Transcript Locating Housing Challenges and Solutions The Lancaster County Pennsylvania Experience Kay Moshier McDivitt Vice President for Programs Tabor Community Services, Inc. 308 East King Street, PO Box.

Locating Housing
Challenges and Solutions
The Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Experience
Kay Moshier McDivitt
Vice President for Programs
Tabor Community Services, Inc.
308 East King Street, PO Box 1676
Lancaster, PA 17608-1676
[email protected]
717-397-5182, ext 120
Our Community
• County of 450,000
• City of Lancaster: 60,000 person situated
in the middle of Lancaster County
• Very diversified population (from very rural
Mennonite/Amish communities to a large
concentration of Latino’s in the city)
• Neither the city nor county government
has taken ownership of homelessness,
shelters or ending homelessness
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Tabor Community Services
• Our Mission: To rebuild communities by
helping families find housing and financial
solutions
• HUD Approved Housing Counseling
Agency since 1971
• A Member of the National Federation of
Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies
since 1988
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Shelter to Independent Living
Program
• Program Mission is to mainstream
homeless households back into the
community into permanent housing
through landlord advocacy, housing
counseling, budget counseling and
case management and to provide
education, resources and
accountability to empower homeless
households with the skills and
disciplines necessary for long term
self sufficiency.
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Part One
Locating Housing
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How Are Families Housed?
The issues we face
• Program provides no housing subsidy to
families
• Community has limited subsidized housing
options
– Section 8 and Public Housing Waiting Lists
are Closed
• “Affordable” Housing Developments are
not affordable to households on fixed
incomes
• Limited Supportive Housing which is
essential for some
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How do we find housing?
• 85% of households are housed in general
housing stock
• Use private landlords, property managers
and developers
• Have developed “partnerships with over
300 landlords/property managers”
• Good Reputation in the community as a
service provider/housing counseling
agency
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Limited Subsidized Housing
• 18 Shelter plus Care with the city PHA (8 one
bedroom, 8 two bedroom and 2 three bedroom)
• 26 units of SRO Permanent Supportive Housing
SHP Projects (all for singles)
• Tabor just opened 8 apartment, 5 for families
and 3 for singles of Permanent Supportive
Housing
• Homeless Preference: Both PHA’s give 20% of
vouchers when they become available to
homeless working with housing first programs
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How do we pay for the rest?
• Partnerships with agencies that provide
rental assistance
– Salvation Army, CAP, County Assistance
Office, Council of Churches
• Negotiate Rents
• Faith Based Community
– New project of subsidizing housing units
– Assistance with move in costs
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Making it Work
• Intensive ongoing Budget Counseling
• Protective Payee Services
• Case Management: Coordinating with
employment providers, job training programs to
increase resources
• Each year over 70% of our new referrals
increase their income while in the program
• Partnership/Collaboration/More
Partnerships/More Collaboration
• Creativity is key: any idea is worth considering
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Part Two
Working With Landlords
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Developing Landlord Partnerships
1. Creative partnerships are key
to successful programs
2. No magic solutions: each
partnership is developed on a
case by case basis
3. Program does not provide
any housing assistance
4. Staff have dual role of
landlord and client advocacytakes skill to manage both
tasks
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Why the Dual Counselor Role?
• One staff is better able to see the
whole picture and can create more
successful matches
– Allows for more choice of what works the
best for the landlord and for the client.
• Keeps an ongoing connection
– Allows for developing more ongoing trust
with landlords
– Better able to negotiate terms of the lease
• Allows for more balance in work
– Finding landlords and housing search is
very demanding
– Less burnout with diversity of tasks
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Key Elements to Developing
Creative Landlord Partnerships
• HONESTY
– Be truthful about what is in your control
and what is not
– Don’t promise something that will not
happen
– Be clear about your role
• INTEGRITY
– Always follow through with what you
say you will provide/do
– Be accountable to the landlord, keep
him/her informed of any changes
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Innovative Design Elements
What’s in it for them: The Win/Win
• Required Landlord/Tenant Education
Class (pay rent, keep your unit clean, be a good neighbor)
• Protective Payee Services
• Budgeting Services
• Lease Addendum
• Additional Housing Support to address
housing/lease issues
• Tenant Home Visits
• Finder Service
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Engaging the Private Sector Market
• Meet one on one with potential landlords
• Use marketing tools that describe the
win/win…what’s in it for them
• Use your organization’s reputation in the
community.
• Sell your program with documented
successes/key outcomes.
• Use any contact (even outside of work) as an
opportunity to identify potential landlords and
sell your program.
• Consider the faith based community
• Host an event to connect with landlords/market 16
housing first.
Our Marketing Packet
• Agency Brochure gives general overview of our
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organization and all the services we offer.
Program Brochure developed specifically for the
landlord can answer program specific questions.
Client Success Stories of past successes gives a
sense of a personal involvement.
Copy of the Lease Addendum to review the
details and explain any questions that may arise.
Orientation Flyer given to participants at their
orientation allows them to see the same information that
we provide to a potential tenant.
A Personal Letter is specific to the client’s need for a
particular property that landlord may have.
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Remember
• Everyone deserves a home. Helping a client
rent in the private market empowers them to be
a long term successful renter.
• There is no “quick fix” for engaging the private
sector market. It takes tenacity and hard work.
• Smart Communication is a key to success with
landlords.
• Always think “honesty” and “integrity”.
• Market the win/wins.
• Don’t make Promises you can’t keep.
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Happy Partnering!!
• Kay Moshier McDivitt
• Vice President for
Programs
• Tabor Community
Services, Inc.
• 308 East King Street, PO
Box 1676
• Lancaster, PA 176081676
• [email protected]
• 717-397-5182, ext 120
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