NHS

Name

NHS

Legal name

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks, Inc.

Website

https://nhsgb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Housing Counseling and Community Lending

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Housing counseling services
• Homebuyer education
• Down payment assistance
• Nonprofit community lending
• Foreclosure prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HUD-Funded Housing Counseling: NHS receives federal HUD grants to provide free or very low-cost housing counseling services to residents. Counseling is provided at no charge to clients, with HUD funding covering operational costs.
2. Homebuyer Education Course Fees: NHS charges a fee for its FASTRAC virtual homebuyer education class delivered through eHome America ($125 per participant). The class is 6-8 hours, available in English and Spanish, self-paced online.
3. Mortgage and Home Repair Lending: NHS originates second mortgage loans for home repair and debt consolidation (My Life program), with loan sizes from $2,500 to $30,000 at interest rates ranging from 8.99% to 10.99% based on credit score. This generates interest income and closing cost fees ($1,100 average NHS fees included with the loan).
4. Credit Report Fee: A $26 fee is charged for the credit report required for counseling sessions.
5. Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Loans: NHS provides down payment and closing cost assistance loans to qualified homebuyers, creating a lending portfolio with associated fees and interest income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NHS provides free HUD-funded housing counseling, certified homebuyer education, and affordable lending products (down payment and closing cost assistance loans, second mortgages for home repair and debt consolidation) to low- to moderate-income families in Berks County, PA. The organization delivers an integrated HomeOwnership Center model combining financial education, one-on-one counseling (credit, pre-purchase, pre-closing, post-purchase, foreclosure prevention), and lending to guide clients through the full homeownership lifecycle. Services are offered in English and Spanish via in-person, virtual, and self-paced online channels.

Product overview

NHS (Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks) is a nonprofit housing organization operating as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). The organization offers an integrated portfolio of housing services centered on three pillars: education, counseling, and lending. Education offerings include FASTRAC Virtual Classes and eHome America online courses for first-time homebuyers. Counseling services encompass Credit Counseling, Pre-Purchase Counseling, Pre-Closing Counseling, and Post-Purchase Counseling to guide individuals through various stages of homeownership. Lending products include Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Loans, My Life Home Repair/Debt Consolidation Assistance (second mortgages), and Fix Your Home Loans. Additional support services include Foreclosure Prevention Assistance. The organization is part of the NeighborWorks network and collaborates with PHLC for tailored lending solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FASTRAC Virtual Homebuyer Education Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients receive actionable budget and credit improvement plans from certified HUD housing counselors.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBank and lender partner in NHS's extensive network of 50+ financial institutions that refer clients for housing counseling and collaborate on mortgage transactions for first-time homebuyers.
• ChasecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChase is part of NHS's partner network of banks and lenders that refer clients and collaborate on mortgage products for NHS clients.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo is part of NHS's partner network of banks and lenders that refer clients and collaborate on mortgage products for NHS clients.
• NeighborWorks AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS is part of the NeighborWorks network of 240+ nonprofit organizations located in every state, D.C., and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America founded and supports this network to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes. NHS benefits from NeighborWorks resources, training, and brand affiliation.
• Habitat for Humanity of Berks CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, NHS and Habitat for Humanity of Berks County announced a partnership to help more working families buy homes. Both nonprofits presented their joint efforts at Reading City Council, combining NHS's financial education and counseling with Habitat's home building programs.
• PNCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPNC is listed among NHS's bank and lender partners.
• Fulton BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFulton Bank is listed among NHS's bank and lender partners.
• Penn State Housing Developer (implied local partner)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partnered with a Penn State housing developer on the neighborhood leadership project aimed at spotlighting landmarks in Reading.
• PHLC (Premier Home Lending Center)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPHLC's tailored lending solutions are referenced on NHS's website as available to first-time buyers or those seeking to upgrade, with a link to phlcmortgage.org.
• Alvernia University's O'Pake InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS collaborated with Alvernia University's O'Pake Institute on a neighborhood leadership project, with project manager Adonis Fleming serving as a graduate assistant.
• RBAR (Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBAR organized the 5K Run for Shelter, an annual fundraiser for local housing causes that NHS participates in. NHS won 6 medals at the 2025 event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grameen America: U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI providing microfinance and financial services to low-income borrowers. Shares NHS's CDFI designation, mission focus on underserved populations, and reliance on federal community development capital.
• Clarifi: HUD-approved nonprofit housing and credit counseling agency offering pre-purchase, post-purchase, and foreclosure counseling similar to NHS, though operating at greater regional scale in the Mid-Atlantic.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: National HUD-approved housing counseling and financial wellness nonprofit delivering credit counseling, homebuyer education, and foreclosure prevention services that overlap NHS's counseling portfolio.
• Habitat for Humanity of Berks County: Local Habitat affiliate that partnered with NHS in 2025 to combine homebuilding with NHS's counseling and lending. Operates the same affordable homeownership mission in the same Berks County geography.
• Money Management International (MMI): One of the largest HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in the U.S., providing credit, housing, and bankruptcy counseling with the same funding model and curriculum standards as NHS.

Regional players

• Reading Housing Authority: Public housing authority serving the same Reading, Berks County geography as NHS. While focused on subsidized rentals rather than homeownership, it shares the same low-to-moderate income client base and frequently refers residents between the two organizations.

Broad incumbents

• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation): National CDFI and community development intermediary that finances affordable housing and counseling-adjacent programs. Operates at significantly greater scale than NHS and overlaps in funding sources and target populations.
• NeighborWorks America: National umbrella organization for the 240+ nonprofit affordable housing network of which NHS is a member. Sets standards, provides capital, training, and advocacy that directly support NHS's operating model.
• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National network of CDFIs including many NeighborWorks-affiliated lenders. OFN's certification, capital, and policy work directly support the type of community lending that NHS's My Life and down payment assistance products represent.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): National membership organization for HUD-approved credit and housing counseling agencies. NHS's counseling practice follows NFCC-aligned standards, and NFCC serves as the broader network that NHS operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nhsgreaterberks
• Xx.com/NHSGreaterBerks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighborhood-housing-services-of-greater-berks

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 NHS