What Columbia Housing Center does

Columbia Housing Center (CHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Simpsonville, Maryland, that operates a free rental housing referral service designed to sustain racial and economic integration in Columbia, Maryland. Founded in 2016-2017 on the operating model of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center in Illinois, CHC maintains a database of available rental units submitted by property owners and matches them with apartment seekers, providing race-conscious counseling to encourage moves that improve community integration. The organization supplements its core referral service with specialized programs: the Voucher to Keys case management program for Howard County housing voucher recipients, the HCC Student Housing Subsidy Program for Howard Community College students, Renter Education classes, Fair Housing Training, and local and state policy advocacy.

CHC's technology stack is intentionally low-tech: a manually maintained rental-listing database operated by a small staff (Executive Director, Program Manager, and Landlord Liaison) who provide personalized phone-based follow-up and tailored apartment recommendations. Apartment seekers and landlords register through the website's intake forms, and staff provide curated listings matched to renter preferences on rent, bedrooms, and amenities. The organization does not expose a public API, SDK, or programmatic integration layer; its digital presence consists of a WordPress-based website, email newsletter, and social media accounts. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, automation, or data analytics platform.

The revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-based. All services are provided free of charge to renters and landlords. Income streams include individual contributions (including a Visionary Circle major-donor society requiring $1,000+ annual gifts for at least three years), foundation grants (notably the Horizon Foundation, which provided $75,000 in both January 2022 and January 2023, and The Kahlert Foundation), and government grants (Howard County Community Services Partnership grant and Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development's Community Renewal Fund). Strategic delivery partners include the Howard County Housing Commission (for Voucher to Keys referrals), Howard Community College (for the student subsidy program), and Voices for Children (for families with children holding vouchers).

Name

Columbia Housing Center

Legal name

Columbia Housing Center, Inc.

Website

https://columbiahousingcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Housing Referral Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI)

Keywords

• Housing referral services
• Rental locator services
• Fair housing education
• Affordable housing advocacy
• Renter support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Simpsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies on donations from individuals and organizations. Various giving options include cash/checks, online gifts, wire transfers, stocks/bonds/mutual funds, real estate, life insurance, and qualified retirement plan assets. The organization has a Visionary Circle major donor society requiring $1,000+ annual gifts for at least 3 years.
2. Government Grants: The organization receives funding from government sources including a Community Services Partnership (CSP) grant from Howard County and grants from The Kahlert Foundation. The HCC Student Housing Subsidy Program is funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development's Community Renewal Fund (CRF), supported by transfer tax revenues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Columbia Housing Center operates a free rental housing referral service that maintains a database of available rental units in Columbia, Maryland, and matches apartment seekers with landlords to promote racially integrated communities. The core service is supplemented by the Voucher to Keys program (case management for housing voucher recipients), the HCC Student Housing Subsidy Program (rent subsidies for Howard Community College students), Renter Education classes, and Fair Housing Training and Advocacy. All services are provided at no cost to renters and landlords, funded by donations, foundation grants, and government grants.

Product overview

Columbia Housing Center operates as a single integrated nonprofit organization offering housing referral and support services rather than a software product with modular components. The core service is the Housing Referral Service, a free rental locator that matches property owners with renters while promoting racial integration. This core service is supplemented by complementary programs: Voucher to Keys provides case management for housing voucher holders; the HCC Student Housing Subsidy Program assists Howard Community College students with rent subsidies; Renter Education delivers tenant training classes; Fair Housing Training provides affirmative marketing education; and Community Outreach conducts advocacy for housing policy. A donor program called the Visionary Circle supports funding for these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Referral Service Free rental housing locator service that helps property owners find tenants and tenants find homes in Columbia, MD, while promoting racially integrated communities. Staff maintains a database of available units with details on rent, bedrooms, and amenities to provide tailored listings to apartment seekers.
• Voucher to Keys Case management and financial support program for Howard County housing voucher recipients, guiding them from voucher receipt to obtaining keys. Provides liaison services between clients and landlords, renter education, and financial assistance for barriers such as application fees and security deposits.
• HCC Student Housing Subsidy Program Rent subsidy program for Howard Community College students, funded by the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development. Helps students find and rent apartments in Columbia while providing financial assistance for housing costs during their educational journey.
• Renter Education Educational classes for new and inexperienced tenants covering topics including rent readiness, apartment search processes, lease understanding, landlord/tenant rights, and handling tenancy problems. Classes are available in-person or virtually.
• Community Outreach and Advocacy Advocacy efforts at local and state levels to support policies that advance housing affordability and integration, including supporting legislation such as HB315 (Income-Based Housing Subsidies), HB1137 (Bring Back Main Street), and HB0894 (Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act).
• Visionary Circle Major donor society requiring an annual gift commitment of $1,000 or more for at least three years. Members receive VIP event access, special newsletters, website recognition, and annual thank-you gifts. Supports educational projects and community integration advocacy efforts.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Howard County Housing Commission (HCHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHC partners with the Howard County Housing Commission to serve their clients who have recently received housing vouchers and need assistance finding a rental home. CHC acts as a liaison with landlords and HCHC, helping clients through the application process and providing support to ensure lease execution before voucher expiration.
• Voices for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHC partners with Voices for Children to serve their clients who have recently received vouchers and need a place to live. The partnership helps families with children access housing in Howard County through case management and financial support.
• Howard Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHC partners with Howard Community College for the Student Housing Subsidy Program. HCC refers eligible students to the program after verification of enrollment and financial aid eligibility. Students must be referred by HCC to participate.
• Oak Park Regional Housing CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Columbia Housing Center is modeled after the Oak Park Regional Housing Center in Illinois, which has been successfully serving their community for over 40 years. CHC uses their proven housing center model to promote integration in Columbia.
• Home Alliance Coalition (HoCoHAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHC participates in the HoCoHAC coalition which aims to achieve community understanding, policy making and regulatory decisions that will lead to an increase in and equitable access to Howard County affordable housing.
• Maryland Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHC works with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce on advocacy efforts, participating in advocacy alerts and policy initiatives related to housing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oak Park Regional Housing Center: The original model on which Columbia Housing Center is explicitly built, operating in Oak Park, IL for over 40 years. Provides the same integration-focused rental referral services, fair housing training, and community education that CHC replicates.
• Open Communities (Evanston, IL): A suburban Chicago fair housing organization providing housing counseling, rental referral, and integration-promoting services. Operates in a comparable suburban context with similar mission of sustaining diverse communities.
• Beyond Housing: A St. Louis-area community development nonprofit that combines housing counseling, rental assistance, and place-based community development. Operates a 1-1-1 model in the Normandy school district that is structurally similar to CHC's community-led integration work.
• Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME): A Buffalo, NY fair housing organization offering housing counseling, fair housing education, and tenant/landlord mediation. Comparable nonprofit fair-housing service mix, although focused more on enforcement than integration marketing.

Others

• Make Roommates (AffordableHousing.com): A national affordable housing search platform. Not a direct competitor, but represents the technology-enabled alternative to CHC's manual referral database that could commoditize certain functions over time.

Regional players

• Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc. A Maryland-based fair housing nonprofit providing housing counseling, tenant education, and discrimination response. Operates in the same state with overlapping service offerings and referral networks.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: A national affordable housing and community development organization active in Maryland. Less direct overlap on integration services, but a likely funder/peer for affordable housing work in Howard County.
• National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA): The national umbrella for fair housing organizations, of which CHC's peers are typically members. Sets policy, conducts research, and provides funding/grants that flow down to local fair housing orgs like CHC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHC_MD
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColumbiaHousingCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-housing-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/columbiahousingcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbia Housing Center