Working Together to Prevent Evictions

1. Working Together to Prevent Evictions September 2010 Corporation for Supportive Housing www.csh.org

2. Working Together to Prevent Evictions

3. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • What is Supportive Housing • Understand Importance of Coordination • Understanding Partners’ Roles • Working Together to Prevent Evictions 3

4. First, Let’s Define PSH How would you define permanent supportive housing? 4

5. What Is Supportive Housing? A cost-effective combination of permanent, affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives

6. People who: BUT FOR HOUSING cannot access and make effective use of treatment and supportive services in the community and BUT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES cannot access and maintain stable housing in the community Who is Supportive Housing for?

7. Defining Elements of a Supportive Housing Unit Homeless or at-risk of homelessness with multiple barriers to employment and housing stability Rent <30% of monthly income Tenant has a lease with no limits on length of tenancy Unit is operated through an effective partnership Easy, facilitated access to flexible and comprehensive services Participation in services is not a condition of ongoing tenancy Service and property management strategies focus on fostering housing stability

8. Range of Housing Settings, Models, and Strategies Mixed units providing supportive housing with units providing other affordable housing opportunities Projects that exclusively include supportive housing Scattered-site supportive housing units through a variety of housing settings Rent-subsidized apartments leased through the open market via master-leasing and/or tenant-based subsidies Long-term set-asides of units within privately owned buildings

9. Supportive Housing is for People Who: Are chronically homeless: long-term homeless with a disabling condition Cycle through institutional and emergency systems and are at risk of long-term homelessness Are being discharged from institutions and systems of care Without housing, cannot access and make effective use of treatment and supportive services

10. A Distinctive Solution Temporary Interventions Uncertain length of stay Program requirements Isolated Reinforce dependency Supportive Housing • Stable, no time limits • Independent living • Belong to a community • Personal responsibility for behavior and rent

11. Services Make the Difference Flexible, voluntary Not limited just to case management Counseling Health and mental health services Alcohol and substance use services Independent living skills Community-building activities Vocational counseling and job placement Others???

12. Coordination is the Key

13. Graphics • Administration, Management & Coordination • Physical Environment • Access To Housing and Services • Tenant Rights, Input and Leadership • Supportive Services Design and Delivery • Property Management and Asset Management • Data, Documentation, and Evaluation

14. Administration, Management, and Coordination All involved organizations follow standard and required administrative and management practices, and coordinate their activities in order to ensure the best outcomes for tenants

15. Roles and Challenges Property Management Show me the money! Social Services I just want to help! Common Goal: Keeping Tenants Housed requires that we approach problems from all angles Goal: Provide the tenants the support they need to remain housed, reach their fullest potential and to keep the building in good shape, physically and financially

16. Embracing Good Tension • Respect different roles of each partner • Understand all roles are necessary and important for well-managed building • Acknowledge and use built-in tension between roles and functions to ensure stability and a sound asset

17. Coordinating Management and Services • Supportive housing = coordinated property management and supportive services functions • Collaborative relationships are essential • Balance competing forces • Financial demands of the building • Security of larger tenant community • Needs of individual tenants

18. Effectively Coordinating Roles • Understanding each partner’s roles • Maintaining communication • Maintaining a focus on housing stability • Achieving a shared understanding of tenants’ needs • Creating and implementing policies that meet the needs of tenants • Ensuring accountability • Ensuring confidentiality

19. Understanding Partners’ Roles

20. Areas of Overlap • Areas of Overlap Between Property Management and Supportive Service Delivery • Intake: Tenant Selection and Interviewing • Orientation of Incoming Tenants • Rent Payment and Arrears • Dealing with Disruptive Behaviors • Crisis Management • Tenant Grievance Procedures • Tenant Council • Community Building

21. Property Managers • Day to day management of the property: • Maintenance • Tenant Screening • Leasing • Rent Collection • Fiscal Management • Legal and Regulatory Compliance (Fair Housing, Landlord-Tenant Law, ADA, etc.) • Funder Compliance Reporting

22. Property Managers in Supportive Housing • Additional Responsibilities Include: • Identifying tenants with unmet services needs – and connecting them to services staff • Providing a safe, healthy environment in which people can recover • Implementing a “mission driven” approach to property management – enforcing leases with the goal of keeping people housed

23. Asset Managers • Financial Manager • Funder Compliance Manager • Asset management responsibilities are often assumed by the Property Manager

24. Services Providers • Provide direct services • Develop ISPs with tenants • Make referrals • Coordinate services • Advocate on behalf of, and with, tenants

25. Services Providers In Supportive Housing • Coordinate tenant councils • Proactively identify and address issues that could impact housing stability • Support tenants in paying rent, managing apartment, other housing specific activities • May serve as liaison or connector to property manager • Identify safety and other issues for property management • Proactively and assertively engage tenants

26. Working In Scattered Sites • What changes about the property managers’ roles? • What changes about the services providers’ roles?

27. Infrastructure Needs • Organizational chart delineates lines of authority • Policies and procedures are updated and understood • Staff communicates at the right time in the right way • Information flow is prompt and protects the tenant • Actions are documented

28. Putting Principles into Practice • Infrastructure: • MOUs or contracts between partners • Guiding principle statement that spells out the working approach • Written job descriptions that clearly define roles • Written procedures for resolving conflicts

29. Principles into Practice • Policies and Procedures: • All levels of staff should be involved in crafting policies and procedures • Make sure policies are in active use • Look for client/tenant impact when evaluating or updating policies/procedures

30. Principles into Practice • Staff need training and supervisory support • Collaboration meetings • May take place daily or weekly • Avoid “us vs. them” mentality • Opportunities for reflection • Build times to evaluate into regular operations, or set aside dedicated times • Make sure agenda reflects the concerns of different teams

31. When There is a Problem • Talk to the person(s) who can actually do something about the issue • Keep your discussions focused on issues, not people • Communicate clearly and thoroughly: • What is the problem or issue? • What actually happened? Is happening?(Just the facts!) • What is working or not working about the process? • Offer constructive solutions – or ways to identify solutions

32. BREAKWe’ll return in 15 minutes

33. Case Study Maxwell has been successfully living in housing for six months when staff begin to notice changes in his behavior His neighbor complains that he his making noise in the middle of the night and he engaged in a verbal altercation with a maintenance staff person In addition, his rent was due two weeks ago and he hasn’t paid it yet

34. Case Study What are the roles of property management and support services? What are steps that staff can take to help ensure that Maxwell doesn’t end up losing his housing? What obligations does the housing provider have toward other residents in the building?

35. Lease Violations • Notices of lease violations should be in writing and provided to the tenant promptly • Provide facts - avoid personal statements and opinions • Identify the lease provision or house rule that has been violated • State the consequences of the violation and potential consequences of future violations • Copies of all notices should be provided to support services

36. Rent Collection Procedures • Develop clear policies and procedures for rent collection and processing • Policies should be applied to all tenants consistently and uniformly • Keep an accurate record • Communication between property management, fiscal, and support services staff is essential

37. When a Tenant Doesn’t Pay • Respond to missed payments promptly • Payment pledges • Written notices informing the tenant of the delinquency • See CUCS’s Rent Arrears / Collection Flow Chart

38. Substance Use and/or Abuse • May a housing provider evict for non-sobriety? • May a housing provider evict for illegal drug use?

39. Contact Information Joyce Grangent Senior Program Manager Joyce.grangent@csh.org 39