Kent Attainable Housing Awarded $10,000 Grant from Women and Girls Fund
Kent Attainable Housing has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Women and Girls Fund whose mission statement is “Using the power of pooled resources to improve the lives of women and girls on the Mid-Shore.” The grant was awarded for “mentoring first-time homeowners.”
KAH grant writer, Ronnie Edelman, wrote in the grant, “There is a large pool of families who live or work in Kent County and earn less than 50% of Kent County median income. Many of the breadwinners in these families hold essential jobs. The urgency of our mission — making affordable housing available to families in poverty — is more acute than ever, as our applicants deal with the impact of Covid-19 on their lives and, instead of just surviving to meet basic needs, are in danger of slipping into circumstances even more devastating. Expanding home ownership to families in need builds foundations for healthier, happier and more productive families and a stronger community. It is well known that housing instability — including frequent moves, overcrowding, and the threat of eviction or foreclosure — creates stress, depression and hopelessness. Children in particular suffer when their housing is not secure. A recent survey by the Kent County Local Management Board determined that 600 children in Kent County live in poverty, and their goal is to reduce that by 50%. When households spend too much of their income on rent they have to make impossible choices about which other necessities they cannot afford. Sound financial advice dictates that buyers spend no more than 30% of their income on housing, yet many of our families spend 50% of their income on rental housing. Kent Attainable Housing aims to build homes whose mortgages are within the 30% of income guideline, resulting in monthly payments for most of our applicants significantly less than they are currently paying for rent. This will enable these families to have a chance to begin saving and investing in their or their children’s education and future.”
“We are unique in Kent County, Maryland in fulfilling the mission end-to-end of making affordable housing available to the working poor: designing and constructing homes, renovating available homes, providing financial and homeowner classes, and mentoring and supporting families through the transition to first-time home ownership. Our goal over the next decade is to enable 40 families that include over 100 children to be first-time homeowners. Home ownership is accompanied by additional responsibilities new to first- time homeowners. Preparation for these responsibilities is essential, and we require and connect our families with classes and resources in the areas of budgeting, credit, money management, and first-time homeownership. We are partnering with BB&T, which is providing individualized classes for our applicants on financial skills and guidance on budgeting and credit, and Cecil County Housing Department, which is providing required first-time homeowner classes. Currently, during the pandemic, these classes are provided virtually and for individual families according to the instructor’s and the applicant’s work and family schedules.”
“Our applicant pool currently stands at 24 and is growing. The majority of our applicants are in the 30’s, and 75% of them are single mothers. Mentoring this number of families through the multi-step process of budgeting, improving and maintaining credit, attending classes, and the myriad of steps necessary to become a successful homeowner is more than our cadre of volunteers can effectively handle alone. Making sure that these classes are scheduled, that the attendees are able to access the classes, that the resource guides are available, that the attendance requirements are met, and that the required level of mastery is attained for all applicants is demanding. Fulfilling this educational piece is a prerequisite for applicants to move forward in the process of obtaining a Kent Attainable Housing home. Augmenting and strengthening our mentoring services will enable applicants to make steady and successful progress toward this goal.”
