A family of four was referred to Families Together by a social worker at Wake County Public Schools. The family was spending most of their income renting motel rooms. In March of 2020, they were enrolled into our Master Lease (ML) program. In the Master Lease program, Families Together holds the lease to the property and pays the full market rate for rent. The family pays a small percentage of rent plus all of the utilities. This gives clients time to establish themselves, save money, and pay-off debt.

When this family entered the ML program, they had no savings and a substantial amount of debt including a very large eviction debt – a major barrier to obtaining housing on their own. Shortly after settling into their new unit, the father was laid-off due to COVID-19. He received unemployment benefits, which allowed them make ends meet, but money was still tight. They worked with the Families Together team to get back on track and pay off the old debt.

A year later, the father has returned to work making more than he did before COVID-19, and, in April, the family was given the opportunity to rent a newly remodeled 3-bedroom unit. The family was approved and signed a lease in their own name on April 28th. During their time in the ML program, the family started a savings account and paid all their move-in costs out of pocket. They paid off their eviction and all other debts so that they are now able to focus on saving and increasing their monthly income. The family has a new housing goal -- to own a home.

Homelessness and Housing in Wake County

Here are a few facts highlighting the enormous challenges we face in our community:

86%         Increase in Wake student homelessness in the last 10 years.

225%       Increase in Wake students living in motels in last 4 years.

6,000+     Estimated number of Wake children and youth that will go homeless this year.

17,000     Number of rental units needed to fill the gap for those considered “extremely low income”(less than $24,000 for a family of four in Wake).

2%            Amount out of nearly 500,000 rental units in Wake that are considered affordable and are not subsidized.

6,000       Number of publicly-assisted properties scheduled to expire in the next decade.

1,000       Number of affordable housing units Wake County loses every year.

Last February right before the pandemic began, a family from Indiana relocated to NC to build a new life in a place where they had family ties. They bounced from living in motels to staying with extended family for several months while the dad looked for work.

The month prior to arriving, the mom had been in a car accident. Her back was jarred but because she was pregnant, the hospital could not do any imaging to check for internal damage. As it turned out, she had an infection between two vertebrae, and no one knew. During childbirth, an epidural was inserted into her back where the infection was, and it caused partial paralysis in the lower half of her body. She remained in the hospital for nearly 60 days. By the time she was discharged, the family had no choice but to live together in a motel room. They were connected to Families Together by the Wake County Hotels to Housing COVID-19 project on August 22nd.  

The dad’s attempts to work were hindered by unreliable home health aide for his wife and the newborn who could not be left alone. Families Together was able to locate housing with wheelchair accessibility! But devastating news came the day scheduled for the lease signing as the property management company decided not to move forward with the rental. Medical equipment and medical transport for the mom already had been scheduled. The Families Together team refused to give up! The following day, the dad was connected to another property. He fell in love with the area, the unit, and said it was a great fit for his family and he felt it was "home".

As it is said, when one door closes, another opens. The family of four moved into their new home on December 30th. The new place is even better than originally imagined. With therapy, the mom could walk again. The dad is now working full time. Families Together will continue to provide them with support services for up to a year to help ensure their long-term housing success.

Responding to the Urgent Community Need for Housing Support:

Last year, Families Together launched an emergency response for homeless families facing the coronavirus pandemic. Between July and December 2020, we moved 50 families from homelessness to home – a higher number in six months than we have ever achieved in our organization’s history.

At the same time, we refreshed our strategic plan with a COVID-19 lens. We affirmed that to be most effective we must continue and grow a hybrid strategic approach that employs multiple housing and service models, develops and owns housing stock, and advocates with allied organizations to change policy and practice. Our vision, mission, and value, however, remain unchanged.

The goals we set around the four pillars that will lead our focus in 2021 are:

•  Goal 1: Increase our role in advocacy for families experiencing homelessness

• Goal 2:  Grow the supply of available affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness

• Goal 3:  Strengthen our housing and family support programs

• Goal 4: Optimize our organizational Resources and infrastructure

Specific Major Objectives for 2021 include:

1. Launch our Financial Empowerment and Employment Team to improve the financial health and employment outcomes of our clients.

2. Expand our Emergency Shelter capacity – especially where the biggest community gap exists (households with a male above 15 years of age).

3. Begin planning for a Cottage Court housing development on currently owned land to serve as permanent rental units for families in our program.

