In a continuing effort to keep the congregation informed on the issue of affordable housing, this month and next month your Beacon Housing committee would like to share information about Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners in Plymouth and their annual Sleep Out to raise funds and provide assistance for low income families.
IOCP notes that of the 27,000 plus families in the service area, 9% or about 2,400 families have incomes that put them in poverty. With the rise in inflation, low incomes and less affordable housing , there is the need for support of IOCP is high. Since its inception over 29 years ago, the annual Sleep Out initiative to raise funds and awareness has helped to prevent evictions or homelessness more than 36,000 times. In just the past year, IOCP prevented homelessness 511 times by providing housing related financial assistance. IOCP serves the area of Plymouth, Wayzata, Hamel, Long Lake, Medina, Minnetonka Beach and Orono. The income of a family of four considered to be in poverty is $62,000. The average income of IOCP clients is $28,000. Based in MIT’s living wage calculator and taking into account bills, child care, housing etc, the living wage for a family of four should be $132,780 per year.
For more information, visit https://iocp.org/donations/sleepout/.