The Polk County Housing Trust Fund has approved nearly $600,000 in grants to 11 organizations to help bridge the gap between affordable housing and families in the community. According to a  news release, the grants, from the organization’s Programs and Supportive Services grant program, will help fund programs and services that help improve stability and self-sufficiency among residents. The grants come from community investments in the housing trust’s Stable, Steady, Strong fundraising effort. That supplements the housing trust’s operating funding and development grant funds provided by Polk County and the State Housing Trust Fund, administered by the Iowa Finance Authority. Eric Burmeister, executive director of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, said the “investment in programs to get people housed and keep them in housing longer creates a stronger community for all.” Cole McClelland, chair of the trust’s board of directors, said the grants help partner organizations serve thousands of people each year. “Homeownership counseling, case management, job training, and financial education are just some of the ways the community’s investment helps families in our community,” McClelland said.