Finalists Announced for the $250,000 New Arizona Prize: Housing Security Challenge

The Arizona Community Foundation, Republic Media, and ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy are pleased to announce the five finalists in the Housing Security Challenge, the fourth philanthropic prize competition offered under the New Arizona Prize banner.

A total of 13 teams met the deadline to submit projects for consideration by the eight-member evaluation panel and five teams scored highly enough to qualify as finalists. These finalists will pitch their solutions and compete for the $250,000 grant during the Finalist Pitch & Prize Ceremony, which will be held virtually on Wednesday, May 26 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Arizona time.

The Housing Security Challenge invited proposals that respond to the lack of affordable and stable housing in Arizona. But unlike traditional projects focused on constructing new housing units, the prize competition requires applicants to develop solutions rooted in supportive services related to racial inequality, economic and physical mobility, social work, public health, and education.

The five finalists represent a number of community organizations and partners, many of whom have joined forces to bring collaborative, innovative solutions to the table.

Team: Chicanos Por La Causa
Project: The Eviction Crisis – Protecting People, Saving Homes

Chicanos Por La Causa will partner with the Arizona Housing Coalition and Corporation for Supportive Housing to mitigate the housing crisis by: 1) piloting a direct service model for renters at imminent risk of eviction, 2) providing statewide coordination with stakeholders, guided by those of lived experience, and 3) advocating to reform systems.

Team: Our Family Services, Inc.
Project: Closing the Gap: Post Homelessness Housing Security Subsidy

Those who have weathered homelessness and completed a housing program exit in a financially precarious position in a post-COVID world. This team proposes giving 25 households a no-strings-attached subsidy of $500 per month for one year, empowering them to build their own foundation for long-term stability.

Team: Tempe Community Action Agency
Project: The East Valley Senior Home Sharing (SHS) Program

Maricopa County is experiencing a crisis of elderly homelessness. The East Valley Senior Home Sharing program interrupts this crisis. Older adults at risk of homelessness are matched with roommates and share housing costs, companionship, and responsibilities. An array of wrap-around services will foster housing permanency, independent living, and saved lives.

Team: Trellis
Project: Community Voices: Resident-Led Solutions for Housing Stability

Without a home, a person is lost. Without housing stability, communities are tempest-tossed. The Community Voices Coalition of seven community partners looks to invest in residents – to build leaders who don’t just have a seat at the table, but ARE the table – who identify their community’s strengths and challenges, define solutions, and advocate for action.

Team: UMOM New Day Centers, Inc.
Project: Landlord Incentive Partnership Pilot for Sustainable Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is scarce, the homeless service system is overflowing, and landlords hold the keys – literally – to housing security. While fear, inequitable practices, and a global pandemic exacerbate the gap, UMOM believes that direct education and lease incentives will open the doors for our most vulnerable community members.

To view team videos and learn more about the finalists, visit housingsecuritychallenge.org.

The New Arizona Prize is aimed at creating the Arizona of tomorrow: a state where innovation thrives, ingenuity is supported, and the best thinking is harnessed to create long-term, positive solutions to persistent needs. While continuing to award grants, scholarships, and community loans that topped $150 million in its last fiscal year, the Arizona Community Foundation has committed to hosting philanthropic prize competitions designed to attract new thinking and innovation. Through these open, fair and transparent competitions, ACF, in partnership with Republic Media and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, deploys a portion of its philanthropic resources to generate innovative solutions to our state’s challenges.

Established in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation is a statewide family of charitable funds supported by thousands of Arizonans. With five regional offices serving communities across Arizona, ACF is among the top 25 community foundations in the nation with more than $1 billion in trust and endowment assets, and is certified under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. Since inception, ACF and its affiliates have awarded more than $1 billion in grants, scholarships, and loans to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government agencies. More information is available at azfoundation.org.