HOCP FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
2025-2030
LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP
Dear Friends of Community Partners,
In addition to the challenge of securing a safe, affordable home, low- and moderate-income families in Montgomery County face myriad other obstacles to household stability and their ability to provide opportunities for their children to thrive.
Many adult residents of Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) affordable housing need support to develop the education, job skills and experience necessary to secure employment at a livable wage in this high-cost county. While many have realistic aspirations of creating a small business and building a more secure family future, they need an enhanced knowledge base, mentors, or capital needed to launch those ventures and succeed long-term.
Likewise, many HOC-resident youth need extra support to fully develop literacy and mathematics skills on all grade levels. They also are unable to access many out-of-school science and arts activities that would nurture their talents and interests, solely because the cost of participation is beyond their parents’ reach. Consequently, they fall behind in school, fail to reach their full potential and the cycle of unrealized potential continues.
As HOC’s non-profit social service affiliate, Community Partners has worked for the past 25 years to break that cycle – to strengthen the housing stability and increase the self-sufficiency of families living in Montgomery County’s affordable housing. In close consultation with HOC, we have developed this Five-Year Strategic Plan to guide our continuing and expanded efforts to meet the needs of HOC residents through 2030. We listened carefully to HOC’s staff, customers and many stakeholders to produce a blueprint of goals, strategies and programs to uplift HOC households.
This Five-Year Strategic Plan outlines our initiatives that will help implement programs that foster wellness, opportunity, economic mobility and personal growth for HOC households and residents of all ages, from toddlers through senior adults.
To empower our youth, we will keep them engaged from the “cradle to career”, so they can excel in school and pursue successful occupations and professions. For adults, we will provide access to opportunities that propel them to greater selfsufficiency. We will support our senior adult residents with programs that help them remain healthy, vibrant and active in their community.
This admittedly ambitious Five-Year Strategic Plan will succeed only through collaboration with and support from HOC staff and customers, our generous contributors and partners and all our stakeholders.
Together we remained committed to working toward a thriving, equitable Montgomery County where families in affordable housing have the support they need to achieve their greatest aspirations.
Committed to our Mission,
VARUN DHAWAN
Community Partners Board Chair CHELSEA ANDREWS
HOC President / Executive Director
INTRODUCTION
The Housing Opportunities Community Partners, Inc. (HOCP) recognizes that simply providing affordable housing is not enough for strengthening stability and increasing self-sufficiency for low- and moderate-income families. A home is only one element of support needed to help vulnerable families improve their lives.
As the non-profit affiliate of Montgomery County’s Public Housing Authority – the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) – HOCP focuses on supporting innovative programs that empower HOC customers to strengthen their households and move closer to their vision of success.
To help us achieve this, HOCP presents this 2025-2030 Five-Year Strategic Plan which will work in tandem with many of the initiatives and programs identified in the implementation plan of HOC’s recently published five-year strategic plan.
HOCP’S VISION
A vibrant, equitable Montgomery County where families in affordable housing have the support they need to help them achieve their greatest aspirations.
HOCP’S MISSION
Our mission is to empower HOC customers with low and moderate incomes to thrive by supporting programs that foster wellness, opportunity, economic mobility and personal growth.
HOC CUSTOMER NEEDS
HOC serves some of the most disadvantaged residents in Montgomery County, where significant racial and income disparities persist. According to HOC data, the average income of its customers is $22,032—nearly five times lower than the county’s median of $125,583. Furthermore, 73% of HOC customers are Black, compared to just 18% of the county’s overall population.
In preparation of its own new strategic plan, HOC spent several months engaged in extensive outreach to HOC customers and the community to identify the top priorities and needs of HOC customers and to identify the places where HOCP can potentially provide the most impactful support.
Building on these findings, HOCP envisions assistance to the HOC Resident Services Division to meet the needs of HOC customers, with robust programming that incorporates best practices, enhances the capacity for meaningful outcomes measurement, and better positions the agency to secure funding to expand and sustain its important work. These services will target needs spanning the entire range of customer age demographics with a “cradle-tocareer model” proven successful in breaking the cycle
of poverty in other communities through wraparound support.
The cradle-to-career model offers a transformative approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering long-term community success. By providing a continuum of support, this model addresses the needs of individuals at every stage of life, from early childhood development through educational milestones, career training, and beyond. Success is evident in improved academic achievement, higher graduation rates, and increased workforce readiness among participants. By integrating resources such as mentorship, financial assistance, and skills development, these initiatives empower individuals to overcome systemic barriers, create pathways to sustainable employment, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. The holistic nature of cradle-to-career programming not only impacts individual lives but also strengthens the social and economic fabric of entire communities.
