Contents
Founding and History
The Homeless Persons Representation Project was formed in 1987 as part of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service advocating on issues related to homeless within the area. The project became an independent tax-exempt organization in 1990, and as of October 2024, it had 420 pro-bono affiliated attorneys, paralegals, and law students in addition to its full-time lawyers. 1
Finances
In the fiscal year 2023 the Homeless Persons Representation Project reported revenues of $1,982,855, of which $1,982,855 stemmed from contributions and grants. It reported $1,932,091 in expenses, of which $1,932,091 was allocated to salaries and employee compensation. It ended the year with a net revenue of $50,764 and net assets of $359,238. 3
Most of the group’s funding comes from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, a non-profit established by the government of Maryland and funded via legal fees. 4
From 2020 to 2023, the Open Society Foundations provided several grants to the group worth $156,000 in total. 5
Organization Philosophy
The Homeless Persons Representation Project claims to advocate for ending homelessness in the state of Maryland. The group uses legal services to maintain state and federal welfare as well as disability benefits. The group also advocates against evictions from federally subsidized housing, and assists with eliminating criminal records. 1 4
Projects and Initiatives
According to its website, the Homeless Persons Representation Project divides its legal services into different categories. Such include economic justice, housing justice, veterans’ affairs, homeless youth, and eliminating criminal records. 4
Leadership
Kirsten Gettys Downs is the executive director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project, a position she has held since May of 2022. Prior to this position, she worked in several state-level legal roles in the state since 2007. She was a federal public defender from 2001 to 2003 and served as a special counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice. 6 7
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,416,271 | $1,528,940 | View | |
| 2024 | $500,915 | $2,602,548 | $2,841,660 | View |
| 2023 | $1,168,855 | $1,982,855 | $1,932,091 | View |
| 2022 | $434,808 | $1,762,743 | $1,639,233 | View |
| 2021 | $271,076 | $1,464,346 | $1,545,864 | View |
Prior year filings: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 22
Highest Earning Employees
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $10,006,852
- Number of Grants: 266
- Number of Funders: 71
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years: