$15,000 to help the Homeless

Checks in the amount of $10,000 from the Rotary Club of Mill Creek along with $5,000 from the Windermere Foundation were presented to Edwin R. Petersen, Executive Director of Housing Hope. 

Housing Hope's mission is to promote and provide a continuum of safe, decent, affordable housing and necessary related services for very low and low income residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island.

In 2010, over 2,000 Snohomish County households were in need of affordable housing.

In our community, as in the rest of the United States, the main cause of family homelessness is having too little income combined with a shortage of affordable rental units. The gap between income and what it costs to get by is widening. As low-wage employment, under-employment and unemployment continues to rise, housing instability becomes a problem for a growing number of local families. Families with children are the fastest growing segment of people who are homeless.

A safe, decent and affordable home is the first step in the journey to self-sufficiency for many low-income families in Snohomish County. Housing Hope provides a wide range of housing opportunities - from emergency shelter and transitional housing to affordable rentals and a unique homeownership program - plus effective programs to support a family's progress.

With a fresh start, low-income families or families without homes regain hope. Their children have healthier futures, and they can plan their next steps. When families are self-sufficient and productive, the entire community benefits.

 Edwin R. Petersen, Executive Director of Housing Hope