Housing Solutions Best Practices for Providing Housing Information to Clients

Housing Solutions

Best Practices for Providing Housing

Information to ClientsAIRS Conference – Rochester, NY

May 25, 2010

Different types of housing Credit/criminal record issues

Housing with no income

Barriers?

What are the most common housing

requests you hear?

Call time limitsQuality of available resources

How do you find housing for your clients?

Where do you keep it?Paper/spreadsheetProgram referrals

OnlinePay services

Personal contacts

How do you convey listings to callers?

By phoneReferral to online listing service

Through program referrals

Pros/cons of your housing location system?

Accurate and reliable?Up to date?

Easy to access?Free?

WishlistWhat’s missing in your

housing location system?

What would be ideal?

With your group, create a wishlist.

Online housing locatorsUnmanaged • Little or no human interaction• Listings can be repeated, out of date• Often sorted by pay features, not

consumer need• Searchers may enter personal

information for results (anonymity, Fair Housing compromised)

Online housing locatorsManaged • Human interaction• Up-to-date listings• Easy to access

Case Study 1 – Cuyahoga CoCross marketing and completed calls

• Many options:- Conduct housing searches - Send callers to website- Refer callers via direct transfer to the Socialserve.com call center

• ADA compliant website• Free, regular training

for I&R staff as newstaff members come on

• Laminated desk guides

Case Study 1 – Cuyahoga CoCross marketing and completed calls

• Housing listings highlight a large range of accessibility features

• Special-needs I&R representatives can complete confidentiality training to use Special Needs Housing Search

Case Study 2 – GeorgiaHelping special-needs callers

Case Study 2 – GeorgiaHelping special-needs callers

• The Special Needs Housing Search...- Is confidential and secure- Encourages collaboration between tenant, landlord and caseworker

“As the federal government continues to roll out housing vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness, my organization has utilized GeorgiaHousingSearch.org to make the affordable housing connection for many of our soldiers. Apartment complexes like Chatsworth Apartment Homes in Atlanta, and Creekside Apartments in Decatur, have provided safe affordable housing options for these veterans. Both of these addresses were selected amongst the hundreds of database units promoted by landlords with a particular sensitivity towards veterans.”

Jimiyu Evans, Housing Advocate, Project Community Connections, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

Three family members with four children between them recently fled South Carolina to escape domestic violence. They secured jobs in Atlanta and approached our housing placement organization to request assistance in finding a house they could rent by pooling their resources. Utilizing Special Needs Housing Search access on GeorgiaHousingSearch.org, we were able to advocate with a landlord sensitive to the plight of this family and willing to negotiate a fair rent for this family to afford.

Housing placement organization dedicated to assisting individuals and families experiencing homelessness, Atlanta, Georgia

Case Study 3 – New Jersey

• 4 years ago, rolled out NJHousing.gov free trainings for 2-1-1 and cross marketing

• Today, nearly 4,000 landlords, 50,000 units

• A way to address complicated requests during short call times

Case Study 3 – New Jersey

“I have been using NJHousing.gov to look for housing opportunities for people with disabilities in New Jersey. I have always been able to find many housing options on this site. There is a lot of information about each property, allowing us to know if the person should pursue a particular place or if it is not suitable. I recommend this site to anyone who needs to find a place to live.”

Deb Flanagan-Support Coordinator Specialist, New Jersey

Questions?