Save Homes to Keep Children in School
As children throughout NYC head back to school this month, thousands are living in homeless shelters or facing the possibility of homelessness as their families struggle to pay rent arrears. Thanks to you and fellow supporters of our work, almost 3,500 city families’ homes have been saved over the past two years and their children are preparing for school in the safe surrounds of their homes and communities. Like Nicole.
Nicole’s Story
Nicole, who is 9 years old and autistic, lives in the Bronx with her mom, Sarah. When Sarah came to The Partnership this past year, she was in housing court and facing eviction due to rent arrears. Sarah had been working two jobs, as a driver and restaurant worker, but lost income and the ability to meet her rent payments after Nicole and she became ill with Covid twice within six months. Sarah’s greatest fear was that losing their small home would mean Nicole losing her security in the world including her local community friends and the school where she has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), receives speech therapy and other education supports and has a consistent routine with teachers and friends. Although Sarah was back working both jobs at the time of the court proceedings and able to keep up with ongoing rent payments, she lacked the funds to clear her arrears. Thanks to you, The Partnership was able to enroll Sarah in our housing and crisis program where she received the support to apply for and receive an emergency NYC benefit for rental arrears as well as a $2,000 grant from The Partnership that cleared her bill and secured the family home. Additionally, we are continuing to work with Sarah to navigate other programs and benefits for which Nicole is eligible. This week, Nicole is excitedly preparing to go back to school and is looking forward to seeing her friends and favorite teacher.
*Names of clients have been changed to protect their confidentiality
NYC homelessness is primarily a story about women and children of color, disproportionately hurt by domestic violence, evictions and overcrowding in a city with a dearth of housing assistance. Homelessness is a corrugating trauma that traps women and their children in poverty for generations. Going into a shelter can cause significant disruptions to work and school schedules, and less than half of all children who go into shelter graduate high school, putting them on a fast track to the kind of poverty that puts them at risk of homelessness as adults with their own children.
Today, more than 33,500 NYC children are living in shelters and 222,000 are at risk of homelessness because their families have rental arrears.
Prevention is the most humanitarian solution; keeping children housed prevents the trauma of homelessness and subsequent loss of school and community and disrupts and prevents intergenerational homelessness. Our Save Homes Campaign is an upstream intervention model that combines housing and crisis services with mental health and well-being programming to prevent homelessness and secure families’ homes long term.
If you can, partner with us this month to Save Homes — and school — for more NYC children.