Foundation match bolsters Harvest House's new affordable housing project, Lakeview Village

Fresh off of being named "Non-Profit of the Year" during the recent Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards, Harvest House now has even more to celebrate. The organization has been working to bring to life Lakeview Village, a new construction project that will develop 25 units of affordable rental housing in North Sarasota, adjacent to Lake Park and Emma E. Booker Elementary School. In support of this effort, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) and a group of generous donors are providing a $500,000 matching challenge; every donation made toward the Lakeview Village campaign will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000.

The $500,000 matching challenge is made possible by Gulf Coast Community Foundation and its generous donors, including the Elsa and Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation, Bob and Lin Williams, and Kathy and Travis Brown, who together are matching gifts to the Lakeview Village campaign dollar for dollar, up to $500,000.

The affordable housing project will serve households earning 60-80% of the area median income, with priority given to educators, social workers and vulnerable seniors. The facility will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments

The development is being led by Harvest House in partnership with One Stop Housing and funded in part by the Resilient SRQ CDBG-DR (Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery) program. The goal is to provide long-term housing stability, strengthen the local workforce, and contribute to neighborhood revitalization through high-quality, energy-efficient homes.

"This matching opportunity allows community contributions to have twice the impact while helping us to close the remaining funding gap and bring more safe, stable and affordable housing to Sarasota families," said Harvest House president and CEO Dan Minor. "We are grateful to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for providing this challenge match, to inspire giving throughout the community. Once Lakeview Village is completed, not only will the available housing strengthen families and the community, it will also create a revenue stream for our organization, to bolster our supportive/affordable housing, addiction recovery programs, and food security efforts."

“Lakeview Village is housing that funds housing: attainable homes for Sarasota's workforce today, and a lasting revenue source that allows Harvest House to keep housing our neighbors for years to come,” said Phillip Lanham, Gulf Coast President | CEO. “That kind of dual impact is exactly why Gulf Coast is proud to match this campaign, and we hope our community will join us before October 31."

Other funding for the project includes $1 million from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

To-date, $153,500 has been raised toward the match, which will generate $307,000 total for Lakeview Village. Of the $5.6 million project goal, $3.5 million has already been awarded and the Challenge Match is expected to add $1 million, leaving Harvest House with $1.1 million left to raise.

Community members are encouraged to donate toward the Lakeview Village Challenge Match; visit qrco.de/lakeviewvillage. Gifts of every amount will be appreciated – and will make a difference.

For more about Harvest House, visit harvesthousecenters.org.

About Harvest House
Harvest House is a local supportive housing and hunger relief provider with 300-plus beds and multiple programs throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. Harvest House became a pioneer in the local supportive and affordable housing movement in 1992. It serves members of our community who are working to rebuild their lives, including families and children experiencing homelessness, and adults with a history of addiction and incarceration. Its programs improve the economic status of residents and stabilize lives for generations to come. For more information, visit harvesthousecenters.org.