BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY INC
Solving Homelessness with Housing
Mission
To provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County, Maryland.
Notes from the nonprofit
Bridges is a growing nonprofit. We have increased our capacity and our programs steadily over the past 30 years. We are proud to serve the residents and workers of Howard County. We're working to build an inclusive and economically diverse community.
Ruling year
1991
Executive Director
Mrs. Jennifer Broderick
Main address
9520 Berger Rd Suite 311
Columbia, MD 21046 USA
Formerly known as
Congregations Concerned for the Homeless
EIN
52-1723716
NTEE code
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (L01)
Human Service Organizations (P20)
Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement (S20)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There is a shortage of 6,572 units of affordable rental housing for low-income households which accounts for 30% of Howard County renters. During the 2017-2018 academic year, the Howard County Public School System identified 494 homeless students. In Howard County, over 350 households evicted each year, 600 individuals without shelter experience homelessness every year, and more than four hundred households self-identify as homeless or within two weeks of becoming homeless on any one day. Twenty-five percent of Howard County renters are cost-burdened by paying more than 30% of their income for housing and another 22% are experiencing severe rent burden by paying more than 50% of their income on rent. Bridges is working to address the housing shortage, and make homelessness brief, rare, and non-recurring by increasing the availability of affordable housing, prevention, and rehousing services through targeted programs.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Rapid Re-housing
Within the Housing Stability Program, the Rapid Re-housing program assists displaced individuals and families into permanent housing quickly through a housing first approach. Once clients are rehoused, financial assistance can be given to jumpstart clients housing stability such as a security deposit, first months' rent, and/or a shallow subsidy. Clients work with case managers to obtain resources and work on goals such as increasing income and locating childcare.
Bridges Alliance
The Alliance program provides affordable, below-market rental housing to low-income households. Today the program owns or operates 45 rental homes in the County. Households in the program participate in a “Circle of Support” designed to help them move along the path to self-sufficiency. In addition, tenants are offered regular education sessions related to financial literacy, budgeting and saving, credit repair, investing for retirement, and buying a home.
Shelter Diversion - Family Stability Program
Within the Housing Stability Program, Shelter Diversion program is an alternative to traditional shelters for hard to shelter families with children. Through Shelter Diversion, we quickly place families with children within 30 days, and provide short-term comprehensive case management, rental and financial assistance, and life skills training for approximately 14 families each year.
Housing Connections
The Housing Connections Program provides outreach and support for landlords willing to rent to households with housing barriers. Housing Connections also provides assistance with the search to secure tenancy and prevent evictions for households facing challenges remaining stably housed, case management, ongoing employment services and access to community resources.
Housing Subsidy Stability Program (HSSP)
Within the Housing Stability Program, HSSP provides housing rental subsidies to the chronically homeless Howard County residents often with disabilities. This population has exhausted all the services of local homeless prevention, housing stability, rapid re-housing and/or shelter programs available in Howard County and continue to be unable to secure affordable, stable housing. Tenants in the program receive ongoing case management and support from Bridges staff to remain stable and work toward long-term goals.
Eviction Prevention
Within the Housing Stability Program, the Eviction Prevention Program's primary goal is to assist tenants who are facing an immediate eviction from their landlords. Individuals and families who are facing unforeseen hardship receive intensive case management and resources to provide emergency relief.
Housing Stability Program
Our Housing Stability Programs are a multi-track component of Bridges to Housing Stability that utilizes case management as the primary tool for assisting homeless and at-risk households in obtaining and maintaining housing. Bridges to Housing Stability Programs operate from an understanding that affordable housing in the communities can solve homelessness. Bridges work to house homeless families and prevent homelessness among families facing evictions or without lease stability. As a partner in the Howard County Coordinated Entry System, Bridges assists Howard County families who are homeless or in danger of losing their rental unit within 14 days.
Emergency Housing Program
Within the Housing Stability Program, the Emergency Housing Program supports efforts to assist families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Funding provides short-term rental assistance to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of clients experiencing homelessness
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Related Program
Rapid Re-housing
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes total number of homeless individuals in Rehousing, Housing Stability Subsidy, Housing Location, & Shelter Diversion programs that were experiencing homelessness at entry.
Number of homeless participants engaged in housing services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Related Program
Rapid Re-housing
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes all programs: Housing Stability, Shelter Diversion, Landlord Engagement, Housing Stability Subsidy Program, and Rapid Rehousing, Bridges Alliance.
