Emergency Family Assistance Association Inc

Efaa's short-term and transitional housing programs provide homeless families in boulder county with a safe place to live and resource navigation support in their efforts to attain financial stability and self-sufficiency. The families in our short-term housing program are housed in efaa apartments rent free for up to four months. During their stay, efaa provides intensive resource navigation, goal setting, savings plans and most living expenses, including household items, food, and transportation. Families save their incomes so when they leave the program, they have accumulated savings which they use to secure long-term, affordable housing. Families in our transitional housing program are housed in our apartments for up to eleven months, pay nominal rent and are required to work with a resource navigator to achieve self-identified goals (increased income, education, job training, etc.). Most of the families in our transitional program started in our short-term program. Ideally, when they move out, they have accumulated adequate savings to secure long-term housing, their families have stabilized, have increased their earnings ability and have experienced success at being good tenants. Efaa has 64 units for these programs in boulder, lafayette, longmont, louisville, and nederland. In fy 2025, we provided housing to 95 unduplicated households representing 381 individuals (including 204 children) and 90% of families who exited efaa's housing programs were successful in moving into affordable, long-term housing. In fy 2025, efaa provided $6,291 in direct financial assistance for rent, deposits, utilities, transportation, minor medical and dental needs, eyeglasses, etc, through our short-term and transitional housing programs.

Families, and especially children, residing in efaa's housing are continually assessed for unmet needs during their stay. In addition to their general family needs, children are provided targeted program opportunities such as after school activities and homework help. The goal of the family strengthening program is to make sure that the needs of the children in our housing are being met during their stay with us and ensuring that the children's home life, education, and health are stable and progressing. The program seeks to stop the cycle of homelessness by educating our families on how to promote a healthy and stable lifestyle for parents and their children. Efaa works closely with the school districts and teachers to make sure the children are attending school, receiving free lunch, getting program fees waived, free transportation to their school of origin, etc. In addition, we work with parents to encourage their active engagement with their children's school and teacher, which research shows is crucial in improving children's achievement levels. Also, educational and fun presentations are brought to our housing sites from museums and other organizatons. Families are provided free tickets to museums, live performances, sporting events and local events, in order to provide enrichment not generally available to homeless families. In fy 2025, specialized case management services were available to 204 children residing in efaa housing. In fy 2025, efaa provided $21,185 in direct financial assistance for summer and holiday camps.

Efaa's strategic education and community outreach program aims to increase community awareness of key issues facing lower-income residents, influence public policies, initiatives and legislation, and give voice to participants on the issues affecting their lives. Community outreach efforts promote knowledge about, and access to, efaa services to vulnerable community members, civic organizations, potential volunteers and the general public. In addition, this program supports efaa's participant advisory committee (pac), which is a sub-committee of the board of directors and is made up of participants that utilize efaa's programs. The pac advises staff and the board on recommendations or issues with efaa's programs from a participant perspective.