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About home base usa

Who We Are

Housing is the foundation of strong communities, but lasting stability requires more than a roof. Our housing initiatives are designed not only to create and preserve affordable homes, but also to strengthen neighborhoods, expand economic opportunity, and support long-term community resilience. Through Home Base USA's integrated Housing, Jobs, Care, and K9 model, we combine affordable housing, economic opportunity, supportive services, and community safety initiatives to help individuals, families, and neighborhoods build long-term resilience.

Supported by volunteers, advisors, community partners, and subject-matter experts in housing, workforce development, veteran services, real estate, finance, and community resilience.

  • 501(c)(3)
  • Woman-Led
  • Minority-Led
  • Veteran-Aligned

Our mission

Building stronger communities.

Home Base USA creates stronger communities through an integrated model of housing, economic opportunity, supportive services, and K9 partnerships that help individuals and families achieve stability, independence, and lasting success.

At Home Base USA, we recognize that strong communities are built through interconnected solutions. Housing provides stability. Jobs create opportunity. Care strengthens individuals and families. K9 partnerships enhance safety, resilience, and community support. Together, these four pillars help communities thrive today while building a stronger future for tomorrow.

  • HousingAffordable housing development, rehabilitation, neighborhood revitalization, and community investment that promote long-term stability and stronger communities.
  • JobsWorkforce development, skills training, entrepreneurship, and employment pathways that help individuals achieve economic independence.
  • CareSupportive services for veterans, first responders, individuals with disabilities, and families navigating challenges that impact stability and quality of life.
  • K9K9-supported services including service dog training, search and rescue, scent-discrimination capabilities, safety sweeps, community engagement, and emergency response support.

Turning experience into opportunity

A note from our founder.

Because others stepped forward for me, I believe we have a responsibility to step forward for others.

On April 29, 1975, just hours before the American Embassy fell in Saigon, I was airlifted to safety on what would become the final U.S. military Operation Babylift flight, led by an all-American flight crew.

During that journey, I was separated from my family three different times. Each time, members of the U.S. military and the nuns caring for us stepped in and helped reunite me with my parents.

More than fifty years later, I still carry a deep sense of gratitude for the people who chose to help a child they had never met. Their compassion and service changed the course of my life, giving me the opportunity to grow up in safety, build a career, serve my community, and help others in turn.

Home Base USA is rooted in that same belief: stronger communities are built when people show up for one another. This work is dedicated to those who stepped forward for me, and to everyone who answers the call to help others today.

Throughout her career, Elisabeth has worked alongside veterans, veteran-serving organizations, nonprofit leaders, government agencies, housing professionals, and community partners to advance opportunities for those who have served.

— Elisabeth Romanik, CPA

Founder & CEO

Elisabeth Romanik shaking hands with a veterans' affairs official in a Florida state office
Portrait of Elisabeth Romanik, founder and CEO of Home Base USA

Meet the team

Leadership.

Federal, military, and field-tested experience — brought together around a shared mission.
Elisabeth Romanik, smiling, in a black blazer in front of green foliage

Elisabeth Romanik, CPA

Founder & CEO

Founder & CEO of Home Base USA Community Development Inc. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Licensed Real Estate Broker, Elisabeth brings extensive expertise in real estate investment, development, asset management, and financial strategy. Her background includes work supporting complex transactions involving federal agencies and federally related initiatives. Elisabeth leads Home Base USA's integrated Housing, Jobs, Care, and K9 community-development model.

Bella, a black East European Shepherd, grinning in her pink sunglasses with rainbow lenses

Bella Romanik

Chief Goofy Officer (CGO) & Mobility Ambassador

Official mascot of Home Base USA. An East European Shepherd with a big personality and an even bigger heart, Bella provides mobility support, stability assistance, and daily encouragement, and helps demonstrate the life-changing impact of service dogs and K9 partnerships.

Why We Do This Work

Stronger Communities Start Here

Strong communities are built when people have access to stability, opportunity, support, and safety. Home Base USA exists to bring Housing, Jobs, Care, and K9 together in ways that help communities address immediate needs while creating lasting resilience.

Join the mission

Help us build stronger communities

Through Housing, Jobs, Care, and K9, Home Base USA helps individuals, families, and communities achieve stability, opportunity, independence, and resilience. Your support helps expand these integrated programs and create lasting impact where it is needed most.