To the editor:

We at Family Promise of Lawrence celebrate our first anniversary with joy! This holiday season we will again host families with children who would otherwise find themselves in a world of uncertainty and anxiety when others are celebrating. Without our community partners, this gift would be impossible.

First, of course, without the 26 congregations and campus ministry groups who provide gracious hospitality, home-cooked food and overnight accommodations for our guest families, we would be unable to serve these families. Another partnership that’s easy for the community to overlook, however, is between Family Promise and the Lawrence/Douglas County Housing Authority.

We are incredibly fortunate to receive the high quality services provided for families in housing crisis through LDCHA. For example, without the Transitional Housing Program’s assistance in prioritizing families in housing crisis, our guests would wait years rather than months for federal rent subsidies.

The new e-Housing Connector program through LDCHA offers further support for families in housing crisis by connecting them with a pool of landlords who may be willing to rent to them despite a recent eviction. In addition, the e-Housing Connector program also provides deposit assistance and a subsidy for the first three months of tenancy for many families. We strongly encourage local landlords to get involved with this service.

Our earnest thanks go out to all the hard working staff at LDCHA. Without their partnership many deserving families would struggle without hope of affordable permanent housing.