United Way Makes Advancements Towards Accessible Housing Bold Goal

Housing is the centerpiece of an individual’s life and a cornerstone to living independently. Accessible, affordable housing for people experiencing housing instability is vital to supporting overall mental and physical well-being. Your local United Way fights for a community where every person – no matter their background, their abilities, or their zip code- has an equal chance at a bright future. That’s why our key leaders, experts, and community members developed the Bold Goals 2030, a strategic vision for making meaningful, measurable improvements in our community by the year 2030.

Out of the six bold goals, two specifically focus on improvements in the area of accessible housing:

• 80% or more of households will pay less than 30% of their income on housing.
• 2017 Baseline » 73% of current households are paying less than 30% of their income on housing. Source: U.S. Census Bureau
• 75% or more of households will be above the ALICE* threshold.
• Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
• 2016 Estimate » 52% of households are above the threshold. Source: United for ALICE

United Way’s work toward accessible housing is currently supported through The Family Collective, an initiative that allows families at-risk of homelessness to receive at least one core wrap-around service and support from a coach, and 211, a free and confidential service connecting people to the local resources they need.

United Way is thrilled to announce the addition of House Rutherford and Padmission software, a web-based housing search platform custom-built for housing program participants, their case managers and landlords. The Padmission software will be an integral piece in the House Rutherford initiative to support accessible housing opportunities in our local community by connecting landlords, case managers, and community members quickly with the housing resources they need.

Kristen Swann, Vice President of Collective Impact and Strategic Initiatives at United Way, shares about the importance of this initiative in the community. “We know that affordability is not always the only barrier a family faces to finding and maintaining permanent housing. Often, other barriers like low credit score, previous eviction, previous justice involvement, and income requirements can stop a family from being accepted into a rental property. This initiative, which is a partnership with many agencies in our community, is looking for ways we can collectively move the needle in helping people in our community have a safe place to call home.”

Advancements like these are not possible without our committed community partners, like Republic Bank. Republic Bank is the presenting sponsor of the Padmission software and official partner in the accessible housing bold goal. Republic Bank is a proud supporter of the Murfreesboro community and your local United Way.

“Republic Bank is proud to partner with United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties in support of their Bold Goals 2030, particularly in the area of accessible housing. We are grateful for the opportunity to assist in bringing a resource like Padmission to our Murfreesboro community, and we look forward to working with other leaders to bring focus to this important issue for all of our neighbors,” comments Chad Hart, Tennessee Market President of Republic Bank.

To learn more about the Bold Goals 2030 and the accessible housing bold goal work, visit yourlocaluw.org.