Har HaShem Honored by Bridge House as Landlord of the Year
10/22/2019 09:57:18 AM
Roxanne Bailin and Sara-Jane Cohen accepted Bridge Houses's Landlord of the Year Award at Ready to Work's 2019 graduation. The award recognizes the year-old partnership between our congregation and Bridge House to end homelessness by combining existing housing stock, public and private rental subsidies, and case management to help successful Ready to Work graduates find permanent homes.
In August of 2018, Har HaShem signed a lease with Bridge House for the two houses we own adjacent to our synagogue. Bridge House received private donations and is exploring public funding options to provide case management and rental subsidies to the tenants who need financial support. The two organizations have enlisted Boulder Property Management to oversee the properties and work with the tenants. The three organizations together are helping provide tenants with: a stable home; case management to continue their transition from homelessness to being settled; skills managing home and relationship with a rental property manager; and a reference from the rental property manager when they move into market- rate housing.
Congregation Har HaShem and Bridge House see this as a model that can be easily replicated and scaled in different communities. Rental properties exist. Public funding is already available for affordable housing. Social service organizations provide job and life skills training to people who are homeless. The challenge is to find the landlords, match the tenants and properties and provide the support to ensure tenants' success.
If you want to learn more, have a house to rent, know someone with a house to rent, or want to support this program with a financial contribution, contact Isabel McDevitt at Bridge House or Alan Halpern at Har HaShem.