Across TD Bank’s operations in Maine, Florida, and Michigan, the TD Charitable Foundation is giving $7 million in grants to NGOs tackling the affordable housing crisis. This year, organizations that provide quick rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and transitional housing to individuals of marginalized populations are the focus of the Housing for Everyone grant program.
The award program’s applications close on February 13; the recipients will be notified in May 2024.
At the TD Charitable Foundation, we think it’s critical to have a reasonably priced, secure place to live. According to Paige Carlson-Heim, director of the TD Charitable Foundation, “families with low- to moderate-incomes are struggling more than ever to pay their rent or to obtain a mortgage without being moderately severely cost-burdened.” They frequently have to decide which essential household expenses—like food, clothing, or medical care—to prioritize when it comes to paying the rent. Black and Brown communities are disproportionately affected by these effects.
In 2005, the Housing for Everyone grant program was launched. Since then, the program has helped fund affordable housing initiatives with almost $49 million from the TD Charitable Foundation. The grant amounts for this year vary from $150,000 to $250,000.
Stable housing, in Carlson-Heim’s opinion, is essential to financial security.
“The number of homeless people living in shelters is still rising, and these people disproportionately affect minority areas. The elimination of several pandemic-era support programs is adding to this mounting difficulty, Carlson-Heim said. “This is only making low-income renters’ financial insecurity worse, which will increase eviction rates and homelessness in communities,” she said. “Successful applicants will exhibit a strong track record of creating pathways and facilitating placement for those folks into homes they can afford, as well as a demonstrated history of providing low- to moderate-income individuals and families with access to affordable housing.”
The Housing for Everyone grant program granted $250,000 to HopePHL, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that provides housing, advocacy, and trauma-responsive social services to young people and families, last year. More than 200 affordable, supportive, transitional, and emergency housing units are owned and managed by the organization.
HopePHL’s president, Kathy Desmond, reported that the organization had used its prizes to provide $38,180 in support to homeless families.
Every family faced the possibility of facing judicial intervention or being served with eviction papers. The leader of the household losing their work was the catalyst for each of these families’ housing crisis, according to Desmond. Due to obstacles involving childcare, health, financial difficulty, higher education, and, in some cases, the COVID closure, they were temporarily unable to work. I hope PHL was able to cover the rent arrears for up to six months.
