November is Homeless Awareness Month in Butler County, and those who work with the displaced have one message: homelessness could happen to anyone.

“The people who come in here are really just average individuals in the community in a state of crisis and just need a little bit of help right now,” said Amber Crowe, director of Catholic Charities in Butler.

Katie Doerr, a program manager at the Center for Community Resources, agrees.

“They are just like everybody else,” Doerr said. “It could be your mom, dad, brother or sister. Homelessness can affect anybody.”

Catholic Charities serves as the central intake for those struggling with a housing crises or homelessness in the county, and oversees the county's waiting list for all housing programs.

Crowe said the first step for an individual or family who find themselves homeless is to come to Catholic Charities for an assessment.

They are then put on a prioritization list for placement into the housing programs available throughout the community.

Those with an immediate need for housing may be sent to one of the motels that contract with Catholic Charities. Between Nov. 1 and the end of March, Crowe said, clients may be sent to the winter relief center at Grace Youth and Family Foundation at the intersection of Center Avenue and South McKean Street, where accommodations from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. are available after an assessment there.

Catholic Charities also offers interim housing for 30 to 60 days at its facilities on West New Castle Street, known as Safe Harbor.

A total of 20 people can be housed at Safe Harbor, whether individuals or families.

Permanent supportive housing for individuals who are chronically homeless according to the Housing and Urban Development definition is also available, Crowe said.

The circumstance that most often renders people homeless, Crowe said, is underemployment.

“We have people who come in and are employed, but don't make enough to afford housing on their own,” she said.

She said the lack of affordable housing in the county as well as job loss are two other reasons many clients cite for their homelessness. Circumstances like illness or a struggle with mental health or addiction are some more reasons clients arrive at Catholic Charities looking for shelter.

Crowe, who has dealt with homelessness in the county for 13 years, said more parents with children in tow are finding themselves homeless.

“We see more families than we saw 13 years ago,” Crowe said. “It used to be mostly single individuals or couples without children.”

While she has not seen a decrease in the number of homeless in the county, Crowe said she has seen a drop in the number of days an individual or family might be homeless.

“I think it's because of better outreach by homeless programs,” she said.

Crowe said there are ways in which county residents can help the homeless, who she insists are not just lazy individuals seeking to live for free.

She said volunteering at housing programs like The Lighthouse in Middlesex Township or Victim Outreach Intervention Center, or with the county Housing Authority or the Center for Community Resources would help the county's homeless individuals and families.

“Or you could get involved with a community meal program,” Crowe said.

Hayley Merchant, the senior manager of programs at the Center for Community Resources, said her organization offers assistance to veterans.

Veterans with an eviction notice can get rental assistance, and veterans who meet income guidelines can apply for security deposit and first month's rent as well as 12 months in rent money.

Merchant said the Hope program offers permanent housing for individuals who are chronically homeless who live one paycheck away from a crisis.

Those clients, Merchant said, are usually two parents who are working and making an hourly wage that precludes them from living in even the most basic apartment.

She said her organization administers services for about 50 individuals or families a month in the veterans and Hope programs.

While the Hope program is operated by Catholic Charities, veterans can get housing services through Catholic Charities or the Center for Community Resources, Merchant said.

“Very rarely do these programs have a repeat person,” she said.

She recalled one man with six children who had fallen on hard times, and his caseworker was able to find him a good job.

“The next thing you know he was diagnosed with cancer and had to take time off for treatment,” Merchant said. “He couldn't work for three months and was facing eviction.”

She agrees that underemployment is the biggest reason people come to her office for housing.

“The average starting pay is like $10 an hour, and it's $650 to $750 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Butler,” Merchant said.

Doerr said she works with Catholic Charities and the county mental health and drug and alcohol programs to get clients a case manager as soon as possible.

“The goal of the program is to get them connected to services and get them permanent housing,” Doerr said.

She said a handful of housing complexes in the county offer income-based apartments for clients who qualify for interim housing.

Caseworkers help clients with skills like resume building or help them find businesses that will hire employees with a felony conviction. Caseworkers also will steer clients toward local temp agencies for employment.

“We want them to work and support themselves if they are able to work,” Doerr said.

Doerr appreciates working with all the agencies in the county to provide safe and comfortable housing for county residents who are down on their luck.

“We try to come together as a community, especially during the winter months,” Doerr said. “That's nobody on the streets and nobody's cold.

“Our doors are always open.”