The $350,000 Transformation Grant will go to the Quad Cities Housing Council over the next three years.
Kelly Thompson from the Community Foundation says affordable housing is desperately needed in our region.
"We try to get involved in issues that are bigger than any one person or organization can address, and our community's affordable housing crisis (which is showing up all over the country) is absolutely one of those issue that no one person or organization can address."
The Quad Cities Housing Council coordinates a network of 60 organizations, including nonprofits, developers, financial institutions, and social services. The grant will help the Council develop more affordable housing units, provide services that support housing stability, raise funds for local housing, and protect tenant rights.
Thompson says stable housing helps families keep their kids in the same schools, stay healthier, and avoid confrontations with law enforcement.
"Instability in housing and people losing their homes has a ripple effect throughout our community and this vision says 'we want to tackle that head-on,' for the good of these families, but also for the good of our whole community."
The $350,000 grant is made possible by Quad Cities donors over the past 50 years who have contributed to the Community Impact Fund, a permanent endowment that allows the Foundation to respond to the most pressing needs of the region.