The average income of HOC customers is nearly five times lower than the median income in Montgomery County.
CRADLE-TO-CAREER: A PROVEN MODEL
LANDSCAPE FOR YOUTH
Academic disparities for students of color and those of low and moderate income (LMI) in Montgomery County have persisted beyond the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maryland Department of Education (2024) reported that only 26% of “direct certified low-income” kindergarteners demonstrate readiness to engage the curriculum upon entering the classroom, with the greatest lags shown in literacy and math.
Per the Montgomery County Public School 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, the 2023-2024 metrics reveal that the percentages of MCPS students meeting literacy and math benchmarks has remained stagnant for students of color, and has continued to decline for students on Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS). The challenges persist throughout MCPS students’ careers, where only 45.5% of all students met Maryland College and Career Readiness standards in literacy and mathematics.
Best Practices for Youth
࢝ Support high-quality early childhood education for children’s learning at the time when brain development is most rapid and help to build the foundation for eliminating disparities in educational outcomes for children based on where they live, their ethnicity, and their family’s financial resources.
࢝ Support academic achievement and interest in a broad range of academic interests for middle school aged youth via extra-curricular activities that incorporate the arts, athletics and exposure to technological innovations.
࢝ Support college readiness, civic engagement and enhanced executive functioning skills in high school aged youth. Pursue development and maintenance of programs for this group that provide financial pathways for higher education and financial literacy education, offer summer employment and internship opportunities, and incorporate their participation in program design, implementation, and evaluation.
LANDSCAPE FOR ADULTS
The cost of living in Montgomery County is among the highest in the nation, with the 2023 Self-Sufficiency Standard at $22.39/hour or $47.3K/year income needed for a basic needs budget without any government benefits or subsidies for a single individual (University of Washington Center for Women’s Welfare & Montgomery County Community Action Agency, 2023). In addition, low income households continue to face two major economic challenges: 1) very low real-wage growth and 2) unemployment. According to the Economic Policy Institute, low wage workers nationally have seen only a 0.4% annualized real-wage increase during the years 1979-2023. In this same period, the annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, peaking in 2022 at 8.3%. Secondly, unemployment continues to disproportionately impact HOC families and is trending upward. (Maryland Department of Labor).
Best Practices for Adults
࢝ Support Adult Education and Workforce Development initiatives that provide funding and coaching opportunities for adults seeking to enhance their marketable skillset and/or start small businesses in Montgomery County.
࢝ Support LMI adults in building assets and increasing household net worth via financial literacy and capability education.
࢝ Support health initiatives for LMI adults that decrease health disparities in marginalized communities and support sustained participation in the workforce.
LANDSCAPE FOR SENIORS
Older adults face similar challenges with regard to health, well-being, and income constraints in Montgomery County as they do nationally. Montgomery County’s senior population is growing and more than half of residents over the age of 65 pay more than 30% of their income toward housing costs (Montgomery County Commission on Aging, 2023), leaving little leftover for ancillary needs.
The high cost of living brings extra salience to known risk factors for seniors such as malnutrition, social isolation, and vulnerability to financial scams.
Best Practices for Seniors
࢝ Support programming that fosters a sense of community and keeps seniors socially engaged and physically active.
࢝ Support seniors’ access to healthy foods and nutritional guidance.
࢝ Support programming that helps seniors protect and direct their assets through opportunities to learn about financial planning and technology navigation resources.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
To help us realize these goals and objectives, we will seek a diversified array of funding from grants, philanthropic support and charitable contributions.
Goals
1. Break intergenerational cycles of poverty by adopting a cradle-to-career model focused on economic mobility.
2. Expand and diversify programming to ensure equity across all age groups.
3. Track and evaluate outcomes to assess impact, scalability, and sustainability.
4. Expand and enhance HOCP’s public awareness and fundraising capabilities.
Programmatic Objectives
Early Childhood
1. Strengthen the school readiness of preschool youth by:
࢝ Fostering a new program to help parents navigate early childhood development, connect with other parents, and enroll children in pre-school;
࢝ Fostering a new program to help families to develop a love of reading and learning by building home libraries, and connecting families with opportunities from libraries, schools and volunteer mentoring programs in literacy.
2. Empower families of preschool youth to build early savings by:
࢝ Fostering a new program to educate and encourage parents to initiate a 529 College Savings Plan and Baby Trust Funds;
࢝ Fostering ways to provide match funding for new 529 plans.
Elementary/Middle School Youth
1. Provide learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) to youth in elementary and middle school by:
࢝ Continuing to provide STEAM programming and field trips;
࢝ Expanding partnerships with STEAM and artsrelated organizations.
2. Help better prepare our youth for the start of the academic year by:
࢝ Continuing to support the annual Back to School event every August.
