For the second year, EPB will raise awareness about how to help end homelessness by donating to the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition’s Flexible Housing Fund. Contributions to the Flexible Housing Fund through EPB’s Connect For Good go directly to help people experiencing homelessness get back into permanent housing. Last year, Connect For Good raised more than $67,000 for the Flexible Housing Fund.
“With so many people in our community living paycheck to paycheck, it can be an impossible decision to choose between rent, food, medicine or other basic necessities,” said Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition Interim Executive Director Mackenzie Kelly. “Often, the ability to repay back rent, late bills or other fees is all that stands between being homeless or having a home, and the Flexible Housing Fund can help.”
About the Flexible Housing Fund:
- Although the fund is intended to last a year, it is often exhausted in only six months.
- Nearly 90% of people who received support did not need further housing assistance.
- Funding supports back rent, utility payments, rent payments, application fees and other needs that help bridge the gap to housing.
- Donations are managed and dispersed exclusively by the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition to help people experiencing homelessness overcome barriers to housing.
- The fund supplements existing community resources and fills gaps in needs not covered by other agencies.
The City of Chattanooga includes ending homelessness and increasing housing security among its priorities and has seen significant decreases in homeless populations in the last year.
“Solving homelessness is a complex and ongoing challenge that requires the collaboration of stakeholders across our community like the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Tools like the Flexible Housing Fund with the support of donors go a long way toward making a life-changing difference to someone who dreams of having somewhere safe where they can return home.”
The Homeless Coalition strives to lead the community in making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring, with the Flexible Housing Fund proven to be an effective, lasting measure to place people in housing. Gifts to the fund are managed according to established protocols:
- Case managers from more than 20 local agencies locate affordable housing for people in need.
- They submit requests to the Chattanooga Homeless Coalition.
- The Coalition verifies and processes requests before disbursing funds.
“During the first Connect For Good campaign, our community donated more than $67,000 to help people experiencing homelessness into homes, and we hope to raise even more this year for the Flexible Housing Fund,” said EPB President & CEO David Wade. “Our neighbors’ generosity continues to make our community a better place to live.”
Learn more or donate at //epb.com/connect-for-good.
