Other Assistance

Valley Churches recognizes the high cost of housing in our area, and so we provide emergency rent/mortgage assistance on a case-by-case basis to qualifying clients.

To qualify, a client must:

• Meet our rental-assistance requirements
• Complete a Rent/Mortgage Assistance form
• Provide supporting information, as listed in the form
• Be in dire need of help
• Write a personal statement explaining the circumstances
• Show how the rent/mortgage will be paid in subsequent months if Valley Churches provides assistance

Clients cannot receive rent/mortgage assistance more than once every three years.

Due to the high cost of electricity, propane, and water, Valley Churches also provides limited assistance to qualifying clients who cannot pay their utility bills. Clients must first exhaust all other options (such as applying to REACH and HEAP) at which point they may submit a request to Valley Churches.

Clients are encouraged to not wait until they receive a shut-off notice.

Transportation is another challenge that many low-income families face. While Valley Churches cannot address the entire scope of this problem, we do provide some limited assistance in the form of:

• Single-day bus passes to clients who must travel to Santa Cruz for medical appointments, to apply for county services, or for job interviews
• Gas vouchers for clients who have medical appointments over the hill (such as at Stanford)
• Help with driver’s license renewals and car registration for qualified clients.