4. Continue serving as a leading housing support provider in our community’s coordinated response for homeless families impacted by COVID-19.

5. Leverage strategic partnerships with other non-profit housing providers in the Wake Affordable Housing Coalition for broader impact on policy decisions effecting housing and homelessness.

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To achieve these critical goals, Families Together needs your help. Whether a first-time donor or an ongoing supporter, we welcome your partnership in 2021. Please check out our website for opportunities and join our efforts to help more families in our community move from homelessness to home.

PRESS CONTACT: Jennifer Paul

jennifer@familiestogethernc.org

703-201-2483

Families Together Receives $1.25 Million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant to End Homelessness

Day 1 Families Fund grants $105.9 million to 42 nonprofits helping families gain housing support and stability

RALEIGH, N.C. – (December 9, 2020): Families Together, a community-based organization dedicated solely to ending family homelessness, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $1.25 million grant from the Day 1 Families Fund. Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.

“A grant of $1.25 million, and the opportunity for transformative impact on the lives of many more Wake County families experiencing homelessness, marks a new day in the 40-year history of Families Together. What an incredible honor for Families Together to be chosen after a national search by the Day 1 Families Fund,” said Lisa Rowe, Executive Director of Families Together.

This one-time grant, awarded to organizations doing meaningful work to connect families with shelter and support, will allow Families Together to address an urgent community need by expanding its family shelter and short-term housing programs and building six to eight permanent homes for homeless families. Combined with a significant increase in housing support services, Families Together anticipates helping 600 additional homeless families over the next five years because of this grant. 

Families Together is one of 42 nonprofits across the U.S. to receive the third annual Day 1 Families Fund grants, as part of a continuing commitment by the Day 1 Families Fund to help end homelessness for families. The Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $105.9 million in grants this year. To select these organizations, the fund worked with an advisory board of homelessness advocates and leaders whose expertise spans housing justice, racial equity, direct services, homelessness policy, equity for Native American communities and anti-poverty work. This year, the grant recipients from around the country include: Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness; The Cathedral Center, Inc.; Catholic Charities of Acadiana; Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention; Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida; Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Inc.; Congreso de Latinos Unidos; Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio; Denver Indian Family Resource Center; East Los Angeles Women’s Center; East Oakland Community Project; Facing Forward to End Homelessness; Families Together; Family Life Center; Friendship Place; HELP of Southern Nevada; The Homeless Families Foundation; Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System; HOPE Atlanta; House of Ruth; Housing Matters; Housing Up; Kahumana; MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership, Inc.; Metro Denver Homeless Initiative; MUST Ministries; The National Center for Children and Families; Native American Youth and Family Center; North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness; One80 Place; Poverello House; Rainbow Services; Refugee Women's Alliance; Safe Haven Family Shelter; Samaritan House; Solid Ground; St. Vincent de Paul CARES; Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence; The Salvation Army Austin Area Command; Time for Change Foundation; United American Indian Involvement, Inc.; and WestCare California.

“The Day 1 Families Fund grant comes at a critical time during our community’s emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic and shines a spotlight on the urgent need for safe, dignified housing as an essential building block for a healthy, thriving child,” said Rowe.

The Bezos Day One Fund was launched in 2018 with a commitment of $2 billion and a focus on two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help homeless families, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.

About Families Together

Families Together is dedicated to moving families in Wake County, North Carolina, from homelessness to home. Founded in 1980, the local nonprofit provides a comprehensive range of housing support services focused on keeping families together and helping them achieve long-term housing success through professional mentoring, connection to community resources, credit counseling and skills workshops to promote self-sufficiency. In response to Wake County’s affordable housing crisis, Families Together launched an initiative in 2019 to create new housing solutions for families experiencing homelessness.

Angela and her two children – a 3-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl – were living with Angela’s father when the house caught fire. The smoke damage made the house unsafe for their return.  

For a time, they were sleeping on the floors of friends and family not knowing where they’d be the next day. While staying in a local family shelter, there was the stress of having to get the kids up and out each morning and not being able to return until the evening. 

Angela got depressed. She says being homeless also took a serious toll on her kids, especially on her teenaged daughter. She was worn out physically and emotionally. 

Finally, Angela was referred to Families Together (FT). As their time ran out in the shelter, FT’s Housing Navigator Karen Lassiter secured a two-week extension based on the assurance that Families Together would house the family before the period ended.  

