The West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness (WVCEH), which NLIHC welcomed as a state coalition partner in October 2012, has teamed with homeless service providers in that state to advance West Virginia’s Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access and Recovery program. Widely known as SOAR, the program helps to expedite the SSI/SSDI application process for people with disabilities. It has effectively provided income support to program recipients and helped them maintain or gain access to housing. WVCEH hopes that newly dedicated staff resources and comprehensive training will strengthen the program’s success.In the fall of 2012, WVCEH received approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to lead the program, which the state’s Office of Economic Opportunity previously managed. WVCEH believes this new arrangement will better position it to lead efforts to end homelessness in West Virginia, especially given that it also leads the Homeless Management Information System and Balance of State Continuum of Care programs. WVCEH has increased its staff during the past two years in a concerted effort to meet these leadership roles and tackle the state’s homeless and affordable housing issues. Through SOAR, WVCEH provides trainings for homeless and housing provider caseworkers to assist persons with disabilities in gathering evidence to support their SSI/SSDI application, and provides step-by-step guidance to complete the application. The trainings also enable caseworkers to act as applicants’ personal representatives, giving them the ability to communicate with the Social Security Administration on clients’ behalf. The training is essential given that only 10-15% of homeless adults’ SSI/SSDI applications and 31% of all applications are approved the first time. The approval rate of SOAR-assisted applications nationwide is 71%. WVCEH plans to incorporate components to their trainings that encourage caseworkers to actively engage applicants in searching for housing that fits their needs. Advocates believe that the connection caseworkers already have to low income and supportive housing programs, mainly though their own organizations, will allow providers to link applicants to housing with ease. Advocates are piloting the program in the cities of Morgantown and Parkersburg and outlying areas; they hope to expand statewide. WVCEH plans to track its progress with SOAR and use the data to inform the organization’s initiatives. “SOAR is not just a model that can be utilized with people who are homeless and have a disabling condition; it can be a model that providers use with individuals who are low income and at risk of homelessness,” said Lindsay Knotts, project specialist for WVCEH. “The idea is that advocates can prevent individuals and families from experiencing homelessness in the first place if we link them to benefits that will provide housing, as well.” For more information, contact Lindsay Knotts of WVCEH at [email protected].