Even though Carmen was working long hours as a certified nursing assistant, she was having trouble paying rent on the apartment she shared with her 2 daughters.
Michelle’s husband abruptly turned her family out of their home, but only after depleting the savings she had from her consignment shop.
These two mothers and many others like them, have found housing and assistance through Family Promise’s national partnership with Help Us Move In (HUMI), a Washington state-based nonprofit working with communities to fund and create programs helping families facing housing crises. The partnership is based on the shared beliefs of the two organizations that a combination of case management, opportunity, and community can empower the families we serve toward self-sufficiency. The mission of the program is simple: to ensure children are Homeless No More.
Entering year two of the partnership, Family Promise is proud to announce the ten Family Promise Affiliates selected for the second cycle of grants through HUMI: South Sarasota County (FL), Metrowest (MA), Hawaii (HI), Colorado Springs (CO), Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (NY), Davie County (NC), South Bay (CA), San Gabriel Valley (CA), Lima-Allen County (OH), and Irving (TX).
Here’s how it works: Each participating Affiliate receives a $20,000 Homeless No More Challenge Grant from HUMI over two years ($10,000 per year) to launch a program aimed at sustainable prevention and rehousing for families experiencing homelessness. The grants are not hand-outs: each Affiliate must raise an initial $10,000 before HUMI awards their $10,000 grant. Further, the Affiliate is then expected to engage the community and match the funds with another $20,000 each year. This double challenge match is designed to reinforce a self-sustaining habit of contributions from the community going forward.
Each Affiliate establishes a Working Group to manage the program within their community, and identifies families to receive assistance to successfully move into and support a stable home. The funds are restricted to rental assistance, housing arrears, and move-in expenses, including security deposits. The goal of the Challenge Funds is a 50/50 balance between preventing family evictions and assisting families with move-in costs.
The first year HUMI grants totaled $100,000 and by using this unique matching model, the pilot program locations raised an incredible $367,958 more in their communities, totaling $467,958 to help families with children. Tara Pagliarini, Executive Director at Family Promise of Brevard (FL), has seen great success in the program’s first year at her Affiliate: “The HUMI match allows us to reach out to a new pool of donors that are interested in having a direct impact on families. These donors then plant the seeds that will continue to support housing in our community after the grant cycle ends.”
“Because of our partnership with HUMI, hundreds more families across the country have avoided homelessness or were able to achieve housing more quickly,” said Family Promise CEO Claas Ehlers. “This program generated nearly a half-million in additional community giving last year—and will double that this upcoming year. Partnerships like these help Affiliates address the full scope of homelessness by providing resources for prevention and stabilization, in addition to our core work in shelter. We thrilled to continue working with an amazing organization like HUMI.”
The partnership’s impact is best put by a mother who benefited from HUMI. “In a time of need, this program helped me. When family couldn’t and wouldn’t help, you did, and for this I am very thankful.”
