Icovia Software Helps Partnership For The Homeless

Furniture World Magazine

Furnish a Future (FaF), a program of the Partnership for the Homeless, and Icovia are teaming up to help formerly homeless New Yorkers create comfortable and inviting homes for their newly-housed families. Founded over 15 years ago with the help of legendary philanthropist Brooke Astor, Furnish a Future is New York City’s only free furniture bank for formerly homeless families and single adults. FaF clients, most of whom are transitioning out of New York City’s shelter system, select furniture and household goods from a warehouse full of new and nearly-new items donated by generous corporations and individuals that are delivered, free of charge, to their new apartments. This past fiscal year, FaF provided furnishings to almost 1,900 households (including over 6,500 parents and children). Much more than just a giveaway, FaF services are a key element in promoting housing stability: with FaF furnishings delivered to their new homes, formerly homeless New Yorkers develop a sense of place and create a welcoming and secure environment for themselves and their families. To further this mission, Icovia, a leading provider of online room planning solutions to the home furnishings and real estate industries, has donated the use of its software to FaF. Icovia allows people to quickly and easily create and “furnish” rooms to scale. When clients come to FaF, they generally have no furniture, accessories, or house wares to bring to their new homes—they’re starting from scratch. The Icovia software will enable FaF’s Home Furnishings Associate to sit with each client and select pieces based on the apartment size, room configuration and elevator availability. More importantly, using Icovia will help FaF staff recommend furniture that will work together to create a comfortable and inviting home for newly-housed families. Commented David Espinosa, Director of Furnish a Future: “The Partnership for the Homeless and FaF are very grateful to Icovia for its thoughtful and generous donation to our cause. It will be an important tool for helping our formerly homeless families transition into their new homes with dignity and respect.” Commented Steve Street, CEO of Icovia: “Icovia is proud to play a role in helping people turn their lives around. We are very pleased to support Furnish a Future and the Partnership for the Homeless.” About The Partnership for the Homeless: The Partnership for the Homeless began in 1982 as a single shelter in a Manhattan church basement. Today, the Partnership’s public/private collaborations, direct service programs, and advocacy efforts help families and individuals make the successful transition from New York City streets to permanent housing, skilled jobs and self-sufficiency. About Icovia: 20-20 Icovia Inc., was founded in 2000 and has become the industry leading online room planning solution for home furnishings retailers, manufacturers, interior designers and homeowners. The Icovia Room Planner delivers value to businesses and consumers at once with powerful, easy-to-use interior design tools that combine free usage with registration-based features to identify potential buyers as actionable contacts. Through our acquisition by 20-20 Technologies in January of 2008 Icovia is now bringing the resources of a global company focused on interior design technologies to the home furnishings industry. Icovia is headquartered in Londonderry, NH.