bils

What bils does

Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS) is a non-profit, community-based organization founded in 1983 by Barbara (Bobbi) Linn. It is part of the Independent Living Centers network and serves people with all disabilities in the Bronx and broader New York City, delivering services free of charge to consumers. BILS is governed as a consumer-controlled organization with board leadership drawn from people with disabilities, and it operates with a staff of approximately 25-30 people out of its headquarters at 2330 Hoffman Street in the Bronx. The organization runs 12 core service programs covering employment (Employment Program, ACCES-PIP, Youth Services), housing (Olmstead Housing Subsidy, Rapid Transition Housing, Open Doors MFP), benefits advisement, crime victim and domestic violence services, deaf and hard-of-hearing services, disability awareness training, NY Connects, and information and referrals.

The operational backbone is a human-services delivery model rather than a technology platform; the only disclosed technical components are a WordPress website (bils.org), Stripe-based online donation processing, and Microsoft Forms for youth program intake. Service delivery combines in-person engagement at the Bronx office with remote delivery via phone and email. Programs are sourced through referrals from ACCES-VR, SSA Ticket to Work, hospitals, Managed Care Organizations, skilled nursing facilities, and community agencies.

BILS is funded primarily through government grants and contracts from federal, state, and city agencies, including the NYS Education Department, Administration for Community Living (ACL), NYS Office of Victim Services, and NYS Department of Health Medicaid programs. A secondary revenue stream consists of individual charitable donations (in the $10-$3,000 range) processed via the website and a JustGiving page. There is no fee-for-service pricing; the free-service mandate is a core tenet of the Independent Living Center model. GTM motion is community-led: peer specialists conduct outreach in nursing homes and developmental centers, partnerships with government and community organizations drive referrals, and the organization participates in events such as the Bronx Borough Hall Disability Pride Celebration.

Name

bils

Legal name

Bronx Independent Living Services

Website

https://bils.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS) is a non-profit, consumer-controlled organization founded in 1983 that delivers free independent living, employment, housing, youth, deaf, and victim advocacy services to people with disabilities in the Bronx and New York City, funded primarily by federal, state, and city government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services / Independent Living Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK), Independent Living Skills Training (ADLs/IADLs) (EDAKANAG)

Keywords

• Independent living services
• Disability advocacy
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Community-based support
• Housing assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bronx

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: BILS operates primarily through government funding from federal, state, and city agencies including the NYS Education Department, Administration for Community Living (ACL), NYS Office of Victim Services, and NYS Department of Health Medicaid programs.
2. Donations: Accepts charitable donations from individuals ranging from $10 to $3,000 through its website donation portal, processed via Stripe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS) is a non-profit community-based Independent Living Center that provides a portfolio of 12 disability-services programs covering employment assistance, housing subsidies and transition from nursing homes, youth transition services, crime victim and domestic violence advocacy, deaf and hard-of-hearing services, benefits advisement, disability awareness training, NY Connects outreach, and information/referrals. All services are delivered free of charge to consumers with disabilities and their families in the Bronx, funded through government grants and contracts plus donations.

