North Central Community Action Program (NCCAP) is helping Marshfield-area neighbors stay safely housed by stepping in with emergency rental assistance. NCCAP’s One/First Month/Security Deposit Assistance Program provides families facing eviction or struggling to secure a new lease help with first month’s rent, past-due rent, or security deposits, turning moments of crisis into opportunities for stability and a fresh start. The program is supported by a Community Grant from the Marshfield Area Community Foundation.
Who Is Being Helped
Between September 1 and September 30, 2025, NCCAP’s Marshfield Homelessness Prevention and Emergency Housing Assistance Fund served 14 clients through housing stabilization efforts supported in part by this grant. The demographics report shows that a majority of adult heads of household served live with at least one significant health-related barrier: 33 percent of adult heads of household reported a disability, 14 percent reported a chronic health condition, and 14 percent reported a mental health disorder.
This support is especially crucial for neighbors with very low incomes and complex health or mental health challenges. One Marshfield resident, “MZ,” lives with schizophrenia. After spending an extended period in a mental health treatment facility, he worked hard to stabilize his health and rebuild his life. He was able to move into his own apartment because NCCAP covered his first month’s rent and security deposit. That support allowed him to successfully reintegrate into the community.
Community Involvement
Each January, North Central Community Action Program (NCCAP) joins a nationwide Point in Time Count, a one-night survey coordinated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to identify people experiencing homelessness in communities across the country. Locally, NCCAP staff and volunteers from the Marshfield Area Amateur Radio Society head out late at night to check parking lots, 24-hour businesses, and other known locations where people without shelter might be staying, even in bitter winter weather. This effort not only contributes to the data used to shape federal and state homelessness policy, but also helps NCCAP spot neighbors who may not yet be connected to services and invite them into the broader network of community support.
“I’ve always been community minded, service minded… there should be no reason for a small community like this to have anybody that doesn’t have a place to go,” stated a Point in Time Count volunteer.
NCCAP staff frequently encounter people living in their cars, families on the verge of eviction, and new arrivals who cannot find a place they can afford in a tight rental market. Their no-wrong-door approach means that anyone who comes to NCCAP with a housing concern is connected to the most appropriate community resources, including food support, emergency lodging, and other social services, even if NCCAP cannot help directly. Strong partnerships with organizations like Marshfield Area United Way, the Salvation Army, and local foundations help knit a safety net so that fewer residents fall through.
Together, NCCAP, the Marshfield Area Community Foundation, and local partners provide a housing program for some of our most vulnerable residents. Combining compassionate outreach, targeted rental assistance, and strong community partnerships means fewer people sleeping in cars, families staying in their homes, and more Marshfield residents like MZ receiving the chance to rebuild their lives in safe, stable housing.
Get Involved:
Connect with NCCAP by clicking here.
Donate to projects like this through our Community Grants Fund by clicking here.