Affordable Housing Commission Approves $6M in Funding for 54 Groups
Date Posted: January 15, 2020
Posted In: News, Organizations,
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The city’s Affordable Housing Commission has selected 54 organizations this year to receive a total of $6 million in funding. The commission awards projects at its annual ceremony, which was on Jan. 6 this year.
The vast majority, or 48 of them, are community programs run by organizations like Better Family Life, the St. Patrick’s Center and United Way. The other six are housing developments, up from three last year.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson increased the commission’s funding by $1 million from last year. It is the first time in more than a decade that the trust fund has been able to award more than $5 million in projects, according to a release from her office.
Gary Newcomer, director of operations at the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis, said he’s excited about the innovative approach to affordable housing taken by applicants this year, such as the Dutchtown South Community Corp.
The group applied for funding and received $20,000 to provide residents with information about tenants’ rights and organizing.
Another program Newcomer mentioned is DeSales Community Development’s “Here To Stay” eviction prevention program. Four years ago, St. Louis averaged about nine evictions per day, according to the Eviction Lab project at Princeton University.
With working class incomes flatlining and the percentage of severely rent-burdened families continuing to rise, according to Pew Research Center, a single eviction can put those families behind by thousands of dollars. Evictions can cause loss of possessions and employment, and contribute to a feeling of instability, particularly if children have to move schools.