BURLINGTON, VT – In response to an application submitted by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC), the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has awarded a total of $100,000 to 20 homeless shelters, homeless service providers and community action agencies across the state. Each organization will receive a $4,900 grant to help pay for the extraordinary costs associated with their emergency COVID-19 response.
The NLIHC grant was made possible by donations from two foundations, JPB and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. NLIHC intends the funds to be a bridge for shelters, housing providers, tribal housing organizations, and others that need immediate cash to keep doors open and continue serving clients safely, while they wait for the federal money from the CARES act.
In her announcement of the grants, Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the NLIHC, said, “It’s been heartening and tremendously impressive to see all the ways our partners and members are stepping into this challenging time with extraordinary determination, courage and resourcefulness.”
After announcing the grants on Friday, April 3rd, NLIHC received requests for more than double the amount they had to offer. Priority went to NLIHC’s state partner organizations like the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition. Erhard Mahnke, coordinator of the VAHC, is also a longtime member of the NLIHC and recently became a board member.
“We are delighted to be able to provide this critical resource to some of our front-line homeless service partners throughout the state,” said Cindy Reid, Chair of the Coalition Steering Committee. “Their work supports the dignity and safety of all persons in these unprecedented times. If the pandemic has shown us one thing, it’s that helping the most vulnerable among us helps us all.”
The funds will go directly towards assisting with sheltering, housing, providing food, or otherwise meeting the immediate needs of extremely low-income people, especially those experiencing homelessness.
“I’ve never seen such a fast and amazing response to the needs of vulnerable Vermonters,” said Lamoille Community House Executive Director, Kim Anetsberger. “We are immensely grateful for these funds, which are critical to our continued ability to provide safe housing, meet a significant increase in need, extend our season, and simultaneously respond to changing guidelines around social distancing, food delivery, and connecting people with services. This community has really come together and will be stronger for it.”
The VAHC is proud to be able to support our members that are working on the front lines of this crisis. Our network of homeless shelters and service providers have been doing extraordinary work, stepping up to face this unprecedented emergency head on. Now more than ever, it is clear that housing is healthcare.
Here is the list of awarded homeless shelters and service providers:
ANEW Place, Burlington
Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless, Bennington
BROC Community Action, serving Bennington & Rutland Counties
Capstone Community Action, serving Washington, Orange & Lamoille Counties
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, serving Chittenden, Addison, Franklin & Grand Isle Counties
Charter House, Middlebury
Committee on Temporary Shelter, Burlington
Good Samaritan Haven, Barre
Groundworks Collaborative, Brattleboro
Homeless Prevention Center, Rutland
HOPE, Middlebury
John Graham Housing & Services, Vergennes
Lamoille Community House, Hyde Park
Northeast Kingdom Community Action, serving Caledonia, Essex & Orleans Counties
Open Door Mission, Rutland
Pathways Vermont, serving Chittenden, Addison, Franklin, Washington, Windham & Windsor Counties
Samaritan House, St. Albans
Southeastern Vermont Community Action, serving Windham & Windsor Counties
Spectrum Youth & Family Services, Burlington
The Upper Valley Haven, White River Junction
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Founded in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition educates, organizes and advocates to ensure decent, affordable housing for everyone. Their goals are to preserve existing federally assisted homes and housing resources, expand the supply of low income housing, and establish housing stability as the primary purpose of federal low income housing policy. For more information on the NLIHC, visit www.nlihc.org.
The Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition is a statewide membership organization dedicated to ensuring that all Vermonters have decent, safe and affordable housing, particularly the state’s low and moderate-income residents, elders, people living with homelessness, and people with disabilities. For more information on VAHC, visit www.vtaffordablehousing.org.
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