Through Access Point for Housing (AP4H) and Open Hearth
Ministries, Associated Ministries assists households who are homeless or at
risk of becoming homeless. Each day,
these individuals and families tell us their stories, and describe the needs
within our communities. More people are
at risk of becoming homeless than anyone understood. Affordable housing is increasingly beyond the
reach of working families, of people subsisting on fixed incomes, of families
living through crisis. The need is beyond the scope of government, beyond the
reach of all of the exceptional organizations attempting to meet it. The need is so great that we can only
approach it by organizing ourselves as a stronger community, one that insists
that anyone trying to live with stability and dignity can live in housing they
can afford, and be assisted in gaining the skills that allow that dignity and
stability. Associated Ministries is
asking you to begin organizing that stronger community now, by finding ways to
create more affordable housing and engage in volunteerism to support people in
need of that housing.
This is not a new mission for faith communities. In various ways, we have always done this work. For much of our history, rising to address
the needs of the poor, building hospitals and educational institutions,
providing creative solutions to housing have been the call of people of faith
in congregations around the world. And
while government remains a welcome and meaningful partner, its role is becoming
more modest even as the scope of need grows greater. Congregations and the tapestry of interfaith
communion remain as the great reservoir for compassionate, uplifting
community.
In affirmation of that historical role, we want to explore your
interests in developing an infrastructure of privately funded affordable
housing, with the supports that families need to be generationally successful -
strong enough that children in these households have the skills and assets and
confidence in self-advocacy to not be at risk of homelessness in their adult
lives. This will be Community-Based
Affordable Housing.
Over the next few months, our Executive Director Rev. Chris
Morton, Chief Mission Officer Rev. Heidi Calhoun and Chief Program Officer Greg
Claycamp will be reaching out to you. We
hope to facilitate this conversation, but not direct it. We want to assist in the creation of the
housing and volunteerism that express your passions and compassion, and address
the needs you see very locally. We can
offer information about community needs, describe options for affordable
housing, and help you to connect to others who want to collaborate. There is a
real range of possibility, from an individual landlord deciding to make housing
available to a challenged family, to partnerships to lease or purchase
foreclosed properties. Any size fits.
Before beginning this outreach, allow me to describe one effort
in which Associated Ministries is already partnering. We invite the participation of interested
landlords and property owners in this effort.
Associated Ministries is currently partnering with MDC (formerly
Metropolitan Development Council), Pierce County Housing Authority and Pierce
County Community Connections in the Landlord Liaison Project. This project hopes to accomplish two goals.
The first is to develop a web-based search engine that any landlord or
potential tenant can access, listing all of the affordable housing available
throughout Pierce County. The second is
to engage landlords in making affordable housing available to families and
individuals who encounter common barriers. These barriers include incomes at or
below 60% of Average Median Income (AMI); lack of resources for customary
move-in costs; eviction histories; and misdemeanor and non-violent felony
histories. Potential tenants are
required to successfully complete Pierce County Housing Authority’s sixteen
hour Ready-To-Rent course, and landlords can access a Pooled Risk Fund that
guarantees against costs normally covered by a tenant’s move-in deposit.
All accepted tenants will receive limited Case Management for
twelve months through MDC. Landlords
recruited through Associated Ministries will receive additional support for
their tenants, including the engagement of volunteers to assist families in the
strength and asset building necessary to be stable and independent in permanent
affordable housing. We encourage
interested landlords and potential landlords to contact our Chief Program
Officer Greg Claycamp, at (253) 383-3056 x119, or gregc@associatedministries.org
The Landlord Liaison Project is a first step, and one
option. We look forward to engaging with
you in the larger conversation and mission, to build stronger community and
families as an expression of compassion, and the passion of our faith.
