Nearly two years after it was created, the THRIVE program has been expanded to offer financial assistance to those who work in education or for nonprofits. This is an addition to the Cape residents employed in childcare or working with people with developmental disabilities who were eligible when THRIVE (Tools to Help Residents in a Vulnerable Economy) was launched in June 2022.
“Anyone who works for a nonprofit or works in education and has a year round rental and is rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of their income toward rent) is now eligible for the program,” said Heidi Archibald, Housing Assistance’s senior director of leased housing. “We identified those as important industries to have staffed on Cape Cod.”
Designed to assist employees who are an essential part of the Cape workforce and who are struggling to pay for housing and other bills, THRIVE provides a monthly stipend of $450 toward rent for up to 24 months. Participants work with a HUD-certified counselor on financial plans with long-term goals in mind.
Among those who’ve been assisted by THRIVE is Nicole Lavelle, a special ed teacher who lives in Harwich with her daughter.
“I was working three or four jobs, and I was just so burned out,” she said. “My daughter MacKenzie is 12, so my whole thing is just being able to keep a roof over her head. I called Housing Assistance and asked about some other programs, but I wasn’t eligible for those. Then they mentioned THRIVE and said I’d qualify if I worked with people with disabilities. And I was like, ‘Thank you, Lord. This is the one time the sun shines upon me.’ It was so difficult to make ends meet before this.”
As part of the program, Lavelle works with Shannon Pyne, Housing Assistance’s lead housing counselor and community educator. “I feel so supported because it’s not just about the monetary part of it, but also to have somebody who will listen and sympathize,” said Lavelle.
“I had certain goals that I wanted to meet, and then the economy changed so much, so fast that my five-year plan does not look anything like it did. THRIVE literally saves me from having to work a day job and a night job. When would I ever see my kid?”
To be eligible for THRIVE, applicants must have at least one household member working in childcare, disability care services or education or for a nonprofit. Other criteria apply. To learn more, visit haconcapecod.org/program-services/rental-voucher-programs/thrive/ or call 508-771-5400, ext. 241.
THRIVE is supported through a combination of donations from the United Way, the United Way Board, the Bilezikian Family Foundation, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
