Credit: Friends of Tina Davis
Bucks County philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein donated $68,000 to the Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) to fund a pilot program that will help about 20 to 25 families facing eviction stay in their homes while they regain their financial footing.
The program goes beyond temporary rental assistance by also offering employment training and other individualized support over six months to a year, with the goal of making families self-sufficient so they don’t face eviction again.
BCOC CEO Erin Lukoss noted that more than 4,970 Bucks County households face eviction each year — the sixth-highest eviction rate in Pennsylvania.
Both Lukoss and Gene Epstein emphasized that preventing homelessness is cheaper than housing people in hotels and spares children the disruption that often requires extra support in school. The funding came from a matching campaign launched last year, in which the Epsteins pledged up to $50,000 if BCOC raised an equal amount. The organization surpassed that goal, so the couple added another $18,000.