Avalon Housing received about $112,000 from three Ann Arbor-area financial institutions and matching funds from Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis to support services such as case management, food pantries and health care for its tenants.
Bank of Ann Arbor, Lake Trust Credit Union and Northstar Bank contributed through FHLBank Indianapolis’s Community Multiplier program, which matched the local donations 4-to-1, Avalon Housing announced Oct. 26.
Including the matching funds, Bank of Ann Arbor accounted for $56,250, Lake Trust Credit Union for $37,500 and Northstar Bank for $18,750, according to Avalon. The three figures total $112,500; Avalon’s announcement listed the overall total as $112,000.
Molly Smith, Avalon’s director of services and interim co-executive director, said the funding stands out for its flexibility.
“This support is especially valuable because we have a great deal of flexibility with how we use the resources,” Smith said.
That flexibility means the money can go toward case management, food pantries or health care, among other services, she said.
The Community Multiplier program supports nonprofits in Indiana and Michigan working on affordable housing initiatives. Housing stability and supportive services is one of its priority areas, covering case management, health care and substance use counseling.
Smith also testified before the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services on March 17, describing the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of Avalon’s permanent supportive housing. She told lawmakers about a 72-year-old client with multiple health conditions who had experienced years of homelessness before Avalon staff helped her find stable housing and health care, according to Avalon’s account of the testimony.
This year’s funding follows a larger contribution in the prior year, when the program provided $137,000 through a Bank of Ann Arbor donation and a 10-to-1 FHLBank Indianapolis match, according to Avalon.
The announcement does not specify a spending timeline.