Karen got to work but Angela got sick and had to go into the hospital. She was discharged the day Karen helped her secure a lease and the family moved directly into permanent housing that day!    

It was January 1st – the start of a new year and a new life for her family. 

She says the special surprises from Families Together continued after they moved into their home. FT made sure her children had clothes, received gifts for the holidays and had gently used furnishings for the apartment. 

But the biggest surprises were yet to come and have had the most enduring impact on their lives. 

Angela started attending the Families Together workshops. She got to know FT Financial Health Advocate Harriett Reynolds. Angela learned about credit scores, budgeting, and how to advocate for herself. 

She took it to heart when Harriett said, “Always remember, your money matters. Pay your rent first!”  Angela still hears her voice when it’s time to pay rent or pay bills. 

The next big surprise came when her daughter got sponsored by FT for an engineering summer camp at NC State University. Being on a college campus made a big impact.   

Angela says before that experience, her daughter didn’t know where she stood in life or what her future would be. The summer camps gave her new direction. Like her mom in the workshops, she connected with her peers. They supported and inspired one another. 

Angela’s daughter wanted to apply for college. She and her mom consulted Harriett who encouraged her to enroll in a Wake Tech engineering program to save money. And that’s where she is now. Next year, she’ll transfer her credits to NC State and continue working for her dream – a degree in chemical engineering. 

At the same time, Angela has been working on big goals of her own.  

She has kept a stable roof over her kids’ heads for four years with no problems. She pays her rent and her bills on time. 

She still has the workshop materials Harriett gave her. She says the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” is like the Holy Grail to her. Since working with Harriett, Angela has paid her student loans and her hospital bills. And in the process, she has increased her credit score from 450 to 750! 

Last week, Angela called Harriett to say she had turned in her old broken-down car and bought a 2015 Ford Flex. 

But that wasn’t the main reason she called. Angela and her daughter want to give back to the community that has done so much for them. They plan to volunteer for Families Together to make sure families experiencing homelessness get Thanksgiving meals and holiday gifts.    

Finally, Angela wants you to know she and her kids are doing so well. Her daughter has big plans for the future and is determined to succeed. 

Her son is now in first grade. He is superb in school and very good in math -- just like his big sister.  

Angela says the good things put in her family’s path came from Families Together and she extends her deep gratitude to all who made it possible for her and her kids to flourish.  

On November 3, 2020, the Raleigh Affordable Housing Bond passed with an overwhelming 71% of the vote. Families Together strongly endorsed the bond and worked with our non-profit housing partners in the Wake Affordable Housing Coalition for its passage. We participated in public information sessions and worked to educate our constituents and others about the importance of the bond and how it would advance affordable housing goals in Raleigh. We are pleased to report that the resulting $80 million bond will help fund critically-needed housing opportunities for residents with limited incomes including families experiencing homelessness. 

Some key features of the bond:

• Bond funds will be available to create and preserve affordable rental housing options for lower income residents currently living in areas experiencing rapid appreciation.

• The down payment assistance program will create opportunities for individuals and families with low- to moderate- incomes to pursue first-time homeownership, which will help stabilize these neighborhoods and create wealth building opportunities.

• The home rehabilitation program will benefit existing homeowners, including seniors or those with a disability by providing funds to make critical repairs. This program will enable owners to remain in their homes longer. The existing program has a waitlist and bond proceeds will supplement the current fund.

• Affordable rental housing that is created or preserved with bond funds will require a minimum affordability period of 30 years. In addition, the Housing Choice Voucher must be accepted as a form of payment.

The City of Raleigh estimates that the bond proceeds will create and/or preserve a minimum of 1,766 units over a 5-7 year time period.

At a time when home means more than ever, the Raleigh Housing Bond is a crucial step forward for our region. Thank you to all who voted for its passage.

As a non-profit housing provider, Families Together will continue to be a strong advocate for families experiencing homelessness and will work to ensure that bond-financed projects support these families to the full extent possible. 

For more on the bond, read the FAQs prepared by the Wake Affordable Housing Coalition with support from Families Together.

At Families Together, our mission is to help Wake County families with children move from homelessness to home. We provide access to safe, affordable housing; temporary rental and utilities assistance to get the family started; and then we work with families for up to a year providing one-on-one counselling, connections to community resources, and life skills workshops to empower their self-sufficiency.

