BRIDGE is recognized as Development Company of the Year; Lombard receives Executive of the Year by respected housing industry publication
SAN FRANCISCO (December 8, 2025) – BRIDGE Housing, the leading nonprofit affordable housing provider on the West Coast, and President and CEO Ken Lombard received top honors at the 2025 Multi-Housing News Excellence Awards, winning Development Company of the Year and Executive of the Year.
Multi-Housing News is one of the industry’s most respected publications, and its award winners were selected by a panel of senior industry professionals, including multifamily developers, architects, and owners. The awards, announced in New York, celebrated a broad range of industry leaders based on accomplishments in 2024.
“BRIDGE Housing is deeply honored to be recognized by Multi-Housing News and our industry peers,” Lombard said. “These awards are a testament to the high-impact, mission-driven work by BRIDGE’s exceptional team to deliver quality affordable housing and support services that empower residents to improve their lives.”
BRIDGE Housing won the Gold award – the top honor – in the Development Company of the Year category, which included both affordable and market-rate housing developers. In 2024, BRIDGE recorded one of the strongest years in the company’s 42-year history, expanding its portfolio in California, Oregon, and Washington. That momentum has continued in 2025, with portfolio growth of 9% – adding nine communities and 1,187 new or acquired affordable units, as well as boosting the development pipeline with three new projects. The portfolio is quickly approaching 16,000 units.
The growth reflects BRIDGE Housing’s strategic plan to accelerate acquisitions as well as ground-up development, its financial agility gained through partnerships with major financial institutions and innovative capital markets strategies, and its commitment to high-quality design and deep community engagement to create positive impact on residents and neighborhoods.
Recently, BRIDGE extended its legacy as a capital markets pioneer, leveraging its strong credit rating to become the first affordable housing developer to issue tax-exempt construction bonds for one the largest affordable housing projects in Portland, Oregon. Earlier this year, the nonprofit also launched the BRIDGE Housing Impact Fund aimed at investing $1 billion to preserve and create affordable housing, and closed on $175 million in taxable general-obligation bonds after increasing the offering due to strong investor demand.
In addition to exemplifying Multi-Housing News’ standards for corporate excellence, BRIDGE Housing’s performance underscored the leadership of Lombard, who has transformed the venerable nonprofit into one of the most active – and nimble – major affordable housing providers in the United States.
As President and CEO since 2021, Lombard has leveraged his long private-sector experience to build a dynamic leadership team with wide-ranging expertise and fresh ideas to “break the status quo,” particularly in financing affordable housing. His initiatives have lowered capital and construction costs, bolstered BRIDGE Housing’s credibility with institutional investors, and delivered innovative resident support services to more than 33,000 residents in 139 BRIDGE communities.
“Ken has dedicated his career to innovative real estate solutions that improve the quality of life in underserved neighborhoods,” said Kenneth Novack, Chair of BRIDGE Housing’s Board of Directors. “His visionary leadership and the work of our incredible team have positioned BRIDGE for long-term growth that will extend our impact throughout the West Coast as we address the housing affordability crisis.”
About BRIDGE Housing
BRIDGE Housing Corporation is a leading nonprofit owner, developer, and manager of high-quality affordable housing on the West Coast, with a mission to strengthen communities and improve lives. Founded in 1983, BRIDGE Housing has participated in the creation of more than 23,000 affordable homes in California, Oregon, and Washington, with a total development cost of $6 billion. Its current $4.6 billion portfolio totals 15,000 apartments that are home to more than 33,000 residents, with more than 10,000 additional units in the development and acquisition pipelines. For more information, visit https://bridgehousing.com/.
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