About BRIDGE

Overview

Creating homes to strengthen communities at the core of what we do.

In 1983, BRIDGE was formed from a major anonymous grant given to the San Francisco Foundation to spearhead new solutions to the worsening shortage of affordable housing. This came about as the Bay Area Council and its business members were voicing concern that high housing costs were undermining the region’s workforce and economy.

A special blue-ribbon task force, headed by Alan L. Stein, decided on a practical approach. Instead of conducting more studies, their vision was of an organization that could actually build quality affordable housing at a large scale – not just hundreds, but thousands of homes within reach of the Bay Area’s low- and moderate-income residents. The Task Force selected Rick Holliday and Don Terner to lead the new nonprofit and implement the ambitious vision.

BRIDGE has shown what can be done with clear vision, the right leadership, and a strong base of community support. Our accomplishments to date have surpassed even the ambitious hopes of its founders. Beyond creating homes, BRIDGE is building and revitalizing communities, often on a large scale. Our vision continues to be realized, person by person, neighborhood by neighborhood, year after year. In more than three decades, those increments add up to a significant impact. And for BRIDGE, this is only the beginning.

Impact

BRIDGE Housing strengthens communities and improves the lives of its residents, beginning--but not ending--with affordable housing.

Since 1983, BRIDGE has been a mission-driven nonprofit that operates like a business. We pay close attention to the double-bottom line of financial and social return on investment, always in pursuit of quality, quantity, affordability. Highlights of our work include:

  • Participated in the development of more than 17,000 homes and apartments in California and the Pacific Northwest, with total development cost of over $3 billion
  • Approximately 11,700 apartments under property and/or asset management
  • $3.8 billion in total development cost currently under construction and in pipeline
  • Successful track record of partnerships with all levels of government, market-rate developers and other nonprofits
  • 350+ resident programs at 80+ properties
  • A+ rating from Standard & Poor’s, first nonprofit developer of its kind to be rated
  • Recipient of more than 180 local, national and international awards, including five ULI Global Awards for Excellence

Invest Together
To build on these successes, we need your investment. Your dollars will be used to advance our work to serve more people, with higher quality services, in more geographic and content areas. Visit our website at www.bridgehousing.com and donate today!

Future

It is BRIDGE's intent to grow its products at scale and with the intentionally innovative approaches characteristic of BRIDGE over its first 35 years.

As we advance our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, we are maintaining an even longer view of where and what BRIDGE aims to be. Our future builds upon more than 35 years of experience, learning and results. We strive to:

– Advance our mission, always in pursuit of “Quantity, Quality, Affordability.”
– Strengthen communities and improve people’s lives, starting–but not ending–with housing.
– Leverage experience, resources and a culture of innovation to test new ways to achieve more in less time with fewer resources.
– Redefine how BRIDGE delivers products and services to make the company more competitive in an era of reduced subsidies and increased demand.
– Lead the repositioning of the industry as there are shifts in resources, markets and policies.
– Be the go-to organization for best practices in all of its lines of business.

Partners

BRIDGE respects and collaborates with partners across many sectors, because we understand that good development is about more than housing; it's about improving and strengthening communities, one person at a time.

Since 1983, BRIDGE has grown to become a preferred affordable housing partner in the west. Our wide range of complementary partnerships includes:
– Nonprofit and community-based service providers who deliver transformative programs to residents.
– For-proft and nonprofit developers.
– City, county, state and federal government agencies.
– Banks, financial institutions and equity investors.
– Corporate and private philanthropy and individual donors.
– Academic institutions.
– Local businesses and nonprofits.