YWCA Quincy receives more than $500,000 in state dollars to help start new program

QUINCY — YWCA Quincy recently was awarded more than half of a million dollars over the next three years from the state of Illinois to help kickstart a new program.

The Gap Project will focus on getting people on the verge of becoming homeless into the organization’s housing program. This is a population that does not qualify for YWCA Quincy’s current Permanent Supportive Housing program. Unlike other current qualifications, applicants for The Gap Project will not be required to have a disabling condition.

“This project will fill a gap in Quincy to help those that are at risk of becoming homeless. Last year, there were more than 500 reported cases of homelessness in Quincy,” YWCA Quincy Executive Director Maria Rench said in a press release.

The state grant awarded to YWCA Quincy comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds distributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Funds raised through Quincy Medical Group’s Bridge the Gap to Health Race, scheduled for May 14 this year, also will support YWCA Quincy’s efforts to end homelessness.

“We believe by financially supporting the YWCA Supportive Housing Program we are able to move individuals and families off the streets into a program that teaches life skills that help individuals be successful,” Morgan Parker, QMG’s community relations director, said in a press release. “The program takes a hands on approach and offers those in need more than just a place to stay.”

The Gap Project already is underway. Rench has been actively seeking more rental units in Quincy. With the city’s new Small Rental Rehabilitation Program now in place, Rench thought it would entice landlords to rehab structures and offer more options to the YWCA program.

“We look to rent a minimum of 10 more units by the end of 2022,” said Rench.

YWCA Quincy is a nonprofit organization that has served the area since 1905. Today, the organization’s core effort is the Permanent Supportive Housing Program, which provides the most vulnerable homeless families with safe, affordable housing, intensive case management and financial literacy.

For more information contact Rench at (217) 221-9922 or mariarench@ywcaquincy.org.