Catching Up with the Texas Foundations Fund

August 5, 2022 | by Katie Claflin

Categories: Home Rehabilitation/Repairs, Housing Counseling, Supportive Housing Services, Texas Foundations Fund

On July 19th TSAHC's Board of Directors approved our 2022 Texas Foundations Fund grant awards.

TSAHC created the Texas Foundations Fund in 2008 specifically to support programs that provide housing stability to Texans with very low incomes. Since then, these services have included critical home repairs and supportive housing services, such as case management, job training, and onsite mental and physical healthcare services.

This year, TSAHC's Board approved several important changes to amplify the impact of our Texas Foundations Fund program and better serve Texas' most vulnerable households.

1. Raised the funding amount from $660,000 in 2021 to $1,250,000 in 2022. TSAHC funds the Texas Foundations Fund through revenue generated by our down payment assistance programs.  TSAHC served a record number of home buyers in 2021, enabling us to increase the funding available for our Texas Foundations Fund grants this year.
2. Increased the number of grantees from 33 to 54.  Increasing the total funding available also allows TSAHC to provide larger grants to more grantees.  In 2022 TSAHC is awarding grants ranging from $15,000 to $35,000 to 54 organizations serving more than 100 Texas counties. Of the 54 nonprofits awarded, 18 are first-time grantees.
3. Broadened the eligibility requirements to include housing counseling. TSAHC expanded the definition of supportive housing services to include home buyer education, financial counseling and coaching, credit counseling, and foreclosure prevention counseling services. This change is particularly important this year as household costs escalate and COVID-19 financial protections expire. 
4. Expanded the underserved populations. While TSAHC has focused past funding rounds specifically on serving people with disabilities and rural communities, this year we expanded the guidelines to allow grantees to serve additional underserved populations they have identified in their communities. Our 2022 grantees are also serving seniors, veterans, people of color, households affected by natural disasters, and other under-represented populations. 
5. Modified the financial requirements.  Recognizing that strict external audit requirements often prevent smaller, grassroots nonprofits from applying for funding, TSAHC modified our application requirements to allow nonprofits with an operating budget less than $2 million to submit funder reference letters in lieu of formal financial audits. 

Click here to learn all about this year's grantees. 

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