2024 marked an important milestone for The Bridge Fund of Westchester. With the generous support of the Jan don Foundation, and later The New York Community Trust and other contributors, The Bridge Fund was able to begin offering income growth services to some of our poorest clients in the county.
The Income Growth Initiative* helps severely rent-burdened clients prepare for high-demand jobs that offer better pay, benefits, and growth potential. The Income Growth Initiative also accepts referrals of working poor residents who are already enrolled in college but in danger of dropping out due to financial difficulties that threaten their housing stability and that of their household members.

During 2024, the Income Growth Initiative provided information and services to roughly 80 clients, several of whom have already gone on to increase their incomes and credit our program for their improved skills, circumstances, and outlooks. Referral partners include SUNY, Westchester Community College, Mercy College, Westchester Community Opportunity Program, and others. We are proud of these relationships which Grace Perry Scott, the former Director of The Bridge Fund of Westchester, took the lead in cultivating. We thank her and wish her well.

The Bridge Fund of Westchester has remained true to its core mission of helping the working poor surmount their immediate housing crises to avoid costly shelter placement. Over the course of 2024, the program stabilized 297 such households by providing a combination
of services and financial assistance, averaging less than $1,500 per family. This assistance benefited 364 adults and seniors and 302 children. For these 297 families, The Bridge Fund of Westchester successfully leveraged an additional $856,944 from outside sources, both public and private. And, to their credit, our 297 client households contributed $301,726 for their rent arrears. These contributions ensured that all rent arrears were paid and our clients’ Housing Court cases were settled.

It is worth noting that The Bridge Fund of Westchester served thousands of other clients during 2024 and that our team remains passionate about strengthening The Bridge Fund’s impact in the years ahead!
* The Income Growth Initiative is also known as the Housing Independence Program.

Rosalie Girau
Director, The Bridge Fund of Westchester