“These vouchers are affecting our families in positive ways. I had a mom in tears with me this week… tears of joy!” – Katie DePrez, HSWH Children’s Service Specialist
In the fall of 2018, Solid Ground partnered with several local nonprofits and school districts to form the Homework Starts with Home Collaborative in suburban Ramsey County. The goal being to prevent homelessness for families with children in grades Pre-K-12, and to move homeless families quickly out of shelter or other housing instability into stable housing.
This summer, 20 families in the Homework Starts with Home program will receive Housing Choice Vouchers through a new partnership with the Metropolitan Housing & Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA). The partnership will provide longer term rental assistance to families who are doing well in the program but have not been able to increase their income enough to afford full market rent. This is especially helpful as the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many participants who have struggled even more than usual to pay rent or maintain/increase their income due to job loss and health issues.