Pay for Success Funding to Help New Program Combat Homelessness Among Families
Media Release: April 17, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — HopeHouse OKC, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit, has launched a three-pronged collaborative aimed at breaking the cycles of poverty and homelessness among Oklahoma City area families. The new program, named hopeFORWARD, will work to establish long-term health and stability by removing barriers and supporting each participant in achieving their education, employment, and family goals for families currently or at-risk of experiencing homelessness.
Because no family faces the same hurdles, the program’s key to success is leveraging community partnerships that support the unique needs of each of the families. The collaborative offers participants a post-secondary pathway for education, specifically for individuals experiencing social barriers, through the Center for Social Innovation (CFSI) at Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC). Flexible and supportive employment opportunities are offered through ReStore OKC or a combination of these services can be utilized. HopeHouse provides person-centered case management services while also giving families transitional housing.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with MetaFund on this Pay for Success contract,” said Brandy Romine, HopeHouse associate director. “It takes a village of people working together in mission, financial support, and investment to make a deep and impactful change within our community. We believe that together, we can help some of the most vulnerable families in our city break generational cycles of poverty and rewrite their stories to be filled with hope and opportunity.”
To expand the number being served, HopeHouse OKC has entered into a Pay for Success contract with the Oklahoma Impact Investing Collaborative (OIIC), an initiative of MetaFund, to provide upfront funding for the program’s implementation. OIIC is working in collaboration with Oklahoma Human Services and will be repaid in part or in full using funds allocated to the State’s Pay for Success Innovation Fund if housing, education, and employment outcomes are achieved. State funds only pay for successful results. HopeHouse OKC anticipates serving an additional 35 families with the funding provided by OIIC.
“We are honored to work alongside our philanthropic funders, state agencies, and nonprofit community to support innovative public-private partnerships that maximize resources and produce positive results for our families, friends, and neighbors,” said Ed Long, MetaFund chief impact officer and OIIC manager.
“Oklahoma Human Services is on a mission to increase hope for Oklahoma families by connecting them with resources, beyond their request for benefits, so they are empowered to create pathways to gain self-sufficiency and economic independence,” said Deb Smith, Oklahoma Human Services Adult and Family Services Director. “Working together with HopeHouse, MetaFund and CFSI at OSU-OKC, we will remove barriers and create pathways to hope and independence for individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Families can stay in hopeFORWARD’s transitional housing for up to two years working on goals for education, employment or a combination of the two. If needed, hopeFORWARD will provide ongoing support for families after this transitional period by moving them into a graduate resident apartment and helping them obtain full-time employment. Participants will continue to receive wrap-around services for up to a year. After they graduate from the HopeHouse programs and move into independent housing or a HopeHouse ForeverHOME unit, graduates will have access to support through family events and connection opportunities indefinitely.
For more information about the hopeFORWARD project, visit https://hopehouseokc.com/swine-week
