DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — A metro Atlanta nonprofit is helping families out of the cycle of homelessness, using a unique cash transfer program to set families up for success in the long run.
"When it comes to finding housing for families, there are a lot of barriers," Mary Grace King, Executive Director of Frontline Housing, said. "To get approved for permanent housing, you have to have good credit, good income, and good criminal history, and so if you have anything on your background, it can keep you from finding permanent housing."
Making two and three times the rent can also be hard for working families, King added, even for those working 40 hours each week.
"Rent has gone up, and the barriers to finding housing have also increased," she said.
As a result, the nonprofit works to help eligible families through such hurdles, though the support doesn't stop once permanent housing is secured.
"The biggest thing after finding stable housing is being able to stay there," Jada Senior of Frontline Housing, said. "And when you don't have emergency savings when your car breaks down, you have a sudden job loss, it's really, really hard."
So, the nonprofit helps families tackle that obstacle, too.
"Once they are placed in housing, we have a cash transfer program where we give families $250 a month for six months, and they build an emergency savings," King said.
With the cash comes a requirement to attend financial literacy classes and build on that savings, King said. It's a chance that's been life-changing for residents like Rosalynn Ridley, a grandmother who spent months moving from motel to motel before learning about Frontline's program. Through the group's Motel to Home and cash transfer program, Ridley ultimately found permanent housing in Douglasville.
"The first night when we finally got in the door, we made pallets on the door, we were dancing around acting silly, and that's why I just had a final happy cry," Ridley said. "It has been a true hard journey for me."
Learn more about Frontline Housing here.