Housing for homeless families

The Foundation’s housing program provides apartments for up to eight families at a time who are threatened with homelessness. Four apartments come completely furnished, with rent and utilities paid in full for six months. Families “graduate” from those apartments into a second six months of care, during which they are responsible for half of the rent and utilities.

More than 75 families have graduated from this program in the past six years. Let Hope Rise Foundation wants immediately to double that capacity.

At both levels, volunteers and staff embrace and mentor residents.  Participants are encouraged through a mutual support system and led through personalized budgeting and finance instruction. Once housing security is in place, other needs such as transportation, medical attention, clothing and food are addressed.

            All expenses for the required educational classes for housing participants are paid by the Foundation. Participants meet regularly with staff who tailor the benefits and activities of the housing program to the participants’ needs.

By the end of a year, each family is expected to be self-supporting and budgeting wisely. Counseling, mentoring and encouragement remain available to them at whatever level they choose to participate.

The effectiveness of the Let Hope Rise Foundation is that families are not just housed; they are educated, nurtured and mentored so that their housing problem is rendered only a temporary setback, not a permanent descent into despair. And, once these families get back on their feet, they never have to walk alone again.