Housing Opportunity Foundation awards $55,000 to area nonprofits
9/07/2016
Contact: Kim Walker
Contact Phone: 704-940-3149
Charlotte, N.C. – The Housing Opportunity Foundation awarded twelve local nonprofits and seven area Habitat for Humanity agencies a total of $50,000 through the annual Realtor®-directed Habitat Support and Community Grants Programs, and also donated $5,000 to Housing First Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Urban Ministries Charlotte to benefit the creation of an apartment complex for chronically homeless individuals.. The foundation serves as the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association and is dedicated to making a difference in the community by creating housing opportunities, promoting homeownership, and positioning and educating Realtors® as leaders.
The Community Grants Program supports area organizations that address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, while the Habitat Support Program is a way to assist area Habitats that are meeting crucial housing needs for low-to-moderate income families. Since the inception of the Habitat Support Program nine years ago and the Community Grants Program seven years ago, Realtor® members have distributed a total of $306,500 to area organizations.
“For many of these organizations, this is like an early Christmas, from the purchase of new blankets for kids, or funding for a shower renovation for homeless men, to assisting housing and case management for LGBTQ homeless youth; these two grant programs are just one of the many ways our members are able to support area non-profits that are confronting unmet housing needs within our region,” said Association/Carolina Multiple Listings Services, Inc. (CarolinaMLS) President Maren Brisson-Kuester. “A key mission of our foundation is to bring about a better quality of life; and through this member-directed funding we know we’re helping these organizations continue their good work in our community.”
Funds for both grants programs are restricted and must be used by the agencies by Dec. 31, 2016. Funds cannot be used for capital costs, staff/administrative expenses or debt reduction.
The following organizations were awarded Community Grants by the foundation:
- Angels and Sparrows
$3,000 to purchase food to feed those in the community without homes who face hunger on a daily basis.
Realtor® Referrals: Andrea Montague, Allen Tate and Danae Caulfield, Allen Tate. - Beds For Kids, Inc.
$2,500 to purchase 250 blankets for homeless families and children.
Realtor® Referrals: Cullen McNulty, Keller Williams, Shannon Hildreth, Giving Tree Realty, Sarah Salton, HM Properties and Jennifer Wetzel, RE/MAX Executive Realty - Charlotte Rescue Mission
$3,000 to undertake a shower renovation to support the homeless men at the Rebound Campus.
Realtor® Referral: Bessie Tate, Allen Tate - Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte
$3,000 to provide translation and interpretation services for refugee families seeking to establish a credit history and/or purchase a home.
Realtor® Referrals: Lisa Blanton, Cottingham Chalk Hayes and Logan Smith, Prostead - Hope Haven, Inc.
$3,000 to support age-appropriate therapeutic groups for children of chemically-addicted individuals ages 0-5.
Realtor® Referral: Bessie Tate, Allen Tate - Kids First of the Carolinas
$3,000 to provide clothes, school supplies, food, bedding and towels for children in need.
Realtor® Referral: Logan Smith, Prostead - Matthews Help Center
$3,000 to provide financial-crisis assistance to six families at a cost of $500 per client.
Realtor® Referral: Cat Stamper, Allen Tate - RunningWorks
$2,600 to be used to assist with transportation for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
Realtor® Referral: Sherry George, Dickens Mitchener - Supportive Housing Communities
$3,000 to purchase 20 new mattresses for use by formerly homeless people moving into scattered-site housing and to replace mattresses at McCreesh Place.
Realtor® Referrals: Robert Dulin, Keller Williams South Park and Natalie Terry, Terry Realty - The T.R.E. Foundation
$400 to prepare and distribute lunches for 200 homeless individuals in uptown Charlotte for two months.
Realtor® Referral: Renata Henderson Murray, Wilkinson ERA Real Estate - Time Out Youth
$2,500 to provide transition housing and case management for ten LGBTQ homeless youth.
Realtor® Referral David Deal, Allen Tate - Urban Ministry Center
$2,500 to purchase cleaning supplies for tenants in the HousingWorks program.
Realtor® Referral: Josie Mazzaferro, Fetch Realty
The following Habitat for Humanity organizations were awarded grants from the foundation:
- Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County
$2,250 to assist with completion and construction of a “Tiny House 2” project. - Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte
$3,500 to support the cost of critical repairs for one family home, beginning in fall of 2016. - Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County
$2,500 to build a shed for a new homeowner to house a lawnmower and tools; this will assist with maintenance and upkeep for the home and provide secure storage. - Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County
$2,500 to support the renovation of an existing house that will provide lodging for AmeriCorps volunteers; work will be conducted by the AmeriCorp volunteers themselves in fall of 2016. - Stanly County Habitat for Humanity
$2,500 to purchase materials such as sheetrock, molding, baseboards and supplies for a specific home build. - Our Towns Habitat for Humanity
$2,250 to purchase doors and windows for a new home build on Psalms St. in Cornelius, N.C. - Union-Anson County Habitat for Humanity
$3,000 to purchase materials for the completion of three new Habitat homes in Marshville, N.C.
The organizations were formally recognized by the Housing Opportunity Foundation, association and community leadership, and supporting donors at the third-annual Opening Hearts, Opening Doors luncheon to celebrate and shine a light on the work area organizations are doing within the region.
For more information about the Housing Opportunity Foundation, the association or CarolinaMLS, visit www.CarolinaHome.com.
The Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association is a trade association that provides its more than 8,900 Realtor® members with the resources and services they need to conduct ethical, professional, successful and profitable businesses. The association is dedicated to being the region's primary resource for residential real estate information. The association operates the Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc. (CarolinaMLS), which has approximately 10,100 Subscribers and is the private cooperative Realtors® use for access to tens of thousands of residential listings in a multicounty service area, including the high-growth Charlotte area and counties outside this service area.
The Housing Opportunity Foundation is the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association and is dedicated to funding, education, advocacy and leadership programs that are focused on fair and affordable housing and workforce-housing initiatives. The foundation serves to position and educate Realtors® as leaders, promote homeownership and provide funding to create housing opportunities.
Original Publish Date: 9/7/2016