Keeping Families and Children Housed: Emergency Prevention

1. Keeping Families and Children Housed: Emergency Prevention Rental Counseling to Prevent Homelessness A Community Based Prevention Program A Program of Tabor Community Services 308 East King Street PO Box 1676 Lancaster, PA 17608-1676 Kay Moshier McDivitt, Director of Housing Counseling (717) 397-5182 extension 120 kmmcdivitt@tabornet.org

2. 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

3. Services and Programs • Homelessness and Rental Counseling Division • Rental Counseling to Prevent Homelessness • Shelter to Independent Living (Housing First) • Supportive Housing Programs • Financial and Homeownership Counseling Division • Consumer Credit Counseling Services • First Time Homebuyer and Default Mortgage Counseling • Matched Savings Account (IDA) Programs • Family Self Sufficiency and Homeownership Voucher Choice Programs (Contracted through Housing Authorities.

4. Rental Counseling to Prevent Homelessness: A prevention model The mission of the Rental Counseling to Prevent Homelessness Program is assist families facing eviction and/or homelessness to retain or find alternative housing through housing and budget counseling

5. RCPH Basics • Program model in place since 1980 with some modifications • Current staffing: 1.5 FTE direct service staff • Annual Budget: $106,638 • Average Households Served/year: 120 • Average Length of involvement in services: 3-6 months • Average cost per household: $889

6. Key Design Elements • Community Based Model • Outreach/Identification • Landlord Involvement/Buy In • Collaborations with the Faith Based Community and Service Providers • Case Management coupled with Budgeting Education • Follow-up

7. Who do we serve? • 70% of households earned less than 30% of median income • 51% single parent/female headed households; 27% two parent headed households • 80% lived in rural “poverty pockets” in the community

8. Community Based • Satellite Offices in Targeted Low Income Areas in the County • Identified low income pocket areas experiencing higher incidences of rural homelessness • Supportive Service Contracts with affordable housing communities for on site services • Marketed program services as an alternative to traditional on-site supportive services • stabilizes the community with less turnover, • longer term leases results in healthier communities • cost effective (avoids costs of filing for evictions)

9. Outreach/Identification • Develop outreach strategies to identify those most at risk • Identify who in the community can assist with the outreach • Landlords/Property Managers • School Social Workers • Housing Authorities • Food/Clothing Banks • Churches

10. Landlord Buy In • View landlords as a partner/not as the “bad guy” • Identified landlords as key to identification and early intervention • Developed tools for landlords to identify and refer families • In lieu of filing for eviction, refer to program for intervention • Win/win for landlord and tenant • Cost effective, less turnover

11. Collaborations with the Faith Based Community and Service Providers • Bring sources that provide housing dollars together for more effectiveness • Partner with churches to provide housing dollars into a single fund for those participating in program • Partner with service providers who provide rental assistance • Community Action Program: HAP $$ • Welfare office: TANF Emergency Grant $$ • Salvation Army • Council of Churches

12. Case Management coupled with Budgeting Education • Case Plan identifies all issues contributing to pending eviction • First Step is often mediation/advocacy between landlord/tenant: Open communication • Next step is identification of need community resources to resolve issues • Budget counseling and money management education key element

13. Successful Interventions • One-on-one counseling/develop a trusting relationship • Budget & money management education • Landlord/tenant mediation and advocacy • Forbearance agreements • Locating alternative affordable housing • Increasing or sustaining income, • Educating the tenants on their rights and responsibilities

14. Follow-up • Once eviction or homelessness is prevented, 3-6 months follow-up case management assists with budgeting and referrals to other services needed for ongoing self sufficiency

15. RCPH: Results • 95% avoided entering the homeless system • 67% retained their current housing • 28% rented alternative housing • 89% successfully completed landlord/tenant education • 88% developed and maintained a balanced budget • 52% were involved in landlord mediation • 65% increased their income

16. Getting Started with Limited Resources • Determine who your target population will be • Focus your services in a concentrated effort • Engage landlords as a key player in a successful program • Develop good outreach and identification tools to ensure services match needs • Partnerships are essential; pooling resources with other providers can make more impact

17. Final Thoughts/Lessons Learned • Early identification helped stretch our resources • We need to continue to evaluate and refine our target population; first come first serve is not effective use of resources • Build on successes, especially in developing faith based and landlord partnerships.

18. Kay Moshier McDivitt • Director of Housing Counseling • Tabor Community Services, Inc. • 308 East King Street, PO Box 1676 • Lancaster, PA 17608-1676 • kmmcdivitt@tabornet.org • 717-397-5182, ext 120