Workforce Housing Relief Fund
Tough times are always a good time to dig deep. An idea started by Brian Dacey, of Bayside Building, has really started to take flight. With unemployment and under employment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, people are having a harder time paying the rent or keeping up with their mortgage. Brian suggested a fund to help people in immediate need to create a bridge to get them over the short term emergency of bills to pay with no income to pay them.
As the wheels of government turn, we also know they turn slowly, government assistance can be a great help, but help that doesn’t show up as quickly as it is needed. The concept of a Workforce Housing Relief Fund is something that the Housing Assistance Corporation in Hyannis had already been working on. Brian’s idea appealed to the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod (HBRACC) and that brought the two organizations together and lead to HBRACC partnering with HAC to support their Workforce Housing Relief Fund.
Right out of the gate, in just the first couple of days, HBRACC members have raised over $33,000 towards an immediate goal of $100,000 but are certainly not stopping there. Alisa Magnotta, President of Housing Assistance Corporation, says this money is so very important as it gives her good leverage to pursue additional government and grant funds, which are available. She says the power of having significant seed money already in hand acts as what former Secretary of State and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Colin Powell, called a “force multiplier” that truly magnifies the effect of the fund and increases our ability to attract more contributions to it. This is the Housing Assistance Corporation’s area of expertise – raising grant and government money and distributing it to the right people in need.
Funds donated by members of our industry will be prioritized to go to recipients from within our industry. To learn more about the Workforce Housing Relief Fund, please click here.
But more importantly, to support our local economy, and to contribute in order to help members of our industry stay in housing while they are in need, please get in touch with HBRACC or HAC directly:
Home Builders and Remodelors Association of Cape Cod
Chris Flanagan, Executive Officer
chrisf@capecodbuilders.com
Housing Assistance Corporation
Anne Van Vleck, Chief Development Officer
avanvleck@haconcapecod.org or 508-771-5400
Housing Assistance Corporation, 460 West Main St Hyannis, MA 02601
As Winston Churchill famously said, “We make a living by what we do...we make a life by what we give”.
This is the time for members of our building industry to band together and show our commitment. Our community needs our help. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay involved!
Thank you,
Make a Donation Make a donation to the Workforce Housing Relief Fund and 100% of your gift will be pass-through, going directly to keeping families and individuals in their homes and apartments on Cape Cod and the Islands.
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