Building Careers Through Housing Stability: A BRHP Success Story

With a focus on career development this month, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) dives into how stable housing in opportunity areas impacts career development for its participants. BRHP continues to highlight its mission of providing families with the assistance to move to safe and vibrant communities. Not only does the ability to move into these resource-rich communities impact a family’s access to better quality education and safer neighborhoods, but it also impacts their career development and employment opportunities.  

“Because I moved into an opportunity neighborhood, the schools themselves were better equipped to handle my kids, so I didn’t have to go up to the schools as much. And because of that I was able to find a job that allowed me to move up.” – Jessica C., Former BRHP Participant 

A study on rental assistance and its reduction on hardship by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concluded that federal rental assistance reduces poverty, housing instability and improves adult and family well-being while providing a platform to expand opportunities for low-income families. Particularly, having housing stability affords individuals with opportunities to focus on job searching and career training while reducing the stress of housing insecurity. 

Limited housing stability can directly or indirectly impact holding down a job  for individuals, especially working mothers, in a negative way by exposing families to chaotic, precarious living arrangements that can interfere with ability to secure and maintain stable employment on top of other challenges like childcare and family needs. With the stability provided by housing assistance, families can focus on developing other areas of their life, most importantly their careers, rather than focusing their time on struggling to meet basic needs.  

Jessica C., a former participant with BRHP, and a graduate of BRHP’s Growing Assets and Income (GAIN) family self-sufficiency program, sat down with us to discuss her previous employment struggles and describe how finding housing stability with BRHP directly impacted her career development.  

With passion, Jessica voiced that having two children with special needs took all her time as she worked to maintain their health. She struggled to find and keep a job that allowed her to take care of her children while also being the sole financial provider.  

With the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program, Jessica was able to move into an opportunity area with strong support systems and services, particularly in the school setting, for her children. Finally, with her basic housing needs met and access to quality schooling that provided the support her family needed, Jessica was able to pursue her career full-time and eventually build up her savings  to purchase a home in Harford County.  

“One of the biggest benefits of being with BRHP is having the support and the resources there.” – Jessica C., Former BRHP Participant 

Jessica’s experience with the housing mobility program not only gave her the opportunity to create a stable, safe place for her children, but it also gave Jessica a chance to build her assets and gain access to the wealth-building pathway of homeownership. 

Jessica’s journey reflects the powerful connection between housing stability and career growth. With the support of BRHP, she was able to focus on her goals, care for her family, and build a path toward financial independence. At BRHP, we see firsthand that when families have access to quality homes in communities that meet their needs, they’re better positioned to pursue meaningful work, increase their income, and invest in their futures. For families like Jessica’s, housing mobility is about more than where you live; it’s about what becomes possible when you are finally home. 

 For a more in-depth look at Jessica’s story, click here.

Written by: Savanah Winn, Communications Associate