Friends Association for the Care and Pro

Emergency rent & utility assistance (erap)- selected by chester county to distribute funds through the united states treasure and pa department of human services, Friends distributed $5m in assistance in the form of past due rent and utilities for 682 households in chester county. 55% of the households included school-aged children or children aged 5 and under.

the nia house is part of the safe housing network for women who are impacted by incarceration. for returning citizens, having a safe and secure place to call home, can be the vital key to successful reentry. This safe housing program provides holistic reentry services for women returning to their community while giving them the space they need to re-establish critical bonds with their children, and secure long-term stable housing after a period of incarceration.

the eviction prevention case resolution (epcr) program stabilizes vulnerable families and individuals who are facing eviction in participating courts by providing them with free legal and social services support on the day of their eviction hearing. the program provides financial assistance to prevent evictions, and connections to long-term financial services, housing subsidies, housing partnership programs, and social supports needed to prevent future housing instability. 526 households were served in fy 23; 5% were senior citizens; 21% had disabilities; and 60% were households with children. Since 2020, the program has provided a combination of services to over 843 households representing a total of 2,699+ individual household members[1]. 89% of epcr household participants resolved with the eviction prevented. [1] figures provided are as per epcr clients in programs data report from the county hmis system.

the homelessness prevention program assists families facing a housing crisis. Short-term financial assistance is combined with landlord mediation, case management and education to keep families safely housed. Services include gender-specific, trauma-informed Care for women with mental health and/or substance use disorders. 98 family members were assisted through hpp in fy 23 and 77% of the families had improved financial health.

the emergency housing (family center) houses families experiencing homelessness referred through the county's coordinated entry system, in one of six apartment units. Each family lives autonomously in an apartment for 90-120 days as they work with their case manager to secure permanent housing, create a housing stability case plan, increase income, and access mainstream benefits. Pregnant women and families with infants are immediately engaged with the nurse family partnership to provide education, support, and resource connections. Taking a two-generation approach, we coordinate high quality early learning access (head start, early head start) for all children under the age of 5. Children under the age of 5 make up 23% of the total population at the family center. Friends' family center is currently the only low-barrier emergency housing in the county that can house entire family units together through their time of crisis. 31 family members stayed together in fy 23 in the family center, 90% of them moved to stable housing.

Home 2 stay program, long-term case management is available for families recently moved to permanent housing from any emergency housing in the county or directly from the experience of homelessness. This graduate program provides continued case management support, comprehensive guidance, and resources to empower families and reduce the risk of a family's return to homelessness. Our goal is to help families not only obtain housing but to keep it. 116 family members participated in home 2 stay housing stabilization program; 85% maintained stable housing.

Summer enrichment programs are activities and initiatives that engage students in their education throughout the summer months. This can be used to combat the summer slump regardless of a child's grade level.