High School Youth
1. Strengthen the college and career readiness of high school students by:
࢝ Fostering a new program to help youth explore multiple pathways including highwage industries (i.e. Tech, Health, and Real Estate), preparing for college, and becoming an entrepreneur;
࢝ Incorporating lessons in financial literacy;
࢝ Fostering internship, employment and mentorship opportunities;
࢝ Fostering the building of a pipeline of youth for HOC’s tuition assistance program and the Tony Davis Memorial Scholarship program.
2. Empower youth to gain work experience and develop life skills by:
࢝ Fostering a new program to train youth as Community Coaches at HOC properties with a focus on outreach;
࢝ Fostering opportunities for youth to earn SSL hours in areas that help the youth identify paths to a successful career.
Adults 18+
1. Improve community health by:
࢝ Fostering a new program to train young adults age 18-24 as Community Health Workers to educate residents, conduct health screenings, and connect residents to physical and mental health resources.
2. Empower adults to pursue life changing careers by:
࢝ Continuing to provide tuition assistance for adult education and support in workforce development programs;
࢝ Enhancing/increasing programs in small business development;
࢝ Developing a new program to assist young adults age 18-24 with pursuing higher wage opportunities through certifications and specialized training.
3. Increase the financial health of HOC’s current and pending customers by:
࢝ Supporting financial literacy training opportunities;
࢝ Empowering adults to improve their credit and rental histories.
4. Empower adults to build financial assets by:
࢝ Developing a new program to assist adults in the home buying process.
Senior Adults 60+
1. Improve community health among senior adults by:
࢝ Fostering partnerships with community organizations that provide transportation support, food access, and outdoor excursions;
࢝ Fostering partnerships to launch onsite gardening programs;
࢝ Fostering partnerships to reduce social isolation through technology support and digital story telling programming;
࢝ Fostering partnerships to develop a senior companionship program including wellness checks via phone and/or in-person visits.
2. Improve the financial health of senior adults by:
࢝ Fostering new programming in financial literacy and estate planning.
Organizational Objectives
To realize the programmatic goals over the next five years, HOCP sets forth these administrative objectives that identify where to enhance our organizational strengths in order to fulfill our overall strategic plan.
1. Enhance the public awareness of HOCP by:
࢝ Improving HOCP’s website;
࢝ Expanding HOCP’s social media presence;
࢝ Collaborating with notable individuals and organizations on various initiatives.
2. Strengthen the financial capacity of HOCP by:
࢝ Enacting a comprehensive fundraising plan;
࢝ Expanding the use of CRM/fundraising software capabilities;
࢝ Increasing targeted outreach to individuals, companies and philanthropic organizations;
࢝ Recruiting notable individuals and organizations to help expand fundraising efforts;
࢝ Leveraging partnerships with public and private organizations to maximize the programmatic capacity of HOC and HOCP.
3. Expand and strengthen the impact of the board of directors by:
࢝ Diversifying board membership;
࢝ Strengthening the board’s governance structure;
࢝ Clarifying the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of members;
࢝ Expanding the breadth of policies and standard operating procedures.
4. Increase the use of data to support the decision making process of the board and more effectively fill in gaps in programs and services by:
࢝ Engaging HOC customers in the creation and monitoring of programs;
࢝ Establishing better metrics to measure program performance;
࢝ Improving the reporting of program performance to funders.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Community Partners thanks the following stakeholders for their invaluable contributions to the creation of this Five-Year Strategic Plan. Their invaluable input and collaborative spirit have been crucial for the development of this important document, which will guide our organization over the next five years.
Housing Opportunities Community Partners
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Varun Dhawan
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer – Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
Vice-Chair
Theresa Finney-Dumais
Director, Government & Industry Relations, Freddie Mac
Treasurer
Kenneth B. Tecler
Attorney – The Law Office of Kenneth B. Tecler, LLC
Morgan G. Smith
Attorney, Partner – Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Washington, DC
Lexan McDowell
Program Manager – iCallidus // Community volunteer
Eileen M. Fitzgerald
Founder & Principal - ThruSight LLC
Alexandra Nassau-Brownstone
Vice President, Resident Outcomes & CORES: Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)
HOC Staff Contributors
࢝ Chelsea Andrews, HOC President & Executive Director
࢝ DaVida Rowley, HOC Vice President, Resident Services
࢝ Tia Blount, HOC Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
࢝ John Vass, Grants Coordinator, HOC Staff Liaison to HOCP
࢝ Niambi Powell, HOC Service Coordination Manager
࢝ Stephanie Moore, HOC Resident Services Programs Supervisor
࢝ Timothy Evans, HOC Public Information Specialist
