Local Non-Profits Team Up for Housing Legacy Fund

HYANNIS – A nonprofit that provides affordable housing and homelessness prevention services in the region has teamed with a philanthropic services provider to form the Housing Legacy Fund.

The Housing Assistance Corporation and Cape Cod Foundation collaborative fund will help to ensure the security of safe and affordable housing on the Cape and Islands.

HAC will direct donations to the fund by donor request and the money will be invested by the Cape Cod Foundation to generate income to support the housing agency’s mission.

“It’s really investing in resources to address unknown housing needs in the future,” said Ann Van Vleck, the chief development officer for HAC. “We want to be able to continue to help our clients and to help so many people that we serve, but being able to have the ability to do that for future generations is really what this is about.”

Every year, HAC serves more than 5,000 low- to moderate-income residents across the region.

The agency’s programs and services focus on the areas of homelessness prevention, housing stabilization and consumer education and advocacy.

“For more than 44 years, our neighbors in need have relied on Housing Assistance Corporation to help them secure a safe, stable place to live,” said Alisa Magnotta Galazzi, the CEO of HAC. “The Housing Legacy Fund is a great way for donors to invest in the long-term sustainability of HAC and the future of affordable housing in the region.”

Van Vleck said the housing issues in the region are often in the news and that most people are aware of the needs.

Along with homeless prevention, outreach and sheltering HAC provides crisis support programs.

“We help about 1,500 people a year on prevention,” Van Vleck said. “We are stabilizing families and we have over 2,600 people that we work with on self-sufficiency programs and weatherization.”

Van Vleck said HAC is also about empowerment. The agency helps more than 3,200 people with workshops and counseling, including town officials through training and the Housing Institute.

“Across the board through prevention, stabilization and empowerment, there are many, many people who are in need and reaching out every day,” she said.

The Housing Legacy Fund is active. Individuals interested in making a donation to the fund can contact HAC.