Helping families find safe, affordable housing has become increasingly challenging due primarily to external factors. The cost of skyrocketing rent in Raleigh, and the hourly minimum wage in North Carolina at just $7.25/hour, means a parent needs to work three full-time jobs to afford an average two-bedroom apartment in Raleigh. Adding to the challenge, each year approximately 1,000 affordable housing units are lost in Wake County, many in the City of Raleigh. Because of this, recent data shows a gap of nearly 22,000 units affordable needed for those at extremely low income in Raleigh (<30% AMI), and another 21,000 for those very low income (50% AMI).

At Families Together, we have moved to action by serving on the City of Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bond Advisory Committee. We worked with other community organizations, leaders, and numerous non-profit housing providers to seek community input and develop recommendations for this bond.

The Raleigh City Council accepted the recommendations from the Bond Advisory Committee, which include, an $80 million Affordable Housing Bond (an amount that is three times higher than was being considered this time last year), and an increase in the amount allocated to public/private partnerships, which provide more flexibility to build or preserve housing for very low-income neighbors at 30% of the area median income.

Given the need for more affordable housing options in Raleigh, Families Together strongly endorses the Raleigh Affordable Housing Bond which will be presented to voters in the upcoming election.

At Families Together, we see firsthand, every day, the urgent need for increased housing options for the children and families we serve. A variety of strategies are needed to fully address the housing affordability issue in our region and bond funding is a critical piece of the solution.

At a time when home means more than ever, we must join as a community to address the City’s housing affordability challenges. The Raleigh Housing Bond is a crucial step forward for our region which is why we encourage all Raleigh voters to vote yes during early voting (October 15-31) or on Election Day, November 3rd.

In a time when our neighbors are concerned about their jobs and the economy, many who were planning to move have chosen to stay put in their present homes and apartments. This has compounded an already tough challenge for the Families Together team in finding affordable housing for homeless families.  After several months of a downward turn in housing, July turned out to be an answer to the prayers of seven families who moved from homelessness to home with Families Together support.

One divorced mother had been homeless for nine months.  She was at a local shelter but when COVID-19 caused the shelters to social distance, she was placed in a hotel for three months which brought on anxiety and depression. During this time, she was denied leases to three apartments due to previous evictions, a pending traffic charge that she could not resolve because the courts were closed, and her low credit score. The mother called the Families Together Housing Navigator desperate to find a place as her ex-husband drove from New Jersey and dropped off her three other children at the shelter to spend the summer with her. Now she was homeless trying to provide for four kids and sharing a room with another family. Karen, our Housing Navigator who is an expert in managing challenging situations like this one, reached out to a property owner who just had a unit come available. She shared the mom’s story, explained the stabilization services FT provides for up to a hear after a family’s lease signing, and he approved the mom for the house on the same day. The client was overcome with joy stating, “I had prayed. Leaving a bad marriage and trying to start over is hard but knew my life had to change. I have been through so much.” This is a testament that perseverance pays off. Regardless how long the trial when we come together as a community, things will get better.

Families Together recently became the proud owner of this duplex located just up the hill from our office and short-term apartment units in East Raleigh.  We purchased it from the Church in Raleigh which had used it for services and meetings for several decades. When the folks at the church decided they no longer needed the space, one of the church leaders walked into our office and asked if we'd be interested in buying it. We learned that the congregants had gotten to know about our work after meeting several families that were staying in our short-term housing and they became impressed hearing about the support, compassion, and services that Families Together provides.

A deal was struck and we closed on the property in March just after the stay at home order went into effect. The building needs renovation and repair to meet our goal of providing safe, affordable housing for 2 families transitioning out of homelessness. Currently we are getting estimates on the rehab project from multiple local contractors. The City and the County have expressed interest in potentially supporting this project as an innovative way to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing that will provide urgently needed housing for extremely low-income families with children that are currently in shelter or a motel. 

This project is part of our new Affordable Housing initiative which was launched in 2019. Our goal is to increase the pool of affordable housing for the families we serve by building a portfolio of housing solutions with properties that we acquire outright, master lease, or access through innovative partnerships. Once the home makeover project is completed on this newly acquired property, we will have added 15 new affordable units to support families experiencing homelessness in our community.

We look forward to keeping our supporters posted on the progress of this project. If you questions or an interest in learning more or getting involved in our Affordable Housing initiative or this particular rehab project, please contact Jennifer Paul, Development Director, at jennifer@familiestogethernc.org.