How BRHP’s Programs Help Families Achieve Financial Resiliency 

Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) offers GAIN to selected families in our Housing Mobility program as a means to help voucher holders attain financial goals. GAIN, short for “Growing Assets And Income”, is a Family Self-Sufficiency program, to help BRHP families increase their income and savings while in our program. Participants work with a financial coach to establish and achieve their financial goals, receiving monetary incentives when they achieve milestones in education, career, financial health, and homeownership. Payments are deposited in an interest-bearing escrow account to grow their savings.

Programs like GAIN are meant to reduce dependency on assisted housing by rewarding goal achievement, and GAIN can help participants receive incentives of up to $8,000 as they work towards their goals. The program is limited to 250 households who have applied and been selected to participate. We’re excited to celebrate our first GAIN program graduate, Ms. Breon H, for her achievements in meeting her financial goals and not only graduating the GAIN program after 8 months working on her goals, but exiting the Housing Mobility program with the purchase of her new home in Annapolis, MD. Our Special Projects Coordinator recently interviewed Breon about her accomplishments.

BRHP: How has our program benefited you and/or your family?
 
BH: I think the program mainly benefited me, just helping me save money. I actually graduated the program by being able to purchase a home, so it helped me a lot with saving money with my new home.

BRHP: Share with us some of the things you were able to accomplish personally and professionally while in our program.

BH: It helped me with a more stable career because I had a more stable home and a more stable family life for me and my daughter. And now I have two more children, so for me and my children, it definitely created a stable household. Financially, it helped me build my credit, everything, it just benefited me in every way possible.

BRHP: What do you think are some long-term impacts being a part of our program will have on your family?
 
BH: Benefits are long-term stability; my credit score is through the roof, but it’s always been like that because I’ve been a part of this program; it helped me save my money.

BRHP: Would you recommend our program to others?

BH: Yes, I would definitely recommend it. It gives you a boost on life. I started when I was 21. I was able to get my first unit with BRHP, and it’s only been up since then.

BRHP: Is there anything else you would like us to know about your experience?

BH: I can only say wonderful things about this program. It has only helped my life and my daughter’s life, it’s lovely. We were in an area I wanted to live in close to my grandmother because she was my support system. The school that my daughter was in was wonderful, and I just loved everything about it. I was so sad to go, but I had to graduate at some point, and I’m happy GAIN put me in a position to graduate from not only the [Housing Choice Voucher] program but the GAIN program as well.


BRHP is proud to have played a role in helping Breon and more like them reach their goals and thrive.

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Written by — Phillip Clark, Communications Associate