Rental Assistance applicants must be screened in person or by telephone to determine eligibility. Appointments for a screening can be made by contacting the Grand Rapids or International Falls office. Please bring the following information to the screening appointment:

• Household income verification for the last 30 days
• Third-party verification of homelessness (if applicable)
• Eviction letter (if applicable)
• Verification of crisis (medical, job loss, repair receipts, etc.)
• Verification of any funds paid toward the crisis

Applicants must have stable income, ability to pay ongoing rent and agree to 6 or 12 month follow-up interviews to measure progress. Crisis Team Staff provide advocacy, housing search assistance and connection to other community resources. Program support is short to medium term assistance depending on the individual circumstances. Homeless participants seeking rental assistance in Itasca or Koochiching County must be referred from the Coordinated Entry list before they can be granted assistance.

Coordinated Entry System: The State of Minnesota requires individuals and families seeking assistance due to homelessness, to use a Homeless Crisis Response System, also called Coordinated Entry in Itasca and Koochiching Counties. The first step is to contact First Call for Help at 218.326.8565 (800-442-8565 in Koochiching County) to request a Coordinated Entry Assessment (phone interview). After completing Step 1, the participant will be scheduled to meet with a housing service provider to receive a more in-depth assessment Step 2. That information will be used to determine priority and eligibility status for various housing programs.  Step 1 and Step 2 must be completed to gain access to very limited transitional housing slots. Being assessed and placed on a list does not guarantee housing because there are fewer units to rent than people on the list.

Disclaimer: KOOTASCA Community Action staff are trained to make eligibility determinations based on the income level, situation and funding availability. This list gives a brief overview of the programs offered. At any given time, there might be funds available in all, none or one of these programs.

First Call for Help Website