Harbel Community Organization Inc

Harbel housing partnership is sponsored by thirteen community banks and savings and loans harbel housing has grown into a major prepurchase service for potential home buyers. Our funds now come from two grant sources (baltimore city s housing department and baltimore county s office of community conservation. General programs community servicesharbel s community service program occ) and from thirteen community banks savings and loan associations and credit unions with some funds form private contributions. Harbel housing is a hud certified housing counseling agency and our housing counselors are certified through the maryland housing counselor network. Our funds are audited annually and we are reviewed by hud every two years and annually by both baltimore city and baltimore county governments. We have never been cited for problems. Harbel also has a community relation department. This department helps to organize and strengthen community organizations and business associations in the area. We provide information referral and advocacy services. The program director oversees a program which serves 27 communities within our catchment area with no additional staff. Our director attends approximately 200 community association meetings per year and consistently addresses issues relating to crime prevention zoning housing traffic and transportation schools and problematic liquor establishments that are brought to light at these meetings or from community association leadership. On a daily basis the director sends messages via a compiled email list facebook next door (a national community based social media service). In addition harbel supports the north east citizens patrol. We also accept private insurance and out of pocket payments based on a sliding fee scale. Staff may use techniques such as motivational interviewing adolescent community reinforcement approach and cognitive behavioral therapy as these are interventions which have been found to be effective with substance abusers.

General programs community servicesharbel s community service program helps to organize and strengthen community organizations and business associations in the area. We provide information referral and advocacy services. The program director oversees a program which serves 27 communities within our catchment area with no additional staff. Our director attends approximately 150 community association meetings per year and consistently addresses issues relating to crime prevention zoning housing traffic and transportation schools and problematic liquor establishments that are brought to light at these meetings or from community association leadership. On a daily basis he sends messages via a compiled email list facebook next door (a national community based social media service) and seven different community list serves that reach the residents of northeast baltimore. These messages ensure the residents of northeast baltimore are consistently aware of crime trends pertinent crime prevention techniques information from local government and state government numerous events and issues that would affect a resident s quality of life the services of other nonprofits in the area and key governmental contact information. These messages through various formats reach more than 1000 households. It is estimated that he communicates with more than 3000 residents a year through personal phone electronic contact and attendance at meetings in a geographic area with more than 100000 residents. He coordinates the efforts of the northeast citizens on patrol a partnership of harbel and the baltimore police department s northeast district. The volunteer group is composed of members of over 30 communities with more than 800 volunteers from across the entire northeast baltimore area.