CASS COUNTY, Mich. - Cass County officials are offering free, weekly housing assistance counseling to residents this winter thanks to a partnership with the nonprofit, Telamon Corporation.

Each Thursday, residents in need of advice, financial aid, or any other housing-related information can meet with a counselor for free in the Veteran's Affairs Office on the first floor of the Cass County Administration Building, located at 120 N. Broadway St. in Cassopolis.

Jon Martin, a housing advisor with Telamon, will be available to meet with residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Thursday throughout the winter months.

Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling Martin at 269-390-1001.

Telamon Corporation offers a range of housing help, including financial coaching, mortgage and foreclosure assistance, transitional and supportive housing, and homeownership counseling and education.

Certified housing advisors can also help residents apply for assistance through the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MI-HAF).

“Basically, anything that ties back to your home, whether it be rented or owned, we can assist with that,” said Sara Arnold, a housing program coordinator with Telamon. “If they are in need of connections to different resources within the county, we can help with that as well.”

According to officials with Cass County, offering in-person office hours encourages more residents to take advantage of the resource.

“For me, if we give someone a phone number to call, we might see a few folks take advantage. But, if we can work together to provide a direct route to meet with someone face-to-face, more people are likely to go that route,” said Cass County Administrator Matthew Newton. “And anything we can do to try to help those residents that need these services be able to access it more effectively is a win."

Telamon plans to host housing workshops in the future.

For more information on Telamon's services, visit Telamon's website.