HomeBase

CAMBA’s HomeBase homelessness prevention program serves more than 8,000 clients every year with excellent outcomes. We provide a variety of homelessness prevention tools to assist families and individuals experiencing a housing crisis, and who are at imminent risk of entering the shelter system. HomeBase offers the following services directly or through referrals to our community partners: budgeting and financial workshops, education and employment support, entitlement advocacy, legal services/informal mediation, resources on how to look for housing, and short-term financial assistance.

We serve eligible applicants living in Brooklyn Community Districts 2, 3, 6-15, and 17), or any Community District in Staten Island. Should you know someone experiencing a housing issue in these communities, please feel free to contact us or call 311 to be directed to your closest HomeBase office. All of our offices are open from 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday. We accept walk-ins at all locations from 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday. Learn more about Homelessness Prevention.

CAMBA’s YOU CAN VAN (YCV) is a custom-built recreational vehicle, which serves as a mobile outreach and assessment center for housing stability and intervention services.

The YCV uses real-time data from the Department of Homeless Services and mapping technology from Arachno to map shelter applicants and tenants in Housing Court and target specific buildings and blocks with high numbers of tenants who are at risk of eviction or entering shelter. By bringing our services directly into high-need neighborhoods, we increase visibility, remove barriers to access, and ensure families can receive referrals, advice and material help right when they need it most.

The YCV is fully staffed by our bilingual outreach team, including a supervisor, driver, assessment worker and outreach worker, who set up informational tables and provide onsite assessments and referrals to supportive services. HomeBase provides the following services directly or through referrals to our community partners:

• Budgeting and financial workshops

• Case management services

• Education and employment services

• Entitlement advocacy

• Legal services/informal mediation

• Resources for how to look for housing

• Short-term financial assistance

HomeBase is also an aftercare provider to those who have left the shelter with a subsidy and those placed in NYCHA housing.

This program is funded by the NYC Department of Homeless Services. CAMBA’s mobile You Can Van was piloted by the Durst Family Foundation, and expanded to high-risk communities in Staten Island by the Robin Hood Foundation.

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