February 2021
Equitable Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
BRIDGE is partnering with Community Roots Housing to create 232 affordable homes and a child learning center at the Northgate Transit HUB in King County, WA. Community members are invited to click the link below to learn about upcoming community outreach meetings and opportunities to provide input. 
Tech for Learning
Imagine attending sixth grade on your phone. Or taking AP Chem on an obsolete desktop. That’s real life for many families with lower incomes. Under a new initiative, BRIDGE is raising funds to provide Chromebooks and fast, reliable internet access to families in BRIDGE communities. In the words of one resident: “It’s a big help for my kids to have their own computers. What a great thing you guys are doing!” 
Who Lives in BRIDGE Housing?
This new report from BRIDGE presents resident demographics and data about the impact of affordable housing on residents’ lived experiences, home stability and quality of life. More than 10,000 households across 100 BRIDGE properties in California, Oregon and Washington were invited to participate. “There is no question that access to stable and affordable housing is tied to other positive social, economic and health outcomes,” said Cynthia A. Parker, BRIDGE President and CEO. “For families, it creates the conditions for economic security and upward mobility, educational advancement, and physical and mental health. For seniors, it provides social connectivity and healthy aging in place.”
Local Hires in LA
BRIDGE released the “Jordan Downs 2021 Impact Report,” a new paper about community impacts and progress to date of a large-scale neighborhood revitalization initiative in Los Angeles. Among the report’s findings: In the first phase of construction of new affordable housing, the initiative spurred the creation of 109 jobs; 70% of the new employees were local hires, far exceeding the 30% target. 
No Place for Hate
“We are angered and saddened by the rising violence in the U.S. against Asian community members,” writes BRIDGE President and CEO Cynthia A. Parker. “We agree that there is no place for hate in our society. We strive to make BRIDGE’s work part of the antidote to systemic racism; we believe in sustaining and creating communities where all people feel welcomed, respected and valued.”
BRIDGE Welcomes New Board Chair Ken Novack
Kenneth M. Novack has been elected Chairman of the BRIDGE Board of Directors. He first joined the Board in 2014 and has chaired the organization’s Projects, Audit and Governance committees. Mr. Novack is CEO and Chairman of MMGL Hold Co LLC (formerly Schnitzer Investment Corp.) and related entities including Co-Founding Partner, Schnitzer West. “I’m inspired to work with the Board and management as BRIDGE takes on new challenges and opportunities ahead,” he said.