The University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Center on Children, Families, and the Law is partering with the City of Lincoln Urban Development Department and the Lincoln Community Foundation to administer over $900,000 in federal CARES Act funds for housing and utility assistance.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced the opening of the Lincoln Prevention Assistance Common Fund to provide housing and utility assistance. LPAC is a system-changing adaptation for providing homeless prevention assistance, developed by CCFL in collaboration with the CLUDD and the LCF, that pools financial assistance resources from multiple funding sources into a single, "common" fund.
People can request assistance at one of multiple agencies in the community. Their request is referred through the Homeless Management Information System to the All Doors Lead Home Coordinated Entry system, which are administered by the center. An assistance request is made to the Lincoln Community Foundation by center staff.
Assistance is provided from a variety of resources appropriate for their situation. The efficiencies in overhead and operation of the common fund allow a higher percentage of resources to go directly toward financial assistance.
The center has been collaborating with the Homeless Services System in Nebraska for the past four months in the response and recovery efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic impact. The center's modeling of COVID-19 housing impact indicates a 66% increase in the number of households in a housing crisis and homeless without additional resources.
- Mayor Gaylor Baird referenced Jeff Chambers and the center in her July 7, 2020 news conference.
- More information on CCFL’s work with the Nebraska Homeless Service System can be found on the center's website.
