Congressman Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) was the special guest for an event held Thursday to announce funding to fight homelessness across West Virginia.
FHLBank Pittsburgh and the West Virginia Housing Development Fund are partnering for a second year to fund programs across the Mountain State that work to address homelessness. FHLBank Pittsburgh is providing $1.1 million toward the effort, which is called Home4Good, and the Fund is providing $250,000, for a total contribution of $1.35 million in 2019.
The Home4Good event took place at Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center in Charleston. Mooney toured the facilities, which received a $30,000 Home4Good grant in 2018 to support transitional living for homeless veterans.
“The Home4Good program has changed lives in our communities,” said Mooney. “Through the power of partnerships among FHLBank Pittsburgh, their member financial institutions, WVHDF and numerous service organizations, military veterans in West Virginia now have a place to go, families are being helped and lives are being changed.”
Joining Mooney at the event and tour of the facility were John Thompson, Executive Director, Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center; Tim Howard, Chief Technology Officer, Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center; Brandae Mullins, Chief Financial Officer, Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center; Erica Boggess, Executive Director of the Fund; Pat Bond, Board Chairman, FHLBank Pittsburgh; Winthrop Watson, President and CEO, FHLBank Pittsburgh; Kate Swanson, Community Investment Manager, FHLBank Pittsburgh; and Mary Elisabeth Eckerson, State Director for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
“The 2019 Home4Good grants will provide critical funding to local service organizations – like Roark-Sullivan Lifeway Center – that are best positioned to help individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness,” said Pat Bond. “FHLBank Pittsburgh’s partnership with WVHDF and our member financial institutions allows us to direct resources where they are needed most.”
As in 2018, funding will be distributed as grants to organizations with programs that help people retain or find housing, as well as those that provide supportive services. Interested groups are advised to submit proposals for Home4Good funding through a participating Continuum of Care (CoC) organization in the state. All applicants will be teamed with FHLBank member financial institutions to further develop relationships that can help meet the service provider’s future funding needs, which is a long-term benefit of Home4Good. CoC organizations will then review and prioritize incoming proposals for funding consideration by FHLBank Pittsburgh and the Fund.
“The momentum generated by last year’s Home4Good funding will enable us to assist even more individuals in 2019,” said -Boggess. “By working together, we can help those facing homelessness attain safe and affordable housing.”
Many organizations qualify to apply for funding, including local governments, nonprofits, housing authorities and others. Successful Home4Good applicants will offer programs that prevent or reduce homelessness, collaborate with others to address established housing goals and have a track record of success. The deadline for service providers to apply for 2019 funding is Aug. 30.
Interested organizations can participate in a Fund Home4Good informational webinar planned for June 13. Additional information about Home4Good is available at www.fhlb-pgh.com, and at www.wvhdf.com. Interested organizations can also contact Kate Swanson at or Donna Martino for details.
About FHLBank Pittsburgh
FHLBank Pittsburgh is a congressionally chartered cooperative of local financial institutions operating across Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Bank uses private money, not taxpayer funds, to ensure the flow of credit and services to local lenders and assists them in serving the affordable housing and economic development needs of the communities in which they operate.
About the West Virginia Housing Development Fund
The West Virginia Housing Development Fund is a public body corporate and governmental instrumentality of the State of West Virginia established to increase the supply of residential housing for persons and families of low- and moderate-income, and to provide construction and permanent mortgage financing to public and private sponsors of such housing. To date, the Housing Development Fund has issued more than $4.4 billion in bonds and has financed more than 122,000 housing units since it began operation in 1969. The West Virginia Housing Development Fund is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
