Credit Repair Improves Lives!

inte8821 • April 28, 2016

In a year’s time over 600 people participate in financial education through IHA’s Housing Matters Program and over 300 future homebuyers receive one on one housing and credit counseling.

As part of the financial education process, a Credit Café – a collaboration between Interfaith Housing Alliance, United Way, The Housing Authority and the Financial Literacy Coalition is offered four times a year. The next Credit Café is on May 12th from 4 to 7pm.

What is the Credit Café? The Credit Café offers practical skills that can help improve credit scores such as paying bills consistently and on time as well as managing credit cards. It is the goal of the Credit Café to improve credit scores which can improve the opportunity for participants to achieve such things as homeownership and better interest rates on credit cards and car loans. The Credit Cafe’s ultimate goal is to reduce debt and build savings while increasing credit scores.

Attendees simply make an appointment by calling IHA’s office to register. During the Credit Café, IHA will request a soft hit credit report with a score for each client who registers. Participants will then work one-on-one with an advisor who works with credit reports daily. Our volunteer advisors are bankers, mortgage professionals and housing counselors.

For more information on our Credit Café and to register for May 12th, please contact Carol at 301-662-4225 x1209 or Mary Ellen at 301-662-4225 x1211. Please feel free to contact us, as well, if you are interested in volunteering for future Café’s.

Voices of Affordable Housing

By Jodie Ostoich • May 25, 2025
Voices of Affordable Housing: Affordable Housing

Gary Free resident at Residences at Railroad Square Apartments

March 3, 2025
Gary Free grew up in Brunswick, MD. The first time he saw the Residences at Railroad Square, he knew he would love to live in the apartments. Now all he can think to himself is, “I am living here!” Gary said the day he signed his lease he was so happy! He has a picture hanging in his apartment that says, “You’re Home.” Gary looks at it often and says to himself, “I am!” He finally feels at peace. Gary feels his home is nice! He also feels one of the ways of living at Residences of Railroad Square is that he now has everything he ever wanted, asked for and needed. The only thing he feels is a concern is that most of the time he gets lonely. His goal is to try to meet people. He says, “I’m a very friendly person.” Gary says his experience living at the Residences at Railroad Square has been rather good. If he has any concerns he can talk to the office staff. He feels it can’t get any better than this!

Lease-up of Residence of Railroad Square

By Crystal Thomas • March 3, 2025
With excitement and anticipation, I watched the groundbreaking on June 29, 2023, with my assistant Vickie and IHA’s Supportive Services coordinator, Sandi. By the middle of September 2023 concrete walls were being set up. We watched as the roof was completed; then the windows and doors were installed. We impatiently waited for the day we received permission to see the inside of the Residences of Railroad Square property. Finally, on September 25, 2024, we had the privilege to tour the inside of this beautiful property. On the weekend of September 27, 2024, the IHA property management team along with the CEO Jodie, held a two-day in-person application event. The owners of First Stop Brunswick generously donated their space at 2. E. Baltimore Street. That lease up kick off generated 56 applications. Over the next three months, ninety more applications were submitted. Each applicant came with their own story which stirred our hearts. No matter how different their stories may have been, they all had the same wish, a place to call home for Christmas! On November 5, 2024, the first resident signed their lease and on December 23, 2024, the last empty unit was filled! Not only were we able to fulfill these residents' Christmas wishes but it also filled our hearts with joy!
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