BRIDGE Housing, a leading nonprofit developer, manager and owner of affordable housing, conducted a portfolio-wide resident survey that culminated in the report. More than 10,000 households across 100 BRIDGE properties in California, Oregon and Washington were invited to participate over a three-year period.
“There is no question that access to stable and affordable housing is tied to other positive social, economic and health outcomes,” said Cynthia A. Parker, BRIDGE President and CEO. “For families, it creates the conditions for economic security and upward mobility, educational advancement, and physical and mental health. For seniors, it provides social connectivity and healthy aging in place.”
Among the paper’s findings:
- Across the BRIDGE portfolio, 86% of seniors have incomes under $25,000 and 85% of families have incomes under $50,000
- BRIDGE residents say they feel less anxiety and stress than they did before moving in
- Residents are highly satisfied with on-site programs and services, which range from case management and social service referrals to skill-building programs such as cooking classes and job interview preparation.
- Survey respondents reported their race and ethnicity as 23% Asian, 18% Black, 20% Hispanic, 11% other, 6% two or more races and 34% white
- Among the top 25 occupations of BRIDGE residents: accountant, caregiver, cashier, medical assistant, retail associate, food service, security
“Overall, our results show residents’ quality of life improves after they move into a BRIDGE apartment,” said Susan Neufeld, Vice President of Evaluation and Resident Program Design. “The data highlight the incredible diversity among BRIDGE residents, who have wide-ranging characteristics, experiences, goals and aspirations—like people in any community.”
The survey was designed and administered by BRIDGE’s Evaluation team in partnership with Harder+Company Community Research and the Social Science Research Center at California State University Fullerton.
To download a free copy of “2021 Who Lives in BRIDGE Housing,” visit www.bridgehousing.com/publications
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