An ongoing population influx, combined with a pre-existing housing crisis escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to unprecedented rates of homelessness, housing insecurity, and requests for food and other essential services in our county. The situation has exposed massive gaps in available services and elicited insufficient response from community leaders. BCCF was formed in the spring of 2020 to address these issues and to provide stability for households. We have two full-time staff members – an executive director and bilingual family care manager – and one part-time bilingual family care coordinator. All of our services are offered in both Spanish and English and are available to individuals regardless of citizenship status.

BCCF currently operates three core services:
– Emergency rent assistance comprising up to three months of assistance during the year (based on the previous 30 days’ income). The second and third requests include budgeting and goal setting services to increase income and/or decrease expenses.
– First/last/deposit assistance is offered once new housing is secured. We also provide move-in assistance based on previous 30 days’ income and ability to maintain housing thereafter.
– The Rapid Relief Program addresses other unanticipated emergency needs, including but not limited to: expenses related to health, ability to work, maintaining a safe living environment, and avoiding an eviction judgment. We aid in emergency hotel and motel stays for the most vulnerable households experiencing homelessness during the coldest winter months. We also collaborate with the NeuroMediation Project to negotiate mediated solutions for clients in the process of eviction, which may help avoid an eviction judgment.