Thanks to Parsons Foundation, Powerful Program Gets a $1.1million Boost
There’s science to back it up: Rapid Re-housing has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to help families exit homelessness permanently.
Now, UMOM New Day Centers is proud to announce The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has generously granted $1.1 million to support UMOM’s Rapid Re-housing program for the next two years.
A New Approach
It’s an important innovation. Here’s why: this new, private grant will place families into housing at a much quicker pace. It’s expected to create a 40 percent reduction in the time spent between homelessness and permanent housing, along with a reduction in program costs of approximately $1,000 per family.
How it Works
Unlike a typical lease agreement with an apartment complex, there are no pre-conditions like proof of income or employment. Instead, UMOM subsidizes rent payments over a period of months and surrounds the family with services to overcome obstacles that led to homelessness in the first place (employment, job training, transportation and child care are examples). Once the family is stable in housing, subsidies are reduced until the family is independent again with the tools they need to succeed.
“Having a place to call home is something many of us take for granted. A home means stability, protection and freedom. It means hope,” said businesswomen Renee Parsons. “By combining private donations with government support, UMOM is better able to create housing programs that give people the help they need to rebuild their lives and the hope for a better future.”
“Right now, our success with rapid re-housing is at about 75 percent, meaning 75 percent of the families we help are able to secure an apartment and maintain their housing stability when they exit the program. This incredible grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will allow us to increase that number to 85 percent or higher,” said UMOM CEO Darlene Newsom. “We also believe we will be at the forefront of a national movement to increase the number of families who exit homelessness to permanent, stable housing.”
You can be a part of our mission to prevent and end homelessness. To learn more, head over to our Get Involved page at https://umom.org/get-involved/.