Key takeaways

• Interagency partnerships are key to an effective program. In Baltimore, multiple partners, including ten nonprofit service providers, philanthropic foundations, and the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development came together to create the HUBS program. HUBS’ success stems from its ability to create and maintain these partnerships.
• Philanthropic partners can help augment program funding. Home repair programs are often underfunded and local philanthropic organizations can help bridge the gaps between federal and state funding. In the HUBS program, a team of Baltimore-area philanthropic organizations provides capital and operational support. 
• In-person outreach and case worker support are critical for supporting seniors. Before HUBS’ implementation, it was difficult for seniors in Baltimore to access home repair services via disparate online applications. To solve this problem, HUBS established six physical sites—community outposts where dedicated caseworkers help seniors apply for services. Creating these physical sites helped staff ensure they were reaching those who needed services the most. 
• Collect data to illustrate impact. Since its founding in 2015, HUBS has served over 3,000 homes. This success has led to additional investment in the program from the city and local philanthropic partners. Collecting data on HUBS’ impact has been crucial to sustaining investment in the program.
• Coordinate programs through effective communication and relationship building. In Baltimore, as in many cities, there is a comprehensive ecosystem of public and nonprofit programs funding home repair services. A key strength of the HUBS program is its ability to coordinate and delegate projects to different partners via effective communication and a shared vision of supporting older adults.

Description

Housing deterioration in Baltimore reflects systemic racial, economic, and geographic inequalities. Scholar Lawrence T. Brown coined the term “the Black Butterfly” to describe the winged shape of the city’s historically Black neighborhoods on maps. These neighborhoods face high poverty rates and lower life expectancies due to decades of disinvestment in community health and economic well-being. Additionally, they have higher levels of vacant and abandoned properties. 

The home repair needs of older adults reflect the “Black Butterfly” pattern, officials say. Older adults in historically disinvested neighborhoods often have less equity in their homes, which limits their ability to borrow funds for necessary home repairs. Conversely, when deferred maintenance builds up and older homeowners lose their homes, this impacts surrounding property values, restarting a cycle of disinvestment. 

Before the establishment of the HUBS program, low-income seniors in need of home repairs had to navigate a complicated array of programs managed by Baltimore City, as well as multiple nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, each with unique eligibility and application requirements. But this all changed in 2014, when the city secured funding for energy efficiency programs in low-income communities as part of a community impact fund created by the merger of utility companies Exelon and Pepco Holdings. 

While the city had access to capital funding from Exelon, the application was onerous, particularly for older adults, and funds were not dispersed efficiently.  Partners involved in this process recognized the need for application assistance and for a streamlined system that would address vulnerable homeowners’ home repair needs without the burden of complex applications. As one HUBS official explained, “We realized if we could get people out in the community helping people with these applications, we can serve everyone.” 

HUBS, which grew out of a series of meetings in 2014 and began work in 2015, was born out of this realization. The program brought together nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and city agencies involved in housing and older adult care across Baltimore to set up HUBS. Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development was and continues to be a key partner of the HUBS program. Over its ten years in operation, the program has evolved and gained capital and operational support from local philanthropic agencies, in addition to its initial pool of funding, to ensure long-term sustainability.

Currently, HUBS assists older adults with applications for home repairs as well as broader social service support through six physical “HUBS sites,” each with a dedicated case manager. HUBS also employs a floating case manager who assists sites across the city as needed. Having physical sites embedded in neighborhoods helps the program reach older adults in need of services and further addresses the racial and geographic disparities in health and housing quality across Baltimore. 

Homeowners are required to earn below 80 percent of Baltimore’s Area Median Income (AMI) to be eligible for the program. However, HUBS leaders report that many of their clients earn 30 percent of the AMI or less and predominantly reside in the disenfranchised neighborhoods highlighted in the Black Butterfly. Homeowners must also be over the age of 65 and residents of Baltimore City to be eligible. HUBS provides a wide variety of home repairs depending on homeowners’ needs, though staff say they commonly prioritize accessibility modifications, roof repairs, and heating repairs during the winter months.

Data collection has been key to HUBS’ success. Since the beginning of the program, caseworkers have collected demographic and income data about the homeowners they serve, as well as data about the quality of homes and the repairs being made. In addition, they have collected data on food insecurity and energy assistance. This information has allowed program staff to internally monitor impact, as well as report on results to funders effectively. In 2021, HUBS moved to the Neighborly database system, successfully incorporating all 11 non-profit partners into the new platform. With Neighborly, HUBS is more efficient in monitoring repairs and tracking outcomes. Approaching its tenth year of operation, HUBS has accumulated a wealth of data about its work and is exploring collaborating with outside partners to validate internal studies. 

