Dr. Tom Hameline Announces Intention to Step Down as President and CEO of HELP USA in June 2023

During Twelve-Year Presidency, Led Growth of HELP USA From 10 Shelters to 60+ Shelter, Supportive, and Permanent Affordable Housing Units in Seven States

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NEW YORK, NY– (February 9, 2023) Dr. Tom Hameline, President and CEO of HELP USA, Inc., the renowned national homeless service provider and low-income housing developer, announced today that he would step down in June 2023. An accomplished family psychologist and industry thought leader, Hameline, a 30-year veteran of HELP USA, has dedicated his career to providing solutions to the housing crisis and the trauma caused by homelessness. Since his selection for the top position at HELP USA in 2011, he has led the organization through massive expansion of its enterprise from an operator of homeless shelters to an end-to-end housing and homeless services provider and a foremost builder of affordable, permanent housing with facilities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Nevada.

“Leading HELP USA has been an extraordinary honor,” said Dr. Hameline. “The steadfast commitment of our management team to best-in-class care and services, combined with their relentless drive to offer lasting support and solutions to the most vulnerable populations, is the foundational strength of this organization. The front-line staff is second-to-none, and their unending passion for helping others has informed our daily direction and successes. With the landmark supportive and affordable housing project, HELP One in East New York, well underway, and our trauma-informed purpose-built shelter Logan Fountain rising in Brooklyn’s Cypress Hill neighborhood, I have every confidence that HELP USA is on a path to a strong future, and that now is the right time for a leadership transition.”

“Tom Hameline has brought HELP USA to the top of the industry. He has led with a laser focus on coordinated care and supportive, wrap-around services for people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness while also overseeing the rapid expansion of HELP’s permanent, affordable housing portfolio,” said HELP USA Chairman of the Board, Anthony Williams. “His vision, commitment, and inspired leadership have fostered a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence. The Board is immensely grateful for Tom’s decades of service and appreciative that HELP will benefit from his experience and guidance as we undertake a search for his successor. The true legacy of Tom’s leadership lies in the hundreds of thousands we have served and in the strength of this organization. Tom leaves us ready to continue this life-changing work: prepared for the future and poised for continued success.”

When Dr. Hameline arrived at HELP USA in 1994 to oversee mental health programs for homeless families at facilities in the South Bronx, the organization’s portfolio contained one family shelter in East New York, two in the Bronx, and three more in Westchester and Suffolk Counties. Hameline quickly identified the need for services to address the roots of homelessness. He spearheaded the development of HELP Works, the agency’s welfare-to-work initiative, which is still in operation today, having assisted thousands with job training and placement across New York City.

Subsequently, Hameline went on to develop and implement a new rapid re-housing model for HELP’s NYC-based homeless family shelters, which was adopted as a “National Best Practice” by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. During this same period, he helped design the City’s first community-based homelessness prevention program serving the South Bronx, a model selected as a semifinalist for Harvard’s Innovations in American Government Award.

As Senior Vice President of Program Development for HELP from 2007 to 2011, Hameline expanded his reach to manage new project development. During his four-year tenure in this position, he led his team in securing $45 million for three supportive housing projects in Newark, New Jersey, incorporating top building standards, and gaining a LEED Platinum certification. In addition, Hameline oversaw an investment of $28 million into new affordable housing for veterans and low-income families in Philadelphia.

In 2011, after a national search, the HELP USA Board selected Hameline to lead the organization as President and Chief Executive Officer. Under Dr. Hameline’s guidance, the agency has grown to become a renowned national housing and homeless services nonprofit with a $160 million operating budget, 60+ program sites across seven states, and more than 1,500 employees.

On January 26, 2023, Hameline spoke before a standing-room-only audience of 250 industry colleagues at HELP USA’s symposium, Upstream. Commenting on the future of the industry in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams’ and Governor Kathy Hochul’s housing agendas, Dr. Hameline said, “There will be lots of productive and meaningful work for everyone to do in the years ahead…and we can expect more important developments to continue to come out of New York City. So, thanks to all of you for everything you’ve done.” Developed under Hameline’s direction, this inaugural symposium set the stage for his successor to continue the agency’s positive momentum and build upon the remarkable accomplishments of his presidency.

Before his distinguished employment at HELP USA, Hameline served as a psychologist and member of the psychology training faculty for the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Medical Center. In addition, throughout his career, he has maintained his status as a licensed psychologist in New York State, with a Certificate in Family Therapy from the Ackerman Institute for the Family. He offered individuals, families, and couples psychotherapeutic services, until retiring from private practice in 2020. Hameline has a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.

HELP USA, Inc. has engaged Harris Rand Lusk, an executive search firm that supports nonprofit organizations and their boards in pursuit of exceptional leaders and senior managers, to conduct a search for its next CEO.

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About HELP USA

HELP USA works to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. We build affordable homes, provide shelter for people in crisis, and strengthen vulnerable communities. Every day, we address the root causes of homelessness at our 44 residences and over a dozen prevention and support programs. For more information, visit www.helpusa.org.

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