There are many resources available, but one of the biggest mistakes people make, advocates say, is waiting until they are penniless or evicted or have had the heat turned off before seeking help.

"Most people wait until they are impoverished," said Angulnette Jenerette, director of the Monroe County Family Independence Agency. "They wait until there is nothing left."

Welfare reform has changed the way FIA operates. There are fewer direct cash payouts and more help with individual services. In Monroe County, 1,401 people receive Family Independence Plan dollars, formerly known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). But 8,135 people receive some form of food assistance, commonly referred to as food stamps.

"People can work, can receive unemployment or SSI (disability payments) and still may be eligible for food stamps or Medicaid," Ms. Jenerette said. "You don't have to qualify for any other benefits to receive day care assistance."

For many people, going to FIA can be intimidating, Ms. Jenerette said. Or personal pride can hold them back. But, as she reminds FIA clients, these are services they have paid for through their tax dollars. And the image that people have of the FIA client is often based on stereotypes when the reality is much more diverse.

"We have people who own $200,000, $300,000 homes who because of the shift in the economy, are having trouble paying their utilities," Ms. Jenerette said.

In most cases, in order to continue receiving FIA assistance, people must be employed or actively training for or looking for work. The only exceptions are disability or when a parent or spouse is caring for an ill family member.

That is where Michigan Works! comes in. The agency offers a host of programs for all job seekers, not only FIA clients. There are programs for people who are the victims of plant closings or other mass layoffs, those negatively affected by NAFTA, veterans, those getting out of jail or prison and people in child support arrears.

There are ongoing seminars on resume writing, interview skills and job hunting open to the community, as well as on-site GED classes and career counseling. Those who meet certain economic guidelines are eligible for grants for schooling that can be completed in one year, such as nursing or truck driving.

Many of the challenges at Michigan Works!, said director Barbara Verran, are the obstacles people have to getting employed.

"It would be wonderful if they walked in the door and they were labor-ready, but they're not," Ms. Verran said. "They have barrier after barrier: domestic violence, homelessness, daycare needs."

Michigan Works! offers help with car repairs. It has a closet full of interview clothes and work clothes if necessary. It helps with counseling, day care and other needs.

"As much as you want to, you can't make everything right," said Jeri DuShane, welfare reform coordinator at Michigan Works! "You need to work on the barriers first, so the success will come."

The diversity of clients at Michigan Works!, and what brings them in, presents an on-going challenge. Referrals come from Friend of the Court, in the hopes that non-custodial parents would find employment so they can pay child support. Then there are people who were laid off from companies they'd spent their lives working for.

"Food Town was a mess," said Ms. DuShane. "There were people with 25 years experience as a meat cutter. Where are they going to go, in this town?"

One of the greatest challenges now is that there are just not enough jobs out there. And for those who have been laid off from longtime employers or factories, odds are they will have trouble finding another job that pays as well. For people without high school diplomas, the challenge is even greater.

"It's hard to get someone with a bachelor's degree a job, let alone someone who doesn't have his GED," said Marilyn Beste, placement retention specialist with Michigan Works! "It's tough to get a job at a fast food restaurant these days."

Finding work is one part of the equation. For many, finding a place to live, or figuring out how to stay in their current home, is the other challenge. When paying bills is a juggling act, there are those people who find themselves evicted with no place to go.

There is shelter space, but not enough, advocates said. The Salvation Army Family Shelter accepts families with children. Couples must be married, otherwise often the mother and children can stay but the father cannot. Fairview County Home is for the mentally ill. There's Philadelphia House for single men, and a home for women who are victims of domestic violence. Philadelphia House recently re-opened its annex, which used to house homeless women, to accommodate more men.

"There is nothing for the single woman, for the high school kids who are kicked out of their house for whatever reason," said Ms. Giraud. "Single women, men and kids have the greatest need for shelter. I'd love to see a congregate shelter where people can come and go as they need to."

At the Salvation Army Family Shelter, people can stay for up to 90 days. In the daytime adults not caring for children are expected to be at Michigan Works!, out looking for work or employed.

All the beds in the shelter are usually full, said Director Albert Griffith. For many people, winding up in the shelter is the latest step in a long spiral downward.

"We have people with arrest records because they couldn't afford to pay a ticket," Mr. Griffith said. "Let's say you got a $150 ticket. Your monthly income is $400 a month. You still have to go to work. You get picked up. Now not only do you have a record, but you don't have a job."

Mr. Griffith also has seen many people wind up homeless because they lack things like a savings account or high credit card spending limits. When the money runs out, there can be few places to turn.

"We've had a lot of people lose jobs because of downsizing," Mr. Griffith said. "Some rise to the occasion. Others don't. The problem is, our people don't have far to fall."

Ideally, once families are living at the shelter, they make contact with MCOP to prepare for their next living arrangement. Three months can go by quickly, and it is often not enough time for someone to find a job and save enough to pay for an apartment.

MCOP has several programs to help people seeking housing assistance. For people living in shelters, the Challenge Grant pays 30 percent of a person's rent for three months.

Subsidized housing communities are another option. Woodcraft Square, Greenwycke Commons, part of Charring Square and Greenwood Apartment are all federally subsidized housing. Those who meet certain salary guidelines pay rent based on their income. As their weekly paycheck increases, so does their rent.

One of the greatest barriers for the homeless or near-homeless, Ms. Giraud said, is bad credit. People with a history of leaving old landlords in arrears may not qualify for subsidized housing unless they can make pay arrangements on the old debt.

For this reason, MCOP doesn't simply set someone up with an apartment and leave them be. Budget counseling is part of the program. The goal, Ms. Giraud said, is to move people from homelessness to homeownership. Housing costs in Monroe are high, Ms. Giraud said. MCOP has a down payment assistance program, is acquiring and rehabilitating run-down homes for purchase by clients and even is building two homes.

"For some of the rents people pay, they don't realize they could make a house payment," Ms. Giraud said. "Some people say, 'there's no way I could afford a house' and their rent is $650 a month."

Ask what the answers are to these problems and there are many. Decrease the high school drop-out rate. Eliminate teen pregnancy. Bring more jobs to the community. Improve job training. Build more affordable housing. Build more shelters.

But nothing will change unless people open their eyes to the problem, Ms. Giraud said.

"People think homelessness has a face and it doesn't," she said. "It could be anybody."