Housing Families, Inc.
Housing Families, Inc.
EIN: 04-2925846
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
At Housing Families, we are working to achieve housing equity and well-being for all. As a nonprofit organization, we partner with communities, families, and individuals to ensure housing stability by offering personalized services including temporary and permanent housing, food assistance, individual counseling and group therapy, legal assistance, and youth programs.
Ruling year
1987
Principal Officer
Ms. Laura Rosi Esq.
Main address
919 Eastern Avenue
Malden, MA 02148 USA
Formerly known as
TriCity Family Housing
EIN
04-2925846
Out-of-school learning
Housing loss prevention
Basic and emergency aid
Homeless shelters
Homeless services
Population served
Homeless people
Low-income people
Extremely poor people
Working poor
NTEE code
Temporary Shelter For the Homeless (L41)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Affiliations
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We seek to ensure housing equity and well-being for all.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
GREAT Youth and Families Program
Housing Families' GREAT Youth and Families Program—where Growth, Resilience, Empowerment, Acceptance, and Trust are fostered every day—serves children, youth, and adults who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. Children and youth receive academic tutoring, individual counseling, enrichment groups, age-based therapeutic arts services, as well as educational advocacy services. Parents participate in counseling services, therapy groups, and parenting classes to learn parenting skills and heal from their own trauma. GYFP also offers summer and school vacation enrichment programming. Notably, HFI provides transportation both to and from the program for all participants, which removes transportation as a barrier to access.
Homelessness Prevention and Legal Services Program
The Homelessness Prevention and Legal Services (HPLS) Program assists more than 500 families each year with no-cost legal representation, advocacy (working between the client and another party outside of a courtroom), advice, information, outreach, and referrals for low-income people who would otherwise struggle to gain access to legal services. The Pro Bono Legal Services aspect of this program maintains a presence in the Malden District Court and Northeast Housing Court’s Woburn Session, representing clients who are facing eviction proceedings. They also offer monthly workshops and seminars for older adults in the Medford Senior Center and the Everett Office of Human Services. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program significantly increased the use of rental assistance as a tool to keep families housed and avoid evictions.
Housing Services (Family Shelter, Individual Shelter, Permanent Supportive Housing)
Family Shelter Program: Housing Families operates 101 apartment-style units as emergency shelters for homeless families. These units are located in Malden, Revere, Medford, Everett, and Chelsea. Shelter units are designated to one individual family and include a private bathroom, kitchen, and an appropriate number of bedrooms for their family size, to ensure the most dignified experience possible. Families receive intensive case management, comprehensive housing search assistance, financial management skills-building, referrals to medical and mental health services, and other social services. The ultimate goal of the program is to assist families in overcoming barriers in obtaining and retaining long-term housing, and to help families find safe, affordable housing as quickly as possible.
Malden Individual Shelter: In response to increasing community need and the lack of emergency shelter for individuals in the area, Housing Families expanded our services to open our first-ever individual shelter in Malden in early 2021. Operating out of a local motel, this shelter houses 20 individuals at a time from Malden and the Metro North Region and offers wrap-around services to help them rapidly find housing and gain stability, including housing case management, food resources, mental and medical health services, and other social services. The shelter is a collaborative effort, borne from the combined work of local nonprofits, governments, and politicians.
Permanent Supportive Housing: Housing Families manages 71 units of permanent affordable housing for extremely low income families. 37 of these permanent housing units are part of The Disabled Family Leasing Program (DFLP) and are designated specifically for disabled heads of household. Families living in our permanent affordable housing receive Stabilization case management and referral services. This service helps families who have previously experienced homelessness or housing insecurity retain long-term, affordable housing. Case managers work with families to integrate into the community, boost income by increasing earning power, maximize social subsidy benefits, connect to community resources, and more.
