GreenLight Fund Brings Housing Connector to Miami

Nonprofit organization Housing Connector will collaborate with local partners to house 2,400 people over the next four years

Miami, FL – February 26, 2026 – Nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund Miami today announced a $600,000 investment to increase access to stable housing by bringing Housing Connector to Miami-Dade County. Housing Connector is a tech-powered nonprofit that streamlines the housing search by connecting landlords, community partners, and residents through a state of the art marketplace. With financial guarantees and dedicated landlord support, they reduce barriers and unlock more homes for people who need them most. Over the next four years, they plan to house 2,400 people in Miami-Dade, leveraging local partnerships and proven national infrastructure to ensure every available unit becomes an opportunity for stability and a fresh start for our most vulnerable residents. 

GreenLight Fund Miami, in partnership with the community, identifies the most pressing barriers to inclusive prosperity and matches those with proven solutions working in other parts of the country to complement the great work happening locally. Throughout their year-long selection process, GreenLight Miami spoke with residents, case managers, advocates, academics, as well as community, business, philanthropic, and government leaders who identified access to stable housing as the biggest barrier to inclusive prosperity. Research backs up their observations: Miami-Dade County is the most rent-burdened area in the nation – nearly 60 percent of residents spend more than 30 percent of their income to keep a roof over their heads (2025 United Way ALICE report). Furthermore, nearly 90,000 eviction notices have been filed in the Miami area since 2020 (Eviction Lab). GreenLight Miami thoroughly vetted evidence-based solutions and, in partnership with their Selection Advisory Council, selected Housing Connector as the organization to deliver the impact the community wants and needs.

Valeria Perez-Ferreiro, Founding Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Miami, who led the site’s first selection, notes, “Miami is home to extraordinary organizations and leaders working every day to help residents find stable housing, but the process is often harder and slower than it should be. Our investment in Housing Connector will bring a proven solution to accelerate and streamline the great work our nonprofits are doing- making it easier for case managers to connect people to available homes and for landlords to say yes. This investment brings us closer to a future where more Miami-Dade residents can quickly find not just housing, but the stability, dignity, and opportunity everyone deserves.”

Housing Connector enables people with barriers, such as low credit scores, prior evictions, and voucher acceptance, to gain access to quality housing. The program provides landlords with financial guarantees and ongoing support to mitigate their risk related to those barriers. Housing Connector has developed a world class tech platform that community-based organizations can use to match individuals with units that will accept their barriers and provide support throughout their housing journey from application to move-in. Nationally, Housing Connector has housed more than 12,000 people, working alongside 3,500 property partners and 350 community-based organizations across Austin, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, Newark, and Seattle. 

“We see Miami as a community that shares our belief and conviction that homelessness can be solved. By transforming how the private market engages with public need, we’ve shown that solving homelessness requires innovation, accountability, and courage to do things differently. We’re not just building a platform, we’re building a movement where housing is treated as infrastructure, not crisis response. We’re proud to bring this solution to Miami in partnership with GreenLight to set a new standard and make it a model for cities across the country. Together, we will re-imagine housing access in America,” explains Shkëlqim Kelmendi, Founder and CEO of Housing Connector.

Beginning in May, Housing Connector will hire a local manager and partner with local organizations to reach residents experiencing the most difficulties in accessing safe and dignified housing. By 2029, they expect to have 30,000 units listed and 2,400 people housed, with 90% remaining housed after one year.

Annie Lord, CEO of Miami Homes For All and a member of the Selection Advisory Council, shares how the partnership will strengthen existing efforts to expand access to affordable housing, “GreenLight’s comprehensive process made it clear that we have an opportunity to strengthen housing stability in Miami with a solution that adds value through its integration with the work already happening here. Housing Connector’s landlord supports and experience working in multiple cities will help Miami Homes For All and our partner, the Homeless Trust, attract more affordable units to house people exiting shelter. We will also work with Housing Connector to help at-risk residents remain stably housed.”

Housing Connector will also extend its services to community-based organizations outside the homelessness service continuum. Zelalem Adefris, CEO of Catalyst Miami and a member of the Selection Advisory Council, welcomes the opportunity to partner, “As a Miami-based social service organization, the majority of the calls we receive are requests for housing assistance. Unfortunately, we often find that there are too few resources to meet the community’s need. We recently surveyed hundreds of our clients, and housing services were identified as the top service gap. Therefore, we know that Housing Connector’s contribution will be a game changer. We look forward to being a close partner and helping them maximize their impact.”

In addition to the multi-year startup capital, GreenLight Miami will provide strategic on-the-ground support to ensure measurable impact and long term sustainability. GreenLight Miami launched in January, 2025 and this is their first investment.