Banking On Housing
Bethlehem Housing & Support Services Rent Stabilization Fund
A mother on social assistance,
struggling to afford both rent and
the care her child with special needs required, faced eviction while waiting for affordable housing.
A young man, orphaned and living with mobility challenges, risked losing the only home he had ever known after losing his parents.
For both, the new Rotary Club of St. Catharines Bethlehem Housing & Support Services Rent Stabilization Fund provided stability that kept them housed and offered a sustainable path forward.
The donor-directed fund, established with a $500,000 endowment from the Rotary Club of St. Catharines to mark its centenary, functions like a rent bank. It removes financial barriers to housing by covering moving expenses, last month’s rent deposit or rent arrears for eligible individuals and families.
For the mother, who fell behind trying to afford $1,600 rent on an income that might reach $2,000 in a good month, the fund paid for half her arrears. That support allowed her to arrange a manageable repayment plan with her landlord for the remainder.
“With the rent bank assistance, it’s helped to stabilize her life and save her housing,” said Lori Beech, Bethlehem Housing Executive Director.
For the young man who lost his parents, the fund offered him the lifeline of a rent subsidy as he shores up other means to live independently.
It’s very difficult to work on other issues in your life if you don’t have safe and stable housing, so this fund helps one get there.
Margaret Jarrell,
Rotary Club of St. Catharines
The endowment was the largest donation in the Rotary Club’s history. Managed by the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF), it will generate an annual income distribution overseen by Bethlehem Housing to help families stay housed.
Supporting affordable housing fit with Rotary’s mission when the club began work in 2010 on how best to mark its 100th anniversary in 2021. Establishing a rent bank in 2024 with the NCF’s help promised quick and clear impact, explained Margaret Jarrell, chair of the club’s centennial committee.
“It’s very difficult to work on other issues in your life if you don’t have save and stable housing, so this fund helps one get there,” Jarrell said.
“We did this with the Niagara Community Foundation because we knew it would be well-managed and we knew Bethlehem Housing could make the fund work as well as possible,” she added. “Every club member is happy to help the community in this way.”