November 3, 2025
The grant program will cowl rental funds for eligible households all through 2026.
FreeRent, a rental help nonprofit in Atlanta, has returned for its third 12 months of serving to households keep of their properties.
FreeRent has introduced again its grant program for renters to maintain up with their month-to-month payments on this time of presidency cuts and layoffs. The nonprofit formally reopened its rental help initiative on Oct. 31, providing households the prospect to obtain fully-covered rental funds.
Usually, the nonprofit helps households keep afloat by providing one month or extra of coated lease. Nevertheless, this grant program goes the additional mile by offering a 12 months’s value of lease funds. Households may also obtain sources and assist to make sure they will stay on observe in the direction of monetary stability.
The group emphasised how extra individuals are susceptible to dropping housing than they notice. FreeRent desires to supply alternatives to alleviate that heavy price, serving to households construct generational wealth and thrive within the long-term.
“Only one factor can occur to get them behind [on rent] or getting ready to housing instability,” stated Ashley Stewart, Government Director of FreeRent, in keeping with Saporta Report. “Via this chance, by means of this hand up for a 12 months, we may help them not solely stabilize, however construct a path for his or her long-term monetary future,” she added.
Eligible individuals embody those that have lively leases throughout the metropolis limits of Atlanta and have lately skilled a hardship, resembling a household disaster or pure catastrophe. Their family revenue should even be at or under 80% of the world median revenue, and maintain a rent-to-income ratio at or under 50% as effectively. Alongside one full-time working grownup within the residence and a dedication to the FreeRent monetary schooling program, households might have their lease taken care of all through 2026.
FreeRent has a purpose for every of its grant individuals to avoid wasting not less than three months of dwelling bills whereas protecting their lease. A majority of households have reached that purpose in previous cycles, with one 2025 participant emphasizing the great influence the grant had on her life.
“After they picked me to be one of many individuals of this system, I couldn’t imagine it. Simply getting that kind of break — all people’s all the time ready for some kind of aid, and on this world it’s only a few and much in-between,” stated Dwantavia Edwards. “It was overwhelming for somebody to even consider me in that technique to say ‘hey, this lady wants a break, she wants assist.’ And it’s not a handout, it was a hand up, as a result of it’s modified my life tremendously.”
The nonprofit will get most of its funding from the neighborhood, elevating $460,000 this August from its annual fundraiser. Whereas increasing to different cities, its mainstay in Atlanta helps the world because it grapples with an inexpensive housing disaster. 11Alive reported information from the Atlanta Regional Fee that confirmed wages have but to catch up with the rising prices of rents all through the town.
Nevertheless, FreeRent hopes to alleviate these points, if just a bit bit, for households hit the toughest by robust instances. The nonprofit plans to assist 300 households by 2030 as they proceed their virtuous mission. Persons are inspired to nominate somebody they know who might tremendously profit from this system,
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