This is the third in a series about housing shortages in the Rochelle area.

ROCHELLE — What would happen if you suddenly lost your home? Would you know what to do? Would you know where to turn for help?
Renee Barnhart does.
She found out the hard way.
A divorce a few years ago left her with no job, three small children to raise and a mortgage she couldn’t pay. Eventually, she was forced to move in with her parents where she slept on the floor.
“In a way, you could say I was homeless,” she said. “My children didn’t like it. They couldn’t understand why we didn’t have a home of our own.”
Rather than giving up, Barnhart was determined to do something. Taking whatever job she could, she managed to finish college so she could pursue a career in social work. Today, she is the Community Outreach Specialist for the Tri-County Opportunities Council in Rochelle. Earlier this year, she purchased her first home.
As an outreach specialist, Barnhart helps low-income people in a variety of ways who she probably understands better than they realize.
“I know what they are going through,” she says. “Because I have, too.”
Founded in 1965, the Tri-County Opportunities Council is a community action agency whose mission is “Investigating the frequency, location, character and cause of poverty, and coordinating efforts to prevent, alleviate and eliminate poverty through the cooperative efforts of public agencies, private organizations, business, industry and interested individuals.”
With a budget just under $15 million, the council covers nine counties in a 5,454 square mile area, including Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Carroll, Stark, Putnam, Bureau, Marshall and LaSalle.

Each county has an outreach office. The Rochelle office, where Barnhart works, is located at 306 North Sixth Street.
Under the Community Services Block Grant, which provides funds for agencies to assist low income people, Tri-County is able to offer several different programs.
In 2016, they were able to help 31 people complete vocational training and find jobs, provide financial assistance for seven people starting new jobs, help 105 people receive emergency aid for basic needs, provide 884 individuals with comprehensive assessment, short term case management, information, advocacy and referral services, award 13 scholarships, provided 168 clients with case management services to support moving to a higher level of stability, provided 13 clients with funding for minor home repairs and 16 clients with financial assistance for medical issues.

See HOUSING page 4
For their homeless program, Tri-County was also able to help 117 households either obtain housing or avoid being evicted.
“There are a lot (of programs) that people aren’t aware of,” Barnhart said, Ironically she wasn’t aware of them herself when she needed help because no one told her about them.
Under their Homeless Assistance Program, Tri-County offers the Emergency Solutions Grant and Homeless Prevention Program.
The Emergency Solutions Grant, which is funded through the Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is designed to assist homeless families and individuals with finding and maintaining housing. Those who qualify must have a financial crisis within the last 60 days, have a legal eviction notice or literally be homeless, and have no other means of help.
The Homeless Prevention Program is funded through the Ill. Dept. of Human Services and offers a one-time assistance for rent or a deposit to prevent becoming homeless. Those qualifying must have an income under 200 percent poverty, a proven financial crisis within the last 90 days, must not have received help in the previous two years and must lack financial resources to prevent homelessness without this assistance.
Under their housing program, Tri-County owns and operates 14 buildings with 29 rental units, including 22 classified as affordable housing for low-income families and seven for transitional housing. They are located in Sterling, Rock Falls, Dixon and Wyanet. Although they are looking into Ogle County, none are in this immediate area.
When someone comes to her for help, Barnhart has resources she can refer them to, including a list of landlords who are willing to work with them. However, she can’t do the work for them. Getting clients involved in their own planning is another feature Tri-County emphasizes.
“I can’t do everything for them,” she said.

Some of those seeking help are very savvy about what to do, she said, and others “need a lot of hand holding. Some have so many barriers.”
Someone she was able to help was a family of four living in an apartment that was deemed unlivable. “Charles” was an Army vet who was working part-time and going to school full-time while “Bonnie” was working a full-time job for minimum wage.
“They had no where to go,” Barnhart said, noting they were unable to “couch surf,” a term meaning they had no friends or family to stay with.
When they ran out of money for the hotel they were temporarily staying in, the family was kicked out, which is when they came to her. After getting them into a local homeless shelter – which no longer exists – Barnhart was able to find the family a place to live, for which Tri-County paid the first month’s rent and the security deposit.
Barnhart is quick to point out that her agency’s funding quickly runs out.
Despite all they have to offer, Tri-County doesn’t meet everyone’s needs.
“A lot of agencies look at us as a first stop,” Barnhart said, adding that if someone doesn’t qualify for what programs she has to offer, she should be able to suggest another agency that can. “Sometimes we don’t have a lot of answers.”
More than anything, Barnhart emphasizes that people who may be on the verge of losing their housing not wait for the last minute to contact her.
“The most frustrating part of my job is when people wait too long and I can’t help them,” she said. “If they came in two months ago when the trouble was starting, maybe we could have done something.”