CCIAOR Announces Matching Campaign for the Workforce Housing Relief Fund
November 19, 2020 Government & Community Affairs
2020 has been a year like no other. It has been a record-breaking year for real estate in our region, one in which we have set new record highs for closed sales, median sales price, and total volume of transactions. While one could say that 2020 has been good for real estate, the pandemic has also taken a heavy toll on many in our community, especially middle and low-income earners who are already burdened with the high costs of housing and are having difficulty making ends meet during this time of crisis. Many have lost jobs or seen their incomes reduced, or have had to stay home from work to care for a child or sick loved one due to COVID-19.
It is in extraordinary times like these when the REALTOR® community steps up to the plate to make a difference for our neighbors in need.
The CCIAOR Board of Directors has approved a matching charitable campaign to support the Housing Assistance Corporation’s Workforce Housing Relief Fund and will match up to $10,000 in donations to the fund, providing up to $20,000 to help our neighbors on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket who are struggling with past-due rent and mortgage payments due to the impacts of the pandemic.
You can take action by donating online through our GoFundMe page for the Workforce Housing Fund. It’s safe, secure, and the easiest way to make a difference. You can also donate via check made payable to Housing Assistance Corporation (with "REALTORS Care" in the memo). Mail to: Housing Assistance Corporation, 460 West Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
We hope you will help us to support housing for our neighbors who need it most during this especially challenging time. CCIAOR will match up to $10,000 in donations to the fund. Together we can raise $20,000 to support housing for our neighbors in need. Now more than ever, we all need a safe place to call home.
Interested in setting up a team from your office to help us reach our fundraising goal? Contact Marissa Cyr for more information!
Housing Assistance established the Workforce Housing Relief Fund in March 2020 to provide urgent and ongoing assistance with past-due rent or mortgage payments or other housing-related expenses for current, year-round Cape Cod and Island residents who are losing income due to the coronavirus. Housing Assistance saw more than a 400% increase in demand for these services in the three months following the stay-at-home order when compared against the time period last year and anticipates the need to grow in the coming months as other relief programs end.
The Workforce Housing Relief Fund serves households earning between 50% and 100% AMI with a RAFT-like approach that includes up to $5,000 per household in a flexible combination of payments to cover past due rent or mortgage and/or distributed payments over several months to help a household stabilize. Housing Assistance has established standard eligibility criteria for grant recipients to ensure that these funds go to those most in need, with nowhere else to turn. Most of the Workforce Housing Relief Fund clients have never had to ask for help before. One recent recipient we’ll call Barry abruptly lost his spouse to COVID-19. In addition to dealing with this devastating emotional blow, Barry had to figure out how to pay for additional expenses related to the illness, and on top of that, a decrease in household income. Not surprisingly, Barry fell behind in mortgage payments. The Workforce Housing Relief Fund was able to help him catch up on his mortgage arrears so Barry and his child could stay in their home as he figures out next steps for his future.
