Breaking Ground Housing Development Fund Corporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $35.6 million
- Spending
- $25.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 56.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 56%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $656,013, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 56.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 30% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $12.0 million spent. THE TIMES SQUARE IS BREAKING GROUND'S FLAGSHIP SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENCE. BREAKING GROUND TRANSFORMED THIS BUILDING INTO THE LARGEST PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENCE IN THE NATION AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE REVITALIZATION OF THE TIMES SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A WHOLE WHILE DEMONSTRATING A NEW APPROACH TO ENDING LONG-TERM URBAN HOMELESSNESS. THE TIMES SQUARE COMBINES PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW-INCOME AND FORMERLY HOMELESS ADULTS, PERSONS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. A RANGE OF ON-SITE SOCIAL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY BREAKING GROUND'S SOCIAL SERVICE PARTNER, THE CENTER FOR URBAN COMMUNITY SERVICES.
- $3.5 million spent. SCATTER SITE LIVING PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY IN AN APARTMENT SETTING WHILE STILL RECEIVING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. THESE PROGRAMS ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH THEIR REINTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MOVE TOWARD GREATER STABILITY AND INDEPENDENCE. CLIENTS WORK WITH CASE MANAGERS TO DEVELOP MUTUALLY AGREEABLE GOALS AND SERVICE PLANS AIMED AT IMPROVING THEIR INDIVIDUAL LIVES. SOME OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED INCLUDE:*DAILY LIVING SKILLS AND MONEY MANAGEMENT *POSITIVE SOCIAL NETWORKING AND FAMILY INTEGRATION *MEDICATION MANAGEMENT *VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES *HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES*CRISIS INTERVENTION *CLIENT SELF-ADVOCACY STREET TO HOME OUTREACH
- $1.6 million spent. PARK HOUSE AND WEBSTER AVENUE PARK HOUSE IS BREAKING GROUND'S FIRST AFFORDABLE FAMILY PROJECT. IT SHARES A LARGE SITE WITH A COMPANION BUILDING, WEBSTER AVENUE SUPPORTIVE RESIDENCE, RECLAIMING A BROWNFIELD SITE. THE 243,760 SF, 12-STORY PROJECT CONTAINS 248 STUDIO, ONE-, TWO-,AND THREE-BEDROOM UNITS THAT ARE HOME TO LOW-INCOME WORKING ADULTS AND FAMILIES.WEBSTER AVENUE SUPPORTIVE RESIDENCE PROVIDES 170 MICROSTUDIO APARTMENTS FOR FORMERLY HOMELESS SINGLE ADULTS - MANY LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS OR SPECIAL NEEDS - AND LOW-INCOME WORKING ADULTS FROM THE BRONX COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, PARK HOUSE AND WEBSTER PROVIDE 418 UNITS OF SUPPORTIVE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE TREMONT SECTION OF THE BRONX.
- $5.6 million spent. STREET TO HOME OUTREACH PROGRAM FOUNDED ON THE PREMISE THAT HOUSING IS THE ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP TO ADDRESSING THE COMPLEX ISSUES FACED BY CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. STREET TO HOME IS A SYSTEMATIC METHOD OF IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING FOR HOUSING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN OUTDOORS THE LONGEST AND WHO HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH ON THE STREETS.THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "HARD TO HOUSE" DUE TO THEIR NON-RESPONSIVENESS TO TRADITIONAL OUTREACH EFFORTS (E.G., OFFERS OF A NIGHT IN THE SHELTER OR A WARM MEAL) AND THE CHALLENGES TO STABILITY POSED BY SEVERE AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS AND ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE. BY TAKING THE TIME TO GAIN THE TRUST OF CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS GRADUALLY OVER TIME, AND OFFERING HOUSING WITHOUT CONDITIONS (E.G., SOBRIETY), STREET TO HOME DEMONSTRATES THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DO WANT A HOME AND CAN SUCCESSFULLY SECURE AND MAINTAIN PERMANENT HOUSING.THE STREET TO HOME MODEL WAS PIONEERED BY BREAKING GROUND IN 2004 AND ADOPTED BY THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES AS A CITYWIDE STRATEGY IN 2007. THROUGH OUR STREET TO HOME PROGRAM, BREAKING GROUND MAKES CONTACT WITH AN AVERAGE OF 1,000 STREET HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND CONNECTS MORE THAN 300 INDIVIDUALS TO HOUSING, MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING, AND OTHER ESSENTIALS SUPPORTS EACH YEAR.THE CARING, INDIVIDUALLY TAILORED ATTENTION CLIENTS RECEIVE AT EACH STAGE OF THEIR JOURNEY FROM STREET TO HOME ENSURES THAT MORE THAN 90% OF PEOPLE WHO BREAKING GROUND PLACES REMAIN STABLY HOUSED. BREAKING GROUND AND ITS PARTNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE ENTIREBOROUGHS OF BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, AND ONE-THIRD OF MANHATTAN.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1991.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.