Product overview

BILS (Bronx Independent Living Services) is a non-profit organization that provides a comprehensive suite of 12 core service programs designed to empower people with disabilities to live independently in the community. The programs include Employment Program, Open Doors (MFP), Rapid Transition Housing (RTH), Crime Victim and Domestic Violence Services, Youth Services, Olmstead Housing Subsidy (OHS), Peer Integration Services (ACCES-PIP), Deaf Services, Benefits Advisement, Disability Awareness Program, NY Connects, and Information and Referrals. These programs work together to address housing, employment, healthcare benefits, advocacy, and peer support needs, with all services provided free of charge to consumers with disabilities and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Program Employment and vocational services assisting individuals with disabilities in preparing for, locating, and maintaining suitable employment. Works with ACCES-VR and Ticket to Work program to provide career counseling, job search assistance, resume writing, interview practice, and ongoing employment supports. Delivered free of charge to consumers with disabilities.
• Youth Services Services for youth with disabilities ages 14-24 providing skills, encouragement, and support for academic and employment goals. Includes Pre-Employment Transition Services for ACCES-VR participants ages 14-21. Intake via Microsoft Forms.
• Open Doors (MFP) Money Follows the Person program assisting individuals living in nursing homes or Intermediate Care Facilities in making decisions about home and community-based services. Transition Specialists help people access services needed to return to the community.
• Olmstead Housing Subsidy (OHS) Statewide rental subsidy and transitional housing program for Medicaid-enrolled people transitioning from nursing homes who have spent at least 120 consecutive days in a nursing home over the most recent two-year period.
• Rapid Transition Housing (RTH) Rental subsidy and supportive housing services for high-need Medicaid beneficiaries transitioning from nursing facilities. Previously known as Nursing Home to Independent Living (NHIL), funded by Medicaid Redesign Team.
• Peer Integration Services (ACCES-PIP) Operates in partnership with ACCES-VR to provide supportive services addressing obstacles to employment goals. Peer Integration Specialists assist with public benefits, housing, transportation, and college preparation.
• Crime Victim and Domestic Violence Services Comprehensive support services for crime victims and domestic violence survivors with disabilities, including crisis intervention, compensation claims assistance, referrals to safe havens, criminal justice advocacy, and counseling. Funded by NYS Office of Victim Services.
• Deaf Services Comprehensive services tailored for deaf and hard of hearing consumers, including case management, community outreach, education, employment referral, legal services, counseling, and independent living skills support.
• Benefits Advisement Certified benefits and work incentives practitioners assist consumers with eligibility requirements, benefits application procedures, and maintaining benefits such as Social Security Disability, SSI, Medicaid, and Medicare.
• Disability Awareness Program Educational programs for corporations, service providers, and government agencies covering disability definitions, laws, communication skills, and strategies for effective interaction with people with disabilities.
• NY Connects Helps people with disabilities and older adults access benefits, information about city and state resources, food and peer support resources through outreach to Bronx organizations.
• Information and Referrals Maintains extensive reference files of services for people with disabilities, providing referrals to food pantries, legal services, and other independent living related services in the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful transitions from nursing homes to independent community living
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYS Education DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency providing funding and oversight for programs serving people with disabilities in New York State
• NYAIL (New York Association on Independent Living)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association of Independent Living Centers that partners with BILS on housing programs including RTHP
• National Disability Institute (NDI ADEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit working to build financial stability and economic empowerment for people with disabilities
• NYS Office of Victim ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing funding for crime victim services and compensation programs
• Administration for Community Living (ACL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency that funds programs supporting community living and independence for people with disabilities
• Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC city agency dedicated to advocating for and providing services to people with disabilities
• NYC Emergency ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity agency coordinating emergency preparedness and response, including accessibility for people with disabilities
• Fordham in the CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership organization affiliated with Fordham University
• Bronx Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness organization supporting economic development in the Bronx
• ACCES-VR (Adult Career & Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState vocational rehabilitation agency providing employment services in partnership with BILS through PIP program
• Ticket to Work Program (Social Security Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal program providing employment support for SSI/SSDI beneficiaries ages 18-64

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harlem Independent Living Center: Harlem-based nonprofit ILC delivering independent living skills training, housing support, benefits advisement, and youth transition services to people with disabilities in upper Manhattan—closely overlapping BILS' Bronx mission and service mix.
• Concepts of Independence: NYC nonprofit providing housing and independent living supports to people with disabilities transitioning out of institutions—directly comparable mission to BILS' housing-transition and HCBS programs.
• Center for Independence of the Disabled in NY (CIDNY): NYC-metro Independent Living Center providing advocacy, benefits counseling, housing transition, and youth transition services to New Yorkers with disabilities. Highly comparable consumer-controlled, nonprofit ILC operating across multiple boroughs.
• Westchester Independent Living Center: Consumer-controlled ILC serving Westchester County with housing transition, employment, benefits, and youth services—directly comparable ILC operating under the same NYSILC/ACL-funded mission across a different but adjacent NYC-metro region.
• Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID): Consumer-controlled ILC serving Brooklyn residents with disabilities through housing, employment, benefits, and advocacy programs—operates under the same federal ILC/ACL framework as BILS and competes for overlapping NYC referral streams.

Emerging players

• Center for Hearing and Communication: NYC nonprofit providing hearing health, communication, and deaf services—partial overlap with BILS' Deaf Services program, with a more clinical/therapeutic specialty focus.

Broad incumbents

• AHRC New York City: One of the largest NYC nonprofits serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with a much broader residential, day-program, and clinical portfolio than BILS—but overlapping on employment, benefits, and community-living supports.
• Viscardi Center: Long-established Long Island/NYC disability services organization offering employment, youth transition, and benefits counseling—overlaps with BILS on vocational and transition services but operates at a wider regional scale.
• Services for the Underserved (SUS): Large NYC nonprofit operating housing, behavioral health, and disability programs at citywide scale. Provides broader wraparound services than BILS but competes for similar city and state HCBS funding streams.

Regional players

• Access Living (Chicago): Chicago-based consumer-controlled ILC with a nationally recognized model for disability rights advocacy, housing transition, and youth services—comparable organizational model to BILS but operating in a different metropolitan market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BronxILS
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Bronx-Independent-Living-Services/100064395681384
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bronx-independent-living-svc
• Instagraminstagram.com/bronxils

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 bils