‘It’s Very Rewarding When You Help Somebody Who Needs a Hand Up’
LEGACY GIVING
Ron Bourgeois bought his first duplex in 1984 when he was 20 years old. He started Bass River Properties in 1994, where he specializes in rentals, residential sales, and property management.
“I’ve put a lot of roofs over people’s heads,” said Bougeois. He guesses that he’s arranged roughly 4,500 leases over the past 30 years, working with Housing Assistance, the Barnstable Housing Authority and other housing agencies. Of those, he says about two-thirds hold Section 8 vouchers, which provide federal rental assistance to low-income households.
“I make money to support my family, and at the same time, I’m able to help people get a home,” he said. “It’s very rewarding when you help somebody who needs a hand up. There’s a lot of people in that situation, and I am proud of helping them. There’s been a lot of situations where I had a little kid say to me, ‘Ronnie, thank you for getting us the apartment.’ I melted for that. That kid’s got me for life. People expect it to be your job, but I love those moments.”
Bass River Properties is a sponsor of Housing Assistance, and Bourgeois has shown additional support by pledging a legacy gift. “We’ve donated money every year, and I have put in my will that I’m giving a 12th of my estate to Housing Assistance,” he said. “I started with nothing, and now I own 19 buildings. I didn’t always have money, but I’ve worked for it, so it will be a significant gift.”
Ron Bourgeois with his family.
“We all have a finite time, and once we go, how are we going to be remembered? What kind of impact did we have? I would like to know that I’ve helped some people get homes, that maybe somebody that needed a break got that break. That would be nice.”
