Building for Tomorrow : Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority

The Reality of this Pandemic

It is no secret that COVID-19 has the potential to devastate the poorest in our community. Many of our residents do not have the safety net to catch them during times of extended uncertainty. And while it may take some time before we see the full extent of the damage, we know that the need is already great.

At the beginning of 2020, 48% of AMHA workable residents were employed. 66% of these individuals worked in industries including: food service, retail, transportation, warehouse, facilities management, temporary agencies, IT, childcare, nonprofit, faith-based/churches, and education. Unfortunately, many of these occupations are non-essential and we are seeing a drastic increase in the number of residents that are losing their positions.

Many are turning to unemployment insurance to help them get by during this uncertain time, but some are finding they do not qualify. Contractors, tipped workers, full-time students and undocumented workers may not qualify for unemployment benefits. Or if they do, there are weeks-long waiting periods before the first payment arrives.

We need your support to assist our residents with rent and utility assistance to remain stable and in compliance with their lease. Building for Tomorrow realizes that it is a challenging time for all of us, but those most at risk need your support now more than ever. Please consider a donation to Building for Tomorrow, so that we can protect the most vulnerable in our community.

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More Than Just Housing

Building for Tomorrow (BFT) is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. Our work provides residents of AMHA with the tools they need to reach their potential and to move beyond assisted housing and other public assistance.

At Building for Tomorrow, we know that housing is the foundation of poverty alleviation. But housing alone can not lift individuals out of poverty.
Change happens when individuals have access to things such as education, basic needs, childcare, self-sufficiency resources, community support, quality of life services, job training, transportation, and other catalytic services. And while AMHA is able to start the process by remaining committed to providing quality, affordable housing to Summit County residents, they are not able to provide the supportive programming to sustain it.

That’s why Building for Tomorrow, AMHA’s non-profit subsidiary, believes in offering programs, wrap-around services, and resources to empower our residents to move forward and lift themselves out of poverty.

Over 25,000 individuals in Summit County are living in housing subsidized by AMHA. AMHA is the largest landlord in Summit County. Our residents are your neighbors, your friends, your family, and your community. With so many of the county's citizens in AMHA housing, BFT is uniquely suited to serve the region’s most vulnerable populations.

Our Current Priority Areas:

Early Childhood Education

Digital Literacy

Community Building

Health and Wellness

Financial Self Sufficiency

LEARN MORE

VOLUNTEER WITH US

Volunteers make up an important part of our program capacity. We could not do what we do without people like you. Building for Tomorrow utilizes TimeCounts to manage our volunteers.

How it works:

First, fill out our general interest form below! Once your volunteer application has been processed, you will be able added to our volunteer community and you will be able to see all of our open volunteer opportunities. Click on each opportunity to learn more and see what they entail. When you find one you like, submit your information and start volunteering! If you don't find one that suits you, check back often! Our volunteer opportunities are updated regularly.

Early Childhood Education

17% of 0-5 year olds in Summit County are in AMHA Housing. Our Early Childhood Initiative provides 2 home visitation programs that prepare kids for kindergarten, hold community events that encourage childhood development, facilitate maternal depression support groups, and make community referrals for our families with young children.

Community Building

BFT manages the Reach Opportunity Center at Summit Lake, a community learning center that hosts Headstart and APS classrooms, community classes, and more! We also hold community building events throughout our properties to facilitate stronger relationships, encourage community watch groups, and connect residents with community resources that help strengthen our neighborhoods.

Digital Literacy

Nationwide, only 54% of households in public housing have access to reliable high speed internet. AMHA’s ConnectHome Akron initiative bridges the digital divide by connecting residents with high speed internet access, low-cost digital devices, and digital literacy training. With more opportunities for digital literacy, our residents become better prepared for job searches, reaching educational goals, and participating in our increasingly digital world.

Health and Wellness

BFT addresses health disparities and social determinants of health for people in poverty & encourages healthy lifestyles by facilitating health and wellness events, exercise classes, community gardens, and contributing to nationwide health and housing initiatives.

Financial Self Sufficiency

BFT is committed to empowering AMHA residents to manage, save, and optimize their finances responsibly. We support two AMHA service coordination programs, hold regular financial empowerment events, and refer residents to external financial resources such as United Way's Financial Empowerment Center.

Building for Tomorrow

Our work is driven by individual donors who care deeply about Summit County. Your dollars go towards keeping our priority areas funded. It currently costs over 1.2 million dollars annually to provide BFT services to AMHA residents, and we couldn't do it without our amazing donors, volunteers, and residents.

To apply your donation to be used across programs, click here:

BFT & AMHA

How We Coexist

Although BFT is the nonprofit subsidiary of AMHA, as a government entity, the housing authority is unable to raise funds for supportive programs that residents need to succeed. As a result, BFT relies on foundations, community organizations, and individual donors in order to be able to continue the important work of poverty alleviation.

What is In-Kind giving?

In-kind giving means giving goods or services instead of monetary funds. In this case, AMHA gives staff time “in-kind” resulting in AMHA employees who work with AMHA and BFT interchangeably.