Philly nonprofit, Clarifi, to keep families housed with $845K William Penn Foundation grant

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Clarifi, the largest provider of financial and housing empowerment services in Greater Philadelphia, was awarded more than $845,000 from the William Penn Foundation to fund a new homelessness prevention program.

Over the next three years, Clarifi will serve 1,100 low-to-moderate income families with children eight years or younger through the grant. The Philadelphia-based nonprofit will combine its expert, personalized counseling with direct financial assistance and legal support through local partnerships to help families stabilize their housing.

“Every time we prevent an eviction, we ensure more children gain futures with safe and affordable housing,” said Annie Murphy, Executive Director of Clarifi. “This program doesn’t just prevent homelessness before it starts—it lays the foundation for long-term economic mobility for the families we serve.”

The grant also provides a research opportunity for Clarifi to determine the most effective strategies for delivering financial support and counseling to families.

Clarifi’s goal is to reach families at the first sign of a financial issue—such as unexpected medical bills or income loss that can delay rent payments—before it becomes a full-blown crisis, like eviction. These early intervention methods are designed to both ensure housing stability and get clients on a path to achieve their financial goals.

“We know that housing stability is deeply tied to the well-being and success of Philadelphia families,” said Jennifer Stavrakos, Director of the Children and Families Program at the William Penn Foundation. “That’s why we focus our funding on keeping families in their homes, ensuring every child can thrive from the very beginning.”

Housing instability is an ongoing issue in Philadelphia: More than 8,300 of the city’s children experienced homelessness during the 2022 school year, and one in four renters reportedly faced safety issues like pests, fire, water damage, and mold.

Housing instability is also expensive: Eviction mediation and subsequent penalties, for example, can cost upwards of $10,000. It is almost always less expensive to retain a tenant than to evict them, and some tenants may only be $1,000 or $2,000 behind on rent. By intervening early—and with the right resources—these costs can be avoided entirely.

The William Penn Foundation grant builds on Clarifi’s growing expertise in housing stabilization services: In 2024, Clarifi was awarded a TD Bank Ready Challenge grant to provide direct financial relief and personalized counseling services to Philadelphians facing housing delinquency, debt, and loan access issues. Clarifi also partners with the City of Philadelphia’s Eviction Mediation Program, the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project, and Vanguard on similar initiatives.

Since 2020, Clarifi has given more than $2.1 million in direct assistance to residents throughout the Delaware Valley, so more families can take control of their finances and build and preserve their wealth. Direct assistance gives people the decision-making power and dignity to meet their own needs while accelerating progress toward financial resilience.
“By combining Clarifi’s expert financial guidance with cash assistance, we can bridge affordability gaps, keep families in their homes, and help more Philadelphians preserve their wealth,” Murphy said.

ABOUT CLARIFI: Clarifi is the largest provider of financial and housing empowerment services for low-to-moderate income families in Greater Philadelphia—at no cost to them. Clarifi’s expert counselors help thousands of people each year develop the skills and resilience they need to build healthier and more financially secure lives, in turn creating stronger families, households, and neighborhoods. For more information, visit clarifi.org.

ABOUT WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION: The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.

Taylor Goebel
Clarifi
+1 267-995-1670
tgoebel@clarifi.org