Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc., or CHAI (Hebrew for “life”), is a Baltimore nonprofit that focuses on housing and community development in neighborhoods connected to the Jewish community. By collaborating with local stakeholders over the last 40 years CHAI has helped stabilize neighborhoods in the northwestern part of the city, enabling residents of all ages to maintain a place where they can live, learn and grow older.
CHAI’s mission includes the development and maintenance of affordable housing for seniors and individuals with disabilities. It also has specialty services for older adults, including low or no-cost repairs, meeting individualized needs, and community activities and get-togethers. The organization also offers homebuyer education, classes on foreclosure prevention, one-on-one counseling, financial literacy courses and no-interest loans that help people get into and stay in their homes.
Throughout 2020, when staying connected was critical, CHAI made 7,957 check-in calls to residents to assess their well-being and provide social connections for older adults. It also provided weekly online classes for approximately 900 participants to promote social engagement and distributed 2,400 boxes of food and essentials through a mobile pantry. Bank of America provides funding for CHAI’s Community Housing Services program, which assists neighborhood residents of all ages with access to affordable housing in a safe environment, enhancing the quality of life for hundreds of seniors and families. The bank’s support of CHAI is part of its $1.25 billion five-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity.
