Emboldening the Eviction Prevention Network
Through the Lancaster Cares COVID-19 Response Fund, the Community Foundation is proud to support a $100,000 investment in the newly-formed Eviction Prevention Network.
Meeting a need through collaboration
Affordable housing has long been an issue at the top of our community’s mind. In our 2015 initiative At The Table, Affordable Housing was among the top priorities identified by the thousands of community members who held conversations about our shared future. Access to safe, affordable housing is a human right, and while we have worked to continue to fund local organizations who tirelessly strive to build and renovate housing units across the county, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a new challenge for our community, and country.
With deadlock over rental assistance in Washington, and the end to the pandemic nowhere in sight, the United States may be facing “the most severe housing crisis in its history“. This crisis, like the pandemic itself, will continue to disproportionately affect BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) residents of Lancaster County, a continuation of the generations-long legacy of racist housing and resource policies.
We are thankful that Pennsylvania’s eviction moratorium has been extended through August, but with just weeks to go before that deadline, the Community Foundation is committed to action to help address this crisis.
Through the Lancaster Cares COVID-19 Response Fund, the Community Foundation is proud to support a $100,000 investment in the newly-formed Eviction Prevention Network. This coalition of local organizations that span the county will work to connect those in need with resources to avoid eviction as a result of COVID-19 job loss. Made up of more than 10 organizations representing housing, social work, utilities and more, these funds will support cross-sectoral collaboration to create more efficient ways to provide services to neighbors, friends, and families facing eviction.
The Eviction Prevention Network — a coalition of organizations, funders, local government, and utilities
we know this may only be the beginning
We are proud to partner with these extraordinary local organizations to break down silos and create meaningful collaboration that will help all residents with this vital issue. This may only be the beginning of a long-running crisis, and indeed this latest situation is only part of a larger issue of systemic racist policies that must be addressed to create equitable housing opportunity. But regardless of the challenge, the Community Foundation stands ready to support solutions with the help of its extraordinary community partners, the countless individuals who continue to support the Lancaster Cares COVID-19 Response Fund, and our community endowment.
