Mel Lindsey
Just weeks away from delivering her baby, Stacy could no longer work due to pregnancy complications. Using money from her last paycheck, she managed to secure an apartment. However, with no money left over, she found herself living in an empty apartment with nothing but a single mattress. Stacy had recently transitioned out of foster care, and she was in a desperate position with no means to get any essential items for her new apartment. Until she made a call that changed her life.
Just before Christmas of last year, Stacy was connected to the support and resources that eventually led to meaningful stability she hadn’t experienced in years.
She was gifted living essentials like utilities, furniture, cleaning supplies and household items.
The call that changed Stacy’s life was to Amerigroup Georgia’s Transition Age Youth Care Coordinator Team, a statewide group of dedicated licensed clinicians that connects young adults with a history in foster care to services, resources, and programs in the community, like the Housing Flex Fund – a $50,000 investment established by Amerigroup Georgia that connects Georgians to housing solutions. These funds assist members with security deposits, rental arrears, utility payments, housing start-up costs, and more.
This important work is at the heart of everything we do.
Stacy’s story is not an isolated incident. She is one of countless others who are living day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck.
At a time when our cities, our state and our nation are grappling with a lack of attainable housing, we must find workable, unique solutions to the problem. And the Housing Flex Fund is exactly that.
In the U.S., more than 550,000 people will experience homelessness on any given day. In Georgia, the rate is just as alarming: almost 10,000 Georgians will experience homelessness on any given night, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
No community has been spared. Cities, suburbs, and rural areas across Georgia have all been impacted.
To make matters worse, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that Georgia has over 207,000-unit shortage of affordable housing, resulting in 73% percent of low-income households in our state with severe cost burdens.
Everyone deserves safe, secure and stable housing. We know that equitable access to housing helps people live healthier lives, prevent chronic illness, keep their jobs, and build brighter financial futures.
In the 5 months since its launch, the Housing Flex Fund has provided nearly $15,000 in financial assistance to those in need. However, more than monetary support, these funds have provided hope.
Stable housing is quite literally the foundation that leads to healthier, longer lives. However, no one person or one program can solve the growing housing crisis. It requires a collaborative effort, and Amerigroup Georgia is at the forefront of leading that charge.
We are committed to helping others find hope in the future by working in concert with our community partners and investing in more solutions.
For more information on the Housing Flex Fund, please visit www.myamerigroup.com/ga/georgia-home or follow along at www.facebook.com/AmerigroupCorporation
The Housing Flex Fund builds on several recent community initiatives.
To date, Amerigroup Georgia has pledged $850,000 to improve health outcomes for Georgians experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.
Melvin Lindsey is the President of Amerigroup Georgia.
