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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The plight of a homeless couple enduring frigid temperatures with a tent as their only shelter has raised questions about whether housing is available in such situations.</p><p>The short answer: It is, but people have to apply and show a need.</p><p>The homeless couple featured in a recent Times Leader article had been together for more than 20 years but ended up without shelter last year due to insurmountable medical bills. Lydia said she was unable to walk due to her multiple sclerosis, and her partner, Velez, has had a series of heart attacks. They declined to provide their last names.</p><p>No local shelter accepts both men and women, so the couple would have to separate for the night to get out of the cold. Lydia suffers from anxiety, so that is a major stress the couple said it is not willing to endure.</p><p>Barbara Gomb, of the Commission on Economic Opportunity, said her agency oversees a permanent supportive housing program that may provide rental assistance.</p><p>To be eligible, participants must be homeless and have a documented permanent disability, said Gomb, a case management supervisor at the nonprofit agency.</p><p>Because the program must meet federal regulations, participants must demonstrate they have been living in a homeless shelter or on the streets and provide third-party verification from a doctor or qualified counseling agency that they have a permanent disability, Gomb said.</p><p>Approved participants also must find an apartment that meets inspection standards for that municipality and other requirements, such as fair market rental rates, she said, stressing that assistance also hinges on the availability of government funding allocations.</p><p>Gomb said she cannot speculate on the eligibility of potential clients and urged those interested to visit the agency&#8217;s office at 165 Amber Lane in Wilkes-Barre to complete application paperwork from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.</p><p>&#8220;We highly encourage anyone to come and meet us. It all starts with them coming into the agency to do intake and assessment of who they are, what their needs are and how we can go from there,&#8221; Gomb said.</p><p><strong>Living in car</strong></p><p>Public housing is also an option, said Wilkes-Barre Housing Authority Executive Director Judy Kosloski.</p><p>&#8220;We have openings now, but they would have to come in and apply,&#8221; Kosloski said.</p><p>At least two authority tenants had been homeless, including one who had been living in a car in the city&#8217;s downtown, she said.</p><p>Her agency generally requires a five-year rental history, but Kosloski said homeless applicants may be able to qualify if they provide verification from others they are &#8220;cooperative and adjusted enough to live with other people.&#8221; For example, representatives of a social service agency or soup kitchen regularly visited by an applicant could provide a recommendation.</p><p>&#8220;We need some people who can vouch for you over a period of time,&#8221; Kosloski said, noting the authority also must consider the well-being of existing tenants.</p><p>The authority operates four residential buildings in Wilkes-Barre &#8212; Lincoln Plaza on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, East End Towers on Scott Street, South View Manor on Monroe Street and Valley View Terrace on High Street.</p><p>Both efficiencies and one-bedroom units are available in some of these buildings, and rental amounts are based on income, she said. All four facilities are accessible to the disabled and have on-site laundry and security cameras.</p><p>While someone could pick up an application for a homeless person, prospective tenants must apply in person to ensure all required information is submitted and signed, said Kosloski.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Velez and Lydia, married 20 years, wound up homeless after Velez suffered a series of heart attacks. Lydia, meanwhile, suffers from multiple sclerosis. The couple was featured in a Times Leader story this week about the plight of the homeless trying to survive in bitter cold temperatures. The couple&#8217;s predicament has also raised questions about available housing assistance. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL013119Homeless4-1-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Velez and Lydia, married 20 years, wound up homeless after Velez suffered a series of heart attacks. Lydia, meanwhile, suffers from multiple sclerosis. The couple was featured in a Times Leader story this week about the plight of the homeless trying to survive in bitter cold temperatures. The couple&#8217;s predicament has also raised questions about available housing assistance. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Homeless couple’s story raises questions about housing assistance