Provide affordable housing for homeless students and their families
Investors are needed for property acquisition, both existing buildings and new construction, to contribute to the stock of affordable rental units for these working families.We need property owners who are willing to contribute rental units to this effort. Our housing partner will lease or own all donated units, handling property management and resident services.
Raise public awareness about the root causes of this crisis
The fair market monthly rent for a two-bedroom unit in Monterey County is $2,675. With a $15/hour minimum wage, a parent cannot afford this rent. Homelessness increases sharply when a family is spending more than 30% of their income on rent. A family must make $9,000 per month to pay this amount of rent. That is more than three full-time jobs. Low wages in our hospitality and agricultural industries, home health care, and landscape maintenance result in hard-working parents whose school children are in crisis.Many families are one paycheck away from eviction. The facts need to be known and corrective action taken.
Support those in the field already serving this population.
Many people in local government agencies, in nonprofits, in public office and in faith-based communities are actively addressing the needs of those who are homeless every day. Monterey County has a robust Coalition of Homeless Services Providers that works to coordinate efforts of all entities working in this field. The county has it's first coordinator of homeless response, Roxanne Wilson. All agree: Units of affordable housing are needed now. H4K wants to work with you to meet that need.