Housing Connector is a tech-powered nonprofit organization that increases access to housing for individuals and families affected by housing screening barriers. We partner with properties and provide a benefits package in exchange for reduced application criteria, allowing more folks to find a place to call home.
Housing instability often looks different than what many assume. People frequently face shared barriers such as poor or nonexistent credit history, legal issues, prior evictions, and income restrictions that prevent them from finding long-term housing.
Housing Connector's founder, Shkëlqim Kelmendi experienced this firsthand when he and his family had to flee their home country and were granted asylum right here in Dallas, TX. After years of working in the housing industry, Shkëlqim created Housing Connector as a way to open more doors to people who need it most. Housing Connector works to make safe and stable housing within reach for individuals and families facing screening barriers.
We partner with 40 non-profits in DFW. 83% of those housed through the Housing Connector program in DFW identify as BIPOC, 60% are female, and 58% are households with children under 8 years old. 49% have an Area Median Income level of less than 60%, and 17% utilize a housing subsidy/voucher. 51 properties are offering over 600 available homes today.
Housing Connector has partnered with over 200 properties to connect 800+ people to housing in Dallas Fort Worth since 2023. At Housing Connector, we believe no unit should sit vacant while there are people in need of a home. Our vision is to deliver simple and scalable solutions —until every person has a home.
Housing for all. Powered by tech.
Housing Connector is a tech-powered nonprofit that increases access to housing for individuals and families unable to obtain housing due to stringent application criteria. We do this by solving financial and resident challenges for property managers so they can open doors to more people in the community, and by streamlining the housing search experience for service providers with our Zillow powered marketplace.
Vision:
To deliver simple and scalable solutions- until every person has a home.
Mission:
Inspire property managers to take bold action and house people in need of a home.
Belief Statement:
No unit should sit vacant while there are people in need of a home.
Rental assistance
Case management support
Marketing
At our organization, we prioritize and are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Representation (DEIR) among our staff members. Our approach focuses on recruiting and hiring diverse team members that represent the population we are here to serve, and creating an inclusive workspace that equitably values and promotes team members. We actively seek candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, diverse communities, and marginalized groups and utilize a screening process that eliminates groupthink by interviewers individually rating applicants on key competencies and aggregating scores. This has resulted in 65% of staff possessing lived experiences that are shared by those who are served by Housing Connector programs. Hiring is just step one, we also create an internal culture that values transparency and meritocracy, which has resulted in 80% of company promotions going to team members of color.
Organization name
Housing Connector North TX
other names
Housing Connector
Causes
Housing, Shelter & Homelessness
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
Address
1999 Bryan St Suite 900