Housing Exchange Listings-What Comes Next?
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A huge thank you to those who have opened up your homes or properties to those in need of housing! It is heartwarming to get such an amazing response from so many. The available housing table is located on the main Housing Exchange web page and is updated periodically as changes are made known to us. The Housing Exchange page also contains links to other short term and long term housing options that are available to former workers and survivors and provides details on how Bridges & Balm can help.
Bridges & Balm is dedicated to helping former workers and survivors to navigate the path to safe, affordable and sustainable housing. The Bridges & Balm Fellowship Housing Exchange is a place where those who need housing can connect with those who have or know of available housing.
Housing Exchange Validation Process
The process of determining alignment between property owners and those in need of housing is designed to maintain anonymity for all parties during the investigation phase. Bridges & Balm will act as an intermediary between those who volunteer housing and those who need housing to make sure that there is anonymity and alignment on expectations before initiating direct contact between the parties.
Once Bridges & Balm determines or is made aware of a potential fit between a property and a need, we will initiate the following process:
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A Bridges & Balm representative will privately initiate contact with the property owner to provide information and communicate broad needs of the person needing housing to determine basic alignment.
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If the property owner is comfortable with moving forward, Bridges & Balm will host an anonymous call with the property owner and an advocate of the worker or survivor needing housing to share detailed information and communicate considerations and requirements of both parties.
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If it appears that there is broad alignment between needs and expectations of both parties, Bridges & Balm will arrange a call with the former worker/survivor needing housing and their advocate to describe the housing opportunity, get feedback, get responses to additional questions & determine next steps.
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If and when there is a desire to move forward from both parties, Bridges & Balm will host a call or online meeting between the two parties so they can get introduced and begin to get to know each other. Note that these calls will continue to be anonymous until the parties choose to identify themselves to each other.
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Fellowship Housing is often an interim housing option, providing a short or mid-term housing solution until a long term housing solution can be arranged. For resting/transitioning workers and survivors investigating and navigating housing options, Bridges & Balm will ensure that there is an active advocate working hand in hand with you. You are not in this alone. For those of you applying for public housing assistance we will make sure there is assistance in each step of the process. For those contacting us with a potential fellowship housing option, we will act as an independent third party to validate specifics with each party before supplying contact information.
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