual landlord's on behalf of the clients and provide for education (GED?HSED, CNA classes, etc.), employment (work clothing, tools, etc.), children, transportation (gas or taxi vouchers), medical/dental/physical exams/prescriptions, and household goods.  The agency must provide cash match, which comes in the form of office space/utilities, Case Manager's travel, staff wages, etc.
  
   
  Get Smart Skills Enhancement Program
  
  In November 2005 we entered into a contract with the Department of Workforce Development to increase the income and economic self-sufficiency of working poor households by helping adult members acquire the skills needed to obtain higher paying jobs with health insurance benefits.  We will work with eligible participants during the year to identify training goals that will result in an increase in their annual income, by increasing their hourly wage, increasing the number of hours worked weekly and accessing employer-sponsored health insurance.  Eligible individuals must have incomes at or below 150% of poverty and be employed a minimum of 20 hours per week.  The participants will receive financial support to cover the costs of short-term training, designed to increase their marketability and employability.  Additional financial assistance is available for training-rrelated childcare and transportation.  there are limits to the amount of financial support.  Staff provides a variety of support and advocacy services that look at family strenghts as well as needs.  Participants receive assistance in developing their individualized training plans, problem-solving, career assessments, accessing community resources and job search.  Key Points - must be 18 or older, must be at or below 150
  5 of poverty, must be employed minimum of 20 hours/week and MAINTAIN employment during training, must work with the Job Skills coach on developing a training plan, must apply for financial aid or other programs for whoich they may be eligible, must maintain residence in Wisconsin.  It is not intended to assist individuals who wish to attend school full-time, who expect to be in training for a long time, for those who are not working, or for those whose training will not result in increased self-sufficiency.

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