Melanated PEARL Corp grants $30,000 in rental assistance in Clayton County

Clayton County residents need coronavirus relief funding and rental assistance, Melanated PEARL Corp steps in to support.

Mother of PEARL Housing Initiative and Eviction Prevention Program – October-December 2021 (UPDATE)

Hampton Georgia, February 1, 2021 — Clayton County residents need coronavirus relief funding and rental assistance. In response to the pandemic, Melanated PEARL Corporation, a 501C3 nonprofit, whose mission is to educate, uplift, and empower Black women, created a targeted program to prevent residents in the south metro Atlanta community from becoming homeless. Melanated PEARL Corporation launched the Mother of P.E.A.R.L. Housing Initiative and Eviction Prevention Program in September, seeking funds to pay rent for residents who had lost income because of layoffs, reduced work hours or other financial difficulties that have resulted from the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. The help is particularly important for Clayton, where renters make up half of the county’s households and more than 50% of households are led by working women. Present data shows,  1. The largest demographic living in poverty are females, aged  25-34, followed by ages 35 – 44, and then ages 6 – 11. 2. The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line is Black, followed by Hispanic and White. 3. Many families, mostly women and their children, are facing eviction or living in one room extended-stay hotels. Our primary goal was to secure safe and affordable housing by providing  financial support to assist displaced women and families facing eviction.

Our organization received a request for assistance in early October via phone and began offering services to its first grantee. On November 19, 2020, the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, a joint effort from Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta, announced grants supporting education-focused interventions, food insecurity, housing and mental health services. Melanated PEARL Corporation was awarded $25,000 for general operating support for homeless prevention services for families led by women of color in Clayton County.

The formal Mother of P.E.A.R.L. in-take form went live in mid-November, and by December 31, 2021 we’d received 35 applications for a total of over $50,000. All applicants were required to submit an intake Google form, complete a virtual interview via Zoom or FaceTime, meet eligibility assessment, screening requirements, and agree to employment support, wellness check-ins, and financial literacy training for up to 6 months (at no cost to the participant). A recipient of monies had to be: 1) Currently employed, 2) Have received an eviction notice or proof  homelessness or residency at a hotel, and 3) Proof of residence in Clayton County. 

Melanated PEARL Corp contributes $30,000 and counting in rental assistance to prevent eviction in Clayton County, GA.

Melanated Pearl Corporation was able to secure housing and prevent eviction for 21 families in the Clayton County community. We are proud to stand in the gap as a conduit by providing resources through focused partnerships to meet the various needs of our grantees and serving as liaison between the residents we serve, their community, and the property management team as needed and with grantees permission. Consistent with data trends, 85.7 % of our applicants requested rental assistance, 87.6% of our applicants identified themselves as women,  and 90.6% of our applicants identified as Black. Applications were accepted on a first come, first serve basis and documents were submitted to a review committed in the order received. 

The in-take process was closed on December, 31, 2020 once funds were exhausted.

2021 and Beyond.

We continue to seek funds and secure contracts that help to support our efforts. We are completing the NEXT STEPS to secure two grants received in January 2021.

Funding Update

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta reviewed our recent grant request and we were awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000. It is the intention of the Community Committee that the grant be used toward general operating support for homeless prevention services for families led by women of color in Clayton County.  

The Clayton County Cares COVID Relief Fund Committee reviewed and approved our grant request and, our non-profit organization was been awarded a grant for $5,000.

About Us

Melanated Pearl Corporation is a 501c3 non profit organization located in Hampton, Ga a subsection of Clayton County established in November 2018. PEARL is an acronym meaning Passionate Engaged Activists, Resisting Limitations and we speak to our audiences passions, engage them, give them a call to action and show them how to resist the idea that they are limited in any way.  

Melanated Pearl Corporation plays a vital role in building a healthy community by providing critical services that contribute to economic stability and mobility of women. 

Our organization targets services for Black Women in the Metro Atlanta area. Our mission is to empower, educate and uplift Black Women. 

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