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2021 Program Highlights: Housing

Impact Report 2021:
  • A word from President/CEO Clark Brekke and Chair of the Board of Directors Bridget Barrington
  • How we help people build independence
Who we helped:
  • Who we served by age
  • Who we served by ethnicity
  • Who we served by gender
2021 Program Highlights:
  • Basic Food, Employment and Training: BFET connects Kevin with a job
  • Building Independence: 2021 Independence Award Winner: Toby
  • Building Financial Stability: Goodwill’s Representative Payee Program helped 1,252 in 2021.
2021 Program Highlights: Employment
  • Finding jobs in the community: Joshua finds a job he loves
  • 2021 Independence Award Winner: Ben
2021 Program Highlights: Housing
  • Housing and Essential Needs (HEN): Matthew works hard to shelter his family
  • Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF): Kohl uses help from SSVF to get stable housing for his family
  • Goodwill’s SSVF program awarded additional funding in 2021
How we helped the Environment in 2021

Housing and Essential Needs:

Matthew works hard to shelter his family

April 12, 2022
Matthew and his three kids

Matthew didn’t have a place to live when he came to Goodwill for help. He was so happy when we helped find a home for him and his three children.

An electrical fire started in the home. But luckily Matthew quickly put it out. Goodwill helped Matt’s family rent a storage unit and hotel while repairs were made. Matthew was able to move back in, with a new lease!

Soon after, Matthew started a new full time job. He graduated from Goodwill’s Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program.

Focusing on his health, Matthew got two surgeries that he needed. Matthew’s future goal is to pay off the final half of his student loans, so he can be in good standing for another educational loan. He wants to go back to school and get a degree in addiction studies.

Matthew is working full time and providing a safe home for his children. With support from Goodwill, Matthew was able to keep going and achieve success despite the roadblocks that he faced.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families

Kohl uses help from Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) to get stable housing for his family

November 22, 2021

Kohl and his wife were staying at a homeless shelter with their two kids. The family had been homeless for two years. They lost their last rental after their lease ended and the rent went up. The couple had been working but were unable to find housing. They had some problems to overcome.

Kohl enrolled in the Goodwill SSVF program. Shortly after, a complex in Coeur d’Alene approved their application to move in. Kohl and his wife signed a lease on January 10, 2021. Things went well, and they remained in good standing with their property manager.

Goodwill helped the couple get birth certificates, drivers licenses, a move-in kit, and beds. Goodwill also partnered with Newby-Ginnings to get other household things the family needed, including furniture, and clothing.

After many months of good standing at the new rental, the couple’s lease ended. The property manager was happy with the tenants but wanted to increase the rent. The manager gave the family a move out date. The apartment would be renovated. After getting fixed up, the apartment would be rented for a higher price. The new rent was more than what the family could afford.

Again, the family was without housing. Again, a lease had ended, and the rent would go up.

SSVF jumped into action. They put the family into a hotel. The couple worked hard to find housing. They were willing to do whatever it took, even bravely accepting housing in a different town.

In September 2021, they were approved for a rent-controlled unit in Moscow. When the complex told them of an available unit, Kohl and his wife didn’t wait. The family made a full move a couple short days later. Friends and family came around them to help.

Kohl and his wife have been working hard to get back on their feet. The two are quickly getting back their independence and stability.

“Without Goodwill, we would still be couch surfing or at [a homeless shelter].”

Goodwill’s SSVF program awarded additional funding in 2021

A building with the words "Workforce and Family Services" and a smiling "G" Goodwill logo on the top front. The building is against a light blue sky background.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit our community veterans hard. Shelters were closing their doors. This made it difficult for people to get the resources they needed.  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, more people needed money for housing. The SSVF program needed to hire 10 more people to help get more people into housing. They helped stay in touch with participants and made sure they had housing and financial stability  

The CARES Act impact

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and Consolidated Appropriations Act gave fast and direct help to Americans.  

The CARES Act awarded Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) more funding. This funding helped veterans get emergency rental help and housing relief.  

The CARES Act funds paid for the 10 new team members. These extra members of the SSVF program proved to have a major impact in helping participants. They managed program requirements with dozens of weekly emergency housing requests. They also helped participants who still needed financial help beyond the typical period. 

It takes a team

SSVF used that for safe and short-term housing solutions for prompt help. The program was also able to tap into a funding program to help people who are homeless get into temporary housing. The program was able to house 173 veterans. 

However, there were time limits on how long the program could help someone with emergency housing. For a single veteran, housing placement could not go beyond 72 hours unless there were no shelter beds. A person using this support could only use it once in two years and for a maximum of 45 days. The Stafford Act helps with aid and rules about aid in disasters. So the rules were lifted, which has been helping people with long-term housing solutions.   

The SSVF team is proud of how many people they were able to help in 2021. Despite the challenges like the housing market and the COVID-19 pandemic, the SSVF team continued to navigate in a creative and unique way. They built stronger community partnerships and stayed flexible and adaptable through all the changes. This shows their commitment to SSVF’s mission. 

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