Where we work
Awards
Sue Heilman Award For Excellence 2004
Horizons For Homeless Children
Affiliations & memberships
AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) 2007
Associated Grant Makers 2009
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of families assisted with rent or mortgage to avoid eviction
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Homelessness Prevention and Legal Services Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
GOAL: Identify and communicate our differentiated value proposition of housing with holistic services (define our essence, culture)
GOAL: Establish the strategic housing partnership that feeds our fundraising, board expansion, and ELI development goals
GOAL: Expand Board by 5 (net new) to enable our development, ELI, and community and client representation objectives
GOAL: Strengthen our fundraising capability to raise $1.2M (balanced, corporate and individual) by hiring a Director of Development and expanding board development capability
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
- Provide wrap around services to increase housing stability and wellness through emergency assistance, affordable housing, pro bono legal assistance, education, food access, and clinical mental health support.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
3.35
Months of cash in 2022 info
0.5
Fringe rate in 2022 info
16%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Housing Families, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of Housing Families, Inc.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $11,903 | $225 | $639,857 | $630,125 | $17,390 |
| As % of expenses | 0.2% | 0.0% | 10.5% | 7.8% | 0.2% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$56,677 | -$35,138 | $609,625 | $602,927 | -$7,213 |
| As % of expenses | -0.9% | -0.5% | 10.0% | 7.5% | -0.1% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $6,416,304 | $6,505,995 | $6,680,258 | $8,658,783 | $10,289,954 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -0.8% | 1.4% | 2.7% | 29.6% | 18.8% |
| Program services revenue | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 83.8% | 85.4% | 83.8% | 86.2% | 87.3% |
| All other grants and contributions | 14.3% | 12.4% | 13.9% | 12.3% | 11.3% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $6,523,879 | $6,559,620 | $6,090,401 | $8,028,658 | $10,185,694 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 2.2% | 0.5% | -7.2% | 31.8% | 26.9% |
| Personnel | 42.4% | 40.2% | 33.4% | 32.9% | 35.5% |
| Professional fees | 2.4% | 2.3% | 6.1% | 6.7% | 8.0% |
| Occupancy | 41.5% | 44.6% | 50.2% | 41.9% | 44.8% |
| Interest | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 13.5% | 12.6% | 10.2% | 18.6% | 11.7% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $6,592,459 | $6,594,983 | $6,120,633 | $8,055,856 | $10,210,297 |
| One month of savings | $543,657 | $546,635 | $507,533 | $669,055 | $848,808 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $110,176 | $139,824 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $82,549 | $0 | $0 | $31,543 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $7,136,116 | $7,224,167 | $6,738,342 | $8,864,735 | $11,090,648 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Months of cash and investments | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 4.2 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $402,118 | $409,721 | $481,508 | $336,100 | $448,409 |
| Investments | $1,422,516 | $1,422,516 | $1,422,516 | $1,422,516 | $1,422,516 |
| Receivables | $652,061 | $490,395 | $654,050 | $1,158,371 | $1,500,374 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $324,699 | $362,899 | $362,899 | $362,899 | $394,442 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 82.0% | 70.9% | 79.2% | 86.7% | 86.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 20.2% | 21.7% | 13.4% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $2,278,149 | $2,243,011 | $2,852,636 | $3,455,563 | $3,448,350 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $103,850 | $50,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $103,850 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $86,870 |
| Total net assets | $2,381,999 | $2,293,011 | $2,852,636 | $3,455,563 | $3,535,220 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Principal Officer
Ms. Laura Rosi Esq.
Laura began working with Housing Families in 2008. Her passion working on housing and homelessness issues began when she worked as a Housing Advocate helping the families in shelter obtain permanent housing. Working at this level enabled her to understand the families’ needs at a deeper level and identify many systemic inefficiencies and inconsistencies tied to subsidized housing which prompted her to become active in advocacy and policy. As part of her role, Laura facilitates a Family Advocacy Group and coordinates the annual Legislative Breakfast to help families get their voices and stories out to the public and advocate for changes to help other homeless families. Laura is a graduate of Suffolk Law School, and in her spare time has worked on pro bono Domestic Violence and Special Education projects. She is a board member of Homes for Families, and a member of the Real Estate/Affordable Housing Section of the Boston Bar Association.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Housing Families, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Housing Families, Inc.
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Housing Families, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 06/27/2023
Board of directors data
Mr. David Barbato
Talent Retriever LLC
Term: 2007 - 2023
David Barbato
Talent Retriever LLC
Brian Slater
East Boston Savings Bank
Eli Lipcon
Bell Atlantic Corp
Peter Allen
Retired Educator
Lisa Nickerson
Nickerson PR
Lanre Olusekun
Davenport Realty
Robert Rossignol
Stoneham Bank
Virginia Todd
Leading Edge Real Estate
Kathleen Freitas
Elaine Construction
Marienne Sanders
Fresenius Medical Care
Ann Wu
Boston Children's Primary Care Center
Karle Heine Goodale
Heine Goodale Law
Kristi Amendolare
Anchor Line Partners
Priya Amar
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? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
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? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
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: 06/27/2023GuideStar 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 ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- 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 have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- 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.
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
GuideStar Pro Reports
Report successfully added to your cart!
Want more data?
A GuideStar Pro report containing the following information is available for this organization:
- Email contact information
- Financial trends metrics for five most recent years 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018*
- Financial statements for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2015, 2014
- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2022, 2021, 2020
- Board of Directors data for 2023
- *with the ability to download the data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
Download it now for $125.
Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options?Consider a Pro Search subscription.