Urban League Receives $300k Grant from KeyBank to Tackle Housing Instability

KeyBank and the KeyBank Foundation announced an investment of $300,000 in the Columbus Urban League or CUL (Columbus, OH), aimed at bolstering its innovative Housing Accelerator Program (HAP).

HAP provides wrap-around case management services to assist vulnerable Columbus residents in accessing or maintaining affordable housing, developing generational wealth and receiving career services to promote financial independence.

“For more than 100 years, Columbus Urban League has helped improve the lives of thousands of people across Central Ohio and is a major advocate for systemic change,” said Lara DeLeone, KeyBank’s Central Ohio Market President. “We are thrilled to support CUL, and the Housing Accelerator Program, to promote safe, quality and affordable housing for the individuals and families they serve. The wrap-around services CUL provides are vital for understanding and building a stable financial future.”

“The HAP is the next solution in response to the recovery from the devastating impact of the pandemic,” said Jeaneen Hooks, Vice President of Programming at CUL. “COVID-19 exacerbated affordable housing issues that predated the pandemic and that still has deep disparities that threaten the strength of an economic recovery which must work for everyone. With this transformational investment from KeyBank, we can maximize the impact of this short-term intervention to provide mid-term financial independence and long-term self-sufficiency.”

The program will pair clients with a Housing Counselor, Wealth Navigator and Job Coach to help identify the supports needed to successfully complete the housing education program (core curriculum consists of analyzing credit reports, improving credit scores, debt management, adhering to budgets, understanding credit scoring, savings, etc.) and start their new career.

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