Housing Resources
BRAP - Basic Eligibility and Program Information
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Bridging Rental Assistance Program
Program Summary
The Bridging Rental Assistance Program (BRAP) is
a housing program developed by the Department of
Health & Human Services (DHHS). It was established
in recognition that people with psychiatric disabilities
are often unable to afford to rent safe, decent,
and sanitary housing of their choice in the community.
BRAP is designed to assist individuals with housing
assistance for up to 24 months or until they are
awarded a Housing Choice Voucher (aka Section 8
Voucher) or other federal subsidy, whichever comes
first. For this reason, units subsidized by BRAP
funding must meet Housing Choice Voucher requirements
(within Fair Market Rent and Housing Quality Standards)
so recipients may continue to reside in their apartments
once awarded a voucher, if they so choose.
Program participants pay 51% of their income for
rent. BRAP subsidizes the remaining portion of the
rent up to the Fair Market Rent.
BRAP Eligibility
I. DHHS requires that recipients
of BRAP meet the following criteria:
- Class Members of the AMHI Consent Decree; OR
- Adults with Severe and Disabling Mental Illness
who meet Eligibility For Care Criteria for Community
Support Services as defined in Section 17.02
of the MaineCare Benefits Manual
II. DHHS requires that all recipients of BRAP also
meet the following conditions:
- Adults who are receiving or are in the process
of being (re-)instated for Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability
Income (SSDI)—in cases where applicants
have no current SSI/SSDI or other income source,
documentation of General Assistance or another
source of income (TANF, Employment, etc) must
be in place or documentation of conditional
approval must be present; and
- Applicants must have previously applied for
Federal Section 8 Rental Assistance through
their local Public Housing Authority or other
local Section 8 administering agency. If the
wait list is closed, the applicant may be
eligible for a waiver of this eligibility
criterion provided that he/she agrees to and
completes a Section 8 application at time
of opening. Section 8 wait list status must
be maintained to continue to receive BRAP
assistance.
Note: Providing eligibility criteria has been met,
any previous BRAP recipient may re-apply for subsidy,
as long as he or she is in good standing with any
housing subsidy program administered by DHHS (Bridging
Rental Assistance Program &/or Shelter Plus
Care) and has not exceeded the maximum 24-month
allocation. Applicants who owe any DHHS subsidy
program for back rent, damages, security, etc.,
may be considered for readmission providing that
at least one of the following minimum criteria have
been met:
- 50% of account balance must be paid before
move in. The remaining balance must be paid
over a term not to exceed 12 months; or
- Establishment of a Representative Payee and
a documented payment plan not to exceed 12 months;
or
- Charges have been adjudicated through the
BRAP Appeals or DHHS Grievance Process.
Priorities
BRAP funds will be provided on a priority basis
to eligible individuals only within each priority
level on a ranked basis, as indicated below:
- Eligible people who are leaving State psychiatric
institutions (Riverview, Dorothea DIX); and individuals
in private psychiatric hospital beds; or those
who have been discharged in the last six months
from any of these institutions.
- Eligible people who are homeless as defined
by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance
act as funded by the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (See Appendix 2).
- Eligible people who are living in Substandard
Housing in the community, as defined by U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
(See Appendix 3).
- Eligible people who are moving from community
residential programs and other behavioral health
facilities, to more independent living arrangements.
Department of Health & Human Services
Bridging Rental Assistance Program (BRAP) and Shelter
Plus Care
Local Administrative Agents
| Aroostook County |
James McClay
AMHC SkyHaven 2 Airport Drive Presque Isle,Maine
04769
207-764-0759 |
| Androscoggin County |
Karen Bate-Pelletier
Common Ties
140 Canal Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
207-795-6051
|
| Cumberland County |
Melany Mondello
Shalom House, Inc.
400 Congress St.,
PO Box 560
Portland, Maine 04112
207-874-1080
|
| Franklin, Oxford, Northern Cumberland Counties |
Joan Detel
Tri-County MH
1155 Lisbon St.
PO Box 2008
Lewiston, Maine 04142
207-353-4100 |
| Lincoln, Sagadahoc Counties & Brunswick, Harpswell, Freeport |
Rita Defio
Sweetser MH
18 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, Maine 04011
207-373-3049
|
| Penobscot, Washington, Hancock, Piscataquis Counties |
Sandra Kimball
Community Health and Counseling
42 Cedar St., PO Box 425
Bangor, ME 04402
207-947-0366
|
| Somerset, Northern Kennebec Counties |
Barbara Worthley
Kennebec Valley Mental Health
67 Eustis Parkway
Waterville, Maine 04901
207-873-2136
|
| Southern Kennebec County |
Susanne Thomas
Motivational Services
PO Box 229
Augusta, Maine 04332
207-626-3465 |
| Waldo, Knox, Lincoln Counties |
Rita Defio
Sweetser MH
18 Pleasant Street
Brunswick, Maine 04011
207-373-3049 |
| York County |
Ginny Dill
Counseling Services, Inc.
PO Box 1010
Saco, ME 04072
207-282-6126 |
| |
Housing Coordinator: |
Lori Nicholas
Kristen Fortier
175 Lancaster Street
Portland, Maine 04101
207-822-0150
|
Jim Jaroz
Greenlaw Bldg. AMHI Campus
Augusta, Maine 04333
207-287-9151
|
Pam Godin
176 Hogan Road
Bangor, Maine 04401
207-941-4311 |
|
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