Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
HERA is a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization dedicated to helping Californians - particularly those most vulnerable - build a safe, sound financial future, free of discrimination and economic abuses, in all aspects of household financial concerns. We provide free legal services, consumer workshops, training for professionals and community organizing support, create innovative solutions and engage in policy work locally, statewide and nationally.
- Income
- $3.6 million
- Spending
- $3.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 3.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 79%
- Employees
- 34
- Highest pay
- $155,608, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 19% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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, 2025, 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 (1)
- $3.2 million spent. HERA is the only California statewide nonprofit law office dedicated to addressing mortgage lending, servicing, foreclosure, collections and credit problems in California, with most of our services provided in the Greater Northern California area, Central Valley area, with growing services in Southern California and with our office located in Oakland. We have a broad asset building/preservation and anti-discrimination mission. We are unusual in our combination of service strategies, engaging in 1 education of individual consumers and communities of vulnerable residents targeted for a wide variety of predatory practices not just housing related 2 legal services for individuals as well as class actions benefiting many hundreds, sometimes thousands of people at a time 3 trainings for attorneys, government staff, housing counselors, adult protective services and other professionals on how to identify and handle abuses directed towards consumers 4 research on the scope and impact of such abusive practices 5 technical assistance and support to professionals on their cases 6 community organizing on consumer issues and 7 policy work. HERA also addresses almost all other forms of household debt and credit problems including medical debt, credit card debt, student loans, and homeowner association collections activity, as well as expanding our work on wrongful credit reporting. These kinds of practices can result in residents being denied credit, paying much higher interest rates on loans, higher insurance rates, and possibly being locked out of certain kinds of jobs.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 2025.
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 2006.
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.