Affordable housing nonprofit seeking donations to help families pay rent

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Foundation Communities, a local nonprofit that provides affordable housing, is asking for donations to replenish an emergency program fund designed to help struggling families pay for things like rent, utilities, and groceries.

For the second year in a row, the nonprofit said the demand for financial assistance exceeded the budget of the program. According to a news release from Foundation Communities, the program helped more than 200 families at a cost of $180,000, which is $30,000 more than its budget.

What's causing the high demand?

Inflation and the higher cost of living in Austin forced low-income families to request more money from the fund, according to the news release.

Karol Iruegas, her partner Jaime Lopez, and their 5-year-old son Elias live in a Foundation Communities development in the Mueller neighborhood. Iruegas is a full-time student at Austin Community College studying cybersecurity, and the family has to live paycheck to paycheck off of Lopez's income. They're expecting a second child in 2024.

They benefit from the emergency program because it pays their rent.

"I don't want to even think about where we'd be if we never found them and they gave us that call that the apartment was ready to be moved in," Ireguas said.

Iruegas said it has been very tough to survive with how expensive things have become. She also said they have not received SNAP benefits in the past three months and don't expect any state assistance anytime soon.

"I think it will take like another three months, or 100 days at least, if at all," Lopez said.

How can you help?

You can learn more about donating to the emergency fund on the nonprofit's website. The money you donate would go directly to paying someone's rent, utility, or grocery bill.

"It could mean the difference between someone having a roof over their head, and not only that but also for following their dreams," Iruegas explained.