Mission First Housing Group

Mission First Housing Group is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to ensuring everyone has a safe, affordable house to call home. Mission First's mission is to develop and manage affordable, safe and sustainable homes for people in need, with a focus on the vulnerable. We ensure our residents have access to resources to help them live independently. We deliver housing that provides long-term benefits to residents and neighborhoods alike. Mission First was founded in 1988 as a joint venture between the City of Philadelphia, HUD and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 1260 Housing Development Corporation (1260 HDC), as it was known at the time, was established to acquire, develop, and maintain affordable housing for persons with mental disabilities. Mission First's first resident, Mary Horwitz, moved in October 1, 1989 and lived there for 22 years. In 1993, Columbus Property Management was formed to manage the properties, coordinate client services, and maintain the day-to-day needs of the building and its tenants. Through the years, the organization has reached beyond Philadelphia to Montgomery County, PA, Washington, DC, and Delaware by acquiring like-minded nonprofits organizations in these communities. Mission First has also expanded its scope to include other vulnerable communities, such as seniors, veterans, and low income market tenants. Mission First currently provides safe, affordable, sustainable homes to more than 4,000 people in over 3,000 units.