At The Road Home Dane County, we have a lot of exciting things happening this summer. We’d like to share some of our updates with you!
Starting August 1, Foundations began providing housing for six families who have experienced homelessness in our community. Similar to our House-ability program, Foundations provides scattered-site permanent supportive housing (meaning housing located throughout the community instead of in one apartment complex) to families who are chronically homeless. Foundations is primarily funded through HUD with The Road Home providing case management and administering the program. Families pay 30% of their income back into the program. We are currently looking for landlords to partner with for this program. HUD funds 100% of rent, reducing financial risks to landlords. If you are a landlord interested in learning more about partnering with us for Foundations, contact Zach Stephen at .
The Mainstream Voucher Program is another housing program that has begun this summer. Funding for this program comes through HUD and is administered by the Community Development Authority of Madison. The Road Home will provide support services for 40 families with vouchers, allowing them to pay 30% of their income for rent. Families are eligible if they have already been in a rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing program, so this program will make space available in those programs for families currently experiencing homelessness.
You may already know about Fair Oaks Apartments. We are partnering again with Stone House Development, Inc. to provide affordable three-bedroom apartments for larger families who have experienced homelessness. Families began moving in this August. Through United Way funding, we will also be partnering with The Playing Field who is expanding to create a new early learning center on the east side of Madison that will serve children living in Fair Oaks Apartments.
This summer we will also make some changes to our Second Chance Apartment Project. This housing program will continue to create affordable housing for youth-led families (adults aged 18-24 and their young children) transitioning out of homelessness. With new funding from United Way of Dane County, we will add a partnership with RISE, a local nonprofit. RISE will focus on providing support around children’s development while The Road Home will focus on the family’s housing stability. The program will now be called Building Futures, but will operate as the Second Chance Apartment Project has for the past 15 years.
We believe that the solution to homelessness is affordable housing. We look forward to the opportunities these new programs will offer families in our community to find and maintain stable housing. Thank you for your continued support that makes our work possible.