Tahirih Justice Center
The Tahirih Justice Center represents immigrant women and girls seeking protection from gender-based human rights abuses, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence. This grant supports Tahirih’s Baltimore office, which provided legal services to 231 clients and case management support to 71 clients in 2018. In addition, Tahirih trains and works closely with an extensive network of pro bono attorneys who expand the reach of Tahirih’s small staff.
Public Justice Center, Inc.
Public Justice Center is leading a multi-year campaign to advocate for changes in laws and practices that limit tenants’ rights and deny due process to tenants in Baltimore City’s Rent Court. In a December 2015 report on evictions in Baltimore entitled “Justice Diverted,” PJC documented the high rate of evictions in Baltimore City, where more than one in 17 renter households is evicted each year. This grant supports PJC’s Rent Court Reform and Eviction Prevention Initiative, which employs a combination of litigation, administrative advocacy, and legislative advocacy to advance the rights of tenants in Baltimore.
PCs for People
Based in St. Paul, MN, PCs for the People also operates in Cleveland, OH, and Denver, CO, and is expanding to Baltimore. The organization will launch its efforts to increase educational opportunity and achievement, career readiness, and employment by providing low or no-cost refurbished computers, mobile internet access for $25/month, technological training, repair and troubleshooting services to low income residents in Baltimore City. This grant provides support for local launch staffing and related costs.
NPower, Inc.
In 2016, with support from the Abell Foundation and others, NPower replicated its IT training program for low-income young adults in Baltimore. NPower’s core training program provides students with 16 weeks of hands-on classroom instruction in hardware and software. The academic portion focuses on teaching fundamental IT skills, including networking, cloud computing, coding and service management. Following the classroom instruction, students earn their CompTIA certification and have the option to take additional certificate exams. NPower participants then enter a seven-week paid internship at a local employer, working four days per week, while one day is spent in professional development activities in the classroom. In the coming year, NPower plans to enroll 200 low-income young adults into training, graduating 160 and placing 136 into employment.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Inc.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore (NHS) serves 800 households annually through its homeownership counseling and financial coaching programs. NHS deploys down payment assistance awards, raises additional capital toward an ongoing revolving DPA fund, increases access to affordable homeownership for borrowers that face challenges accessing traditional affordable mortgage products, and attracts new home buyers to Baltimore City. This grant provides support for staff positions associated with deployment of those funds, housing counseling, and financial coaching, and targeted community outreach.