Grant Guidelines for Stable Homes, Stable Families

Stabilizing families in crisis and moving them to self-sufficiency is critical to developing homes that can nurture and support children to their fullest potential. There are 3,500 homeless families in the Washington metropolitan area alone that are in need of housing and services. Finding appropriate housing is a primary condition of gaining family stability. Due to the challenges these families face, a wide array of supportive services are necessary to help them achieve lasting stability. The Foundation's investments will target families who are homeless and those who are participating in housing-based service programs.

Moving Homeless Families to Stable Housing

Programs that place families who are homeless in housing are important strategies in stabilizing and supporting positive outcomes for these families. Additionally, the Foundation is targeting housing support to youth aging out of the foster care system (see Foster Care and Adoption).

We believe: Programs that place families who are homeless and or vulnerable in Housing First programs, emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing, and housing for youth transitioning from foster care are important strategies in stabilizing and supporting positive outcomes for these families.

Outcome: Homeless families achieve stability and transition to permanent housing with the assistance of support services.

Helping Families Sustain Housing Stability

Connecting low-income families to housing based services will help them achieve stability and overcome barriers to success. Families that participate in residential service programs realize their opportunities through their children's academic achievement, gaining meaningful employment, achieving financial readiness, and benefiting from service coordination, which empowers families to move up and out of poverty.

We believe: Both housing and resident services play critical roles in sustaining families who are vulnerable to homelessness. Residential service programs address the long-term needs of these families and support their efforts to remain stable and self-sufficient.

Outcome: Vulnerable families who are living in permanent housing and participating in residential services programs improve their personal and financial stability.

Preventing Families from Becoming Homeless

Enabling low-income families that are experiencing personal and financial stress to maintain housing prevents homelessness and provides the opportunity for families to create a more stable future. A critical part of this strategy is not only assisting families in addressing the circumstances that led to their housing emergency, but more importantly resolving the problem(s) that resulted in their financial crisis.

We believe: Programs that assist families experiencing a housing crisis with funds to pay rental arrearages, security deposits and first month's rent, for example, can prevent homelessness for the short term. When coupled with support services that address such issues as money management, housing affordability, joblessness, tenancy problems, mental health issues and other potential barriers to stability, families can maintain their homes.

Outcome: Low-income families at-risk of losing their home maintain their housing and improve their personal and financial stability.

More Information

Grant Guidelines: