Community Foundation Reports First Success Story from “Fast Forward>>HOME” Program
As the new face of homelessness in San Luis Obispo County shifts at a staggering rate from single males to families, a unique new program is helping qualified people to find and move into rental units they can afford without on-going financial assistance from outside agencies. In fact, since the Fast Forward>>HOME program was founded last year by the Ron and Helen Dunin Opportunity Fund held by the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation (SLOCCF), the first family to complete the multi-faceted program moved into their own home this month.
“Ian, Jenna, and her two young sons are so excited to be in their own home,” said Marilyn Mayor, Administrative Liaison for Friends of Prado Day Center which coordinates the program. “Rather than trying to stay at a shelter and uproot the boys from their south county school, they bunked with friends and then were forced into a cheap motel room when the friends moved away. Now they can cook meals in a real kitchen, instead of having to heat canned chicken in a microwave.”
“ Ian and Jenna are both hard-working and contribute to the household income,” Mayor explained, “But like so many homeless households, their challenge was raising the move-in cost money for security deposit, rent, and utility hookups while also paying motel costs. The Fast Forward>>HOME program, in collaboration with other helping agencies, matched the amount saved and made their new home possible.”
Now, the children do better in school with a quiet place to do homework; the adults work harder and parent better with a place to call home; plus health and nutrition are improved with stable housing.
Fast Forward >>HOME is just one of the many ways that SLOCCF helps with a highly specific need in the community, according to the Foundation’s Janice Wolf. From feeding the hungry to preserving the land; from supporting local libraries and museums to helping the elderly and disabled – the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation has more than a hundred different ways to donate to a specific cause.
“This program is about a lot more than just moving clients into apartments,” Mayor commented. “We want the transition to be long-term and successful. So completing the program requires household budgeting classes, community service work, the establishment of a savings account, and an agreement to be monitored before, during, and after the transition.”
Collaborative partners in Fast Forward>>HOME include Coast National Bank, Community Action Partnership (formerly EOC) and Community Health Centers case managers, Friends of Prado Day Center, Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo, Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter, People’s Self-Help Housing, Prado Day Center, San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors, and San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund.
“As the current economy forces more and more people into homelessness,” Mayor continued, “this amazing program, with its built-in educational and service elements, offers people a real chance to help themselves into a home of their own. It’s a new tool and we expect many more success stories to follow.”
Now entering its second decade of service to this community, SLOCCF is a public trust established to assist donors in building an enduring source of charitable funds to meet the changing needs and interests of the community. For more information about the Fast Forward>> HOME program, the Ron and Helen Dunin Opportunity Fund, or the Community Foundation, call 805-543-2323.