Number of households that obtain/retain permanent housing for at least 6 months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All programs: Rehousing, prevention, Bridges Alliance Affordable housing, Shelter Diversion, Housing Specialist, and Housing Stability Subsidy Programs.
Number of homebuyers/tenants with low incomes receiving housing subsidies as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, Economically disadvantaged people, People with disabilities
Related Program
Housing Subsidy Stability Program (HSSP)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Housing Stability Subsidy, and Shelter Diversion programs.
Number of people in the area with access to affordable housing as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Housing Stability Subsidy, Shelter Diversion, and Bridges Alliance programs
Number of children and youth who have received access to stable housing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All Children or youth that had stable housing in a Bridges program.
Number of households served with eviction notice or forced displacement
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Rapid Re-housing
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is the number of evictions that were prevented during the fiscal year.
Number of people benefitting from intensive case management services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Rehousing, Prevention, Landlord Engagement, Shelter Diversion, Housing Stability Subsidy programs & Housing Specialist.
Number of low-income families housed in affordable, well-maintained units as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families
Related Program
Bridges Alliance
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Bridges Alliance has continued to steadily build the Affordable housing program over the past 5 years.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
*Prevent Homelessness by providing financial assistance, case management, building community supports for individuals, and budget coaching.
*End Homelessness by rehousing individuals and families in housing they can afford, and sustain.
*Assist households in attaining self sufficiency by providing a tenant success certificate program, employment coaching, follow-up services, referrals to resources, and budget and goal planning.
*Provide affordable housing to low-income Howard County Workers by partnering with the Howard County Housing Commission, the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development, and our 100 Homes for 100 Households partners to add additional affordable units to the housing stock in Howard County, and ensuring the rental burden is lowered so households can stay housed in the community where they work.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our 2017-2020 Strategic Plan maps out the strategies that will help Bridges achieve its goals. Bridges' practices align with the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), focusing on the prevention of homelessness and Housing First model, an approach that stresses the placement of homeless individuals and families in permanent housing, not shelter. Bridges has been a leader and advocate in bringing the NAEH approach to Howard County, influencing the development of Howard County. Bridges has continued to expand Bridges Alliance, the affordable housing program, permanent supportive housing, shelter diversion, and Rapid Re-Housing. Bridges is part of the local Continuum of Care, and the Board to Promote Self Sufficiency.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Bridges has 12 skilled staff with a combined 70+ years of experience with low income housing, case management, or finance work in 3 programs and administration. All programs are focused on housing stability for low-income households with a vision of eradicating homelessness in our county. Case management services for homeless or at risk households follow a housing first model, are client centered, and employ a creative, problem-solving, empowerment approach to support housing stability. Case management includes creation of a plan that includes identified measurable goals. A majority of households remain housed long term. Bridges Alliance provides below market scattered site rental housing for 31 families working in the County. Partnerships ensure the program continues to grow by adding 6 additional housing units annually. Housing Connections provides housing location and case management for up to 18 months to low income tenants & supports landlords that rent to households with barriers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2016 Bridges' completed the goals set out in the Strategic Plan created in 2012. Bridges has added 3 new programs in the past 4 years, adding new staff, and providing services to a broader spectrum of low-income homeless and at-risk households.
A new Strategic Plan for 2017-2020 was passed by the Board of Directors in June 2017. This plan focuses Bridges' work on case management leadership, expanding the Affordable Housing program (Bridges Alliance), involvement in the update to the County's Plan to End Homelessness, and becoming a workplace of choice for staff. Bridges will continue to expand on 3 current programs by increasing Affordable Housing units, Permanent Supportive Housing slots, and rapid-rehousing families served.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY INC
Board of directorsas of 11/09/2021
Ms. Jessica Zuniga
Foundation Development Group
Term: 2020 - 2022
Mr. James Collins
Retired, US Army Lieutenant Colonel
Term: 2020 - 2022
Reid Spearman
Dakota Consulting, Inc.
Tracey Williams
Howard County Public Schools
Ruth Hoang
Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners
Rogers Lewis
Retired
Cassandra Jones Havard
University of Baltimore School of Law
Jessica Zuniga
Foundation Development Group
James Collins
Retired
Patrick Curran
Crawford Advisors
Waqas Hussain
Humphrey Management
Dona Oldfield
Retired
Sara Johnson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/09/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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