Process and timeline 

• 2014: Stakeholders involved in housing and older adult services begin meeting quarterly to collaborate and brainstorm ideas to pitch to philanthropic funders. 
• 2015: HUBS is founded, with physical sites in six neighborhoods throughout Baltimore and several caseworkers.
• 2021: Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott announces ongoing funding for HUBS through city funding and partnerships with philanthropic organizations. 
• 2024: HUBS celebrates 3,000 homes served. 
• 2025: HUBS will celebrate ten years of meaningful partnerships and homeowner preservation work throughout Baltimore.

Outcomes 

As it nears its tenth anniversary, HUBS has served over 3,000 homes across Baltimore. This tremendous accomplishment underscores HUBS’ effectiveness, as well as the importance of home repair services in preserving legacy homeownership. The program has become a key part of the City of Baltimore’s vacancy prevention efforts. HUBS leaders have also worked with officials in Baltimore County to replicate the program at the county level through the BCAUSE program.

HUBS also helps connect its clients with other wrap-around services through its sites. Between 2015 and 2021, the program linked 3,232 clients to services, including bill payment assistance, homeowner’s insurance, food assistance, and legal support. Additionally, internal evaluations of the program have found that for every $1 invested in HUBS, the community realizes $1.80 in benefits. Home repair modifications, such as those funded by HUBS, have also been shown to decrease the risk of falls. According to a 2023 report, HUBS interventions specifically reduced the risk of nursing home placement, respiratory illness, and depression symptoms in the seniors they served. 

In 2021, Mayor Scott lauded HUBS’ approach to helping seniors age in place and announced $9.6 million in additional funding for the program through partnerships with local philanthropies. The funding package includes $3 million from Baltimore City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $5,000 from the City’s capital budget, $4.5 million from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, $1.2 million from the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Foundation, and $450,000 from Keswick, a non-profit service provider for older adults. These funds will sustain HUBS for multiple years and provide repairs for an estimated 1,500 older adult households. In December of 2023, Mayor Scott announced a $3 billion investment over 15 years aimed at reducing and preventing vacant buildings in Baltimore. The investment includes funding for home repair grants for residents who live near vacant properties in targeted neighborhoods. 

Including home repair funding as a priority in vacant reduction efforts demonstrates the connection between housing deterioration, homeowner stability, and neighborhood revitalization. By prioritizing funding HUBS and providing home repair grants, Baltimore City is ensuring older homeowners can remain in and maintain their homes, which demonstrates the program’s success. 

Leaders of the HUBS program say a crucial factor in their accomplishments is the ability to maintain strong partnerships. The program relies on funding from a diverse array of philanthropic and government sources and convenes several different nonprofit partners to provide its services. Ultimately, sustaining these partnerships through communication, advocacy, and dedication to vulnerable clients keeps HUBS successful. 

Policy significance

HUBS’ success highlights the importance of home repair services, which have a tremendous impact on both individual homeowners and entire neighborhoods. Critical repairs also improve health outcomes and ensure safety, while accessibility improvements and energy efficiency upgrades can make homes more sustainable and support seniors aging in place. Providing repairs and modifications to low-income legacy homeowners is one potential approach to promoting racial equity, supporting wealth generation and retention, and resolving health disparities. Highlighting these impacts can help build momentum and maintain support for these programs. 

Additionally, as HUBS has demonstrated, supporting low-income senior homeowners can be part of a vacancy reduction strategy. As many post-industrial cities struggle with high levels of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorating properties, preventing the further proliferation of these properties is crucial for neighborhood stabilization and housing affordability. Cities have a clear interest in keeping low-income homeowners in their homes and preventing deterioration. Providing funding for low-income senior homeowners to repair their homes and make accessibility modifications can also help maintain neighborhoods and preserve generational wealth.

Finally, the importance of public-philanthropic partnerships is a key lesson of the HUBS program. The program’s sustainability depends on the collaboration of nonprofit service providers, philanthropic funders, and the City of Baltimore, which has grown out of meaningful communication, productive relationships, and a shared goal of aiding low-income, older adults. Such partnerships are essential and can provide vital support for new, creative initiatives to address similar challenges in other cities. 

Additional resources

• Civic Works Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors. This webpage from CivicWorks describes the HUBS program and other resources for seniors in Baltimore.
• Mayor Scott Announces $9.6 Million For Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors (HUBS). This press release from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office elaborates on new funding from the city and philanthropic organizations for HUBS. 
• Baltimore County Department of Aging Launches New Home Repair Program for Older Adults. This press release from Baltimore County announces the BCAUSE program, which is modeled after the HUBS program. 
• Allocating resources to address housing needs among various household types including older adults and families with children. This policy brief explores different considerations for addressing the housing needs of special populations, like older adults.