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Safe Beacon working with Catholic Charities agencies are among the nation’s largest providers of safe, decent, affordable housing. We believe that access to housing is a human right, one that upholds the dignity of all people.
There is an estimated shortage of
7.3 million units of affordable housing for
11 million extremely low-income renters — those who
live below the poverty line of $30,000 in annual income for a family
of four.
Our neighbors need help. Three quarters of all renter households are
unable to pay more than $694 per month in rent, but only one in four
families that qualify for housing assistance ever receives it.
National data sources: “The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes,” April 2022, the National Low Income Housing Coalition; “Poverty in the United States: 2021,” September 2022, U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Government Accountability Office; and Bureau of Labor Statistics
Some of the most vulnerable among us — families, seniors, veterans, the chronically homeless and more — receive services such as emergency shelter, temporary housing and long-term housing with social support. That includes low-income renters, who are among those most likely to fall through the cracks.
37% work in retail, food/beverage service, home health and building cleaning.
19% have a disability and may depend on Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
27% are seniors on fixed incomes with limited resources for food and medicine.
They spend 38% less on food and 70% less on health care than other renters.
Having a safe, affordable home is fundamental to well-being. Explore some of the initiatives of Safe Beacon and Catholic Charities agencies across the country as they find creative, workable solutions to the shortage of affordable housing units and the nation’s homelessness crisis.
Agencies increase affordable housing supply via new construction and maintain current portfolios through rehabilitation and extending affordability controls. Agencies build, own and manage housing for low-income families, seniors and those with special needs, as well as workforce housing and some first-time homeownership projects. Several agencies also redevelop and convert under-utilized church properties into affordable housing.
Housing services help ensure resident success and prevent homelessness before it starts with funds for emergency rent payments and other supports. Several agencies provide housing counseling for pre-purchase, foreclosure prevention and workshops on fair housing, predatory lending and financial education.
Housing is the social determinant of health. The Healthy Housing Initiative (HHI) seeks to reduce chronic homelessness in five cities by turning homeless clients into residents. HHI secures service-enriched affordable housing that is permanent in nature, moving individuals beyond shelters and transitional housing.
Agencies increase affordable housing supply via new construction and maintain current portfolios through rehabilitation and extending affordability controls. Agencies build, own and manage housing for low-income families, seniors, those with special needs, workforce housing and some first-time homeownership projects.
Housing services ensure resident success and prevent homelessness before it starts with funds for emergency rent payments and other supports. Several agencies provide housing counseling for pre-purchase, foreclosure prevention and education workshops.
The Healthy Housing Initiative seeks to reduce chronic homelessness in five cities by turning homeless clients into residents through service-enriched permanent affordable housing.
Safe Beacon in affiliation with Catholic Charities agencies are among the nation’s largest providers of affordable housing as well as emergency and temporary housing options.
Permanent housing units for families, seniors, veterans and others
Seniors housed
Clients accessed homelessness services
PROGRAM LEAD
Curtis is the vice president of housing strategy, convening the network around best practices, project development/preservation strategies, resident social services and the repurposing of church property into housing. He serves as a resource on project development analysis, funding strategies and peer connections to advance projects and cultivates the network’s collective impact to leverage philanthropic capital and favorable federal policies.
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