Community Action Partnership
1020 19th St., NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Elements to Securing Permanent Housing:
Landlord Engagement, Housing Plans, &
Comprehensive Case Notes
Cherita Newman, MSW
Community Action Partnership 2016 Annual Convention
September 2, 2016
Agenda
• Landlord Engagement
– Strategies
– Incentives
– Retention
• Housing Stability Plans
– Process of creating plan
• Case Notes
– Elements to Include
Strategies for
Engaging Landlords
Integrating the Core Concepts
• Housing First:
– Extensive landlord partnerships and
dedicated staff time and resources
• Crisis Response:
– Landlords are key partners in efforts to
prevent and end homelessness
• Participant Choice:
– Participant can identify a preferred
location and has a choice of units
Landlords should be considered as
allies in your program’s journey to
ending homelessness in your
community.
Four Things Housing Providers
Can Do to Recruit Landlords
1) Develop a plan for
recruiting landlords
2) Identify Landlord incentives
3) Identify Staff
4) Ongoing process- searching
and recruitment
Step1:
Developing a Plan for
Partnering with Landlords
Methods for Outreach to Landlords
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Cold Calls
Direct Mail
Word of Mouth Referrals
Host a Landlord Event
Attend Landlord
Networking Meetings
• Use local Realtors
• Rental websites
Qualities Landlords
Appreciate in Renters
Keep this in mind as your develop your plan:
• Property Care
• Good Neighbor
• Long-term Renter
• On-Time Rent Payments
Some participants may need to be “groomed” or receive
more hand-holding to demonstrate these characteristics.
"Housing Locator" Staff as
POC for Landlord
Specific staff can be designated as the landlords' primary contact.
• Advantages:
– Experience as a landlord or real estate/rental broker
– Trained to easily identify the landlord's perspective.
– Ability to survey landlords for satisfaction and concerns about the
program's landlord supports
• Disadvantages:
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Locator will have to alert the CM to intervene with the participant
Delays and miscommunications can result in negative experience
The CM’s are isolated from the perspective of the landlord
Staff may develop or retain a bias against landlords and undermine
program efforts to maintain their partnerships.
Case Manager as POC for Landlord
Case manager would establish a relationship with each landlord
who rents to their participants.
• Advantages:
• Disadvantages:
– The landlord can report
problems directly to the CM
– CM’s will learn their perspective
– Ability to represent the
landlord's legitimate concerns
to the participants
– CM’s with high caseloads may neglect
routine communication
– The program must acknowledge and
combat persistent bias against
landlords.
– If the perspective of the landlord is not
aggressively sought and utilized in the
program's practice, a win-win for
landlord partners and tenant
participants will be impossible
Step2:
Program Incentives to
Retain Landlords
Working with Landlords
• More Landlords= faster
rehousing results
• Well-designed incentives
can be used to recruit
and retain landlords for
the hardest to-house
participants.
Working with Landlords
• Landlord incentives on two
levels:
– 1.) A base level of support for a
specified period of time
– 2.) Add-on supports to
landlords who require more
incentives to take a participant
with particularly severe
housing barriers.
Non-Financial Incentives
• Some examples of nonfinancial
incentives include:
– Tenant certification and recommendation
programs that provide hard-to-house participants
– Case management and supportive services
– Property maintenance for participant-occupied
units
– Character letters that indicates a level of
commitment, motivation, and ability to turn one’s
life around
– Special Recognition for exemplary Landlords
• Yard signs, Thank You letter/ note, “shout- out” in
your agency’s newsletter, etc.
Financial Incentives
• Security deposits and rental assistance (TFA)
• Paying Broker Fees
– Housing Stability Plus Program, New York City
• Provided a 15% finder’s fee for real estate brokers who found units for low-income
residents
• Protective Payee Programs
– Shelter to Independent Living (SIL) Program, Lancaster, PA
• Holding a participant’s monthly income in an escrow account managed by a third party.
Third party becomes responsible for making rent payments on behalf of the tenant.
• Tenant Vetting and Referrals
– Financial incentives through costs saved in tenant vetting and referral
processes
– Checking referral and assessment information for the participant
Step 3:
Searching, Recruiting, & Retaining
Landlords
Searching for Landlord Partners
• Family, friends,
neighbors, social
groups, etc.
• Look for vacancy signs
in windows or flyers
with tear-away contact
information
• Classified rental ads
Recruitment of Landlord Partners
• Associations of landlords,
letters to the Editor, or articles
for local newspapers
• Good landlord connections can
result in introductions to other
landlords.
• Written references from
partnering landlords can be
used to recruit additional
landlords.
Retaining Landlord Partners
• Disappointed landlord is the worst "publicity" the program can
experience
• Work of landlord and tenancy supports begin once the
household has moved into their new housing
• Keeping your word
• Responding promptly to landlord concerns
• Negotiating a win-win in conflict situations
• Recognizing and appreciating the contributions landlords make
to preventing and resolving homelessness
Step4:
The Ongoing Process
Keys to Success!
• Don’t wait to recruit landlords until the person
needing housing is in front of you!
• Proactive in searching and recruitment activities
• Successful providers have a list of partners they can
contact once a new participant is enrolled.
Where to Start?
• Nurture relationships with Landlord’s for current enrollments
– Mediate any tenant landlord issues that may arise
• Communication is key to building any relationship
– Implement new strategies for landlord incentives
• Process is similar to your policies and procedures
– Update the process along the way and review strategies
Landlord Recruitment Activity
• Does your agency have incentives for landlord retention?
– What works, what doesn’t work in your community?
• Who is responsible for making connections with potential
landlords?
• What techniques have your agency used to recruit or
retain landlords?
Creating Comprehensive
Housing Stability Plans
What is a Housing Stability Plan?
• Document all the steps in
moving towards permanent
housing
• Addresses the steps needed to
build resources and addresses
housing barriers
• Clear benchmarks and timelines
• Flexible and adjustable
Who is Involved in Developing the
Housing Stability Plan?
• Case manager and participant
household
• The family has the primary role in
establishing their housing goals.
• The role of the case manager is to
support the follow through and
achievement of the goals defined
in the plan.
When are Housing Stability Plans created?
• Immediately after enrollment
• It takes some time to complete
the steps in an Action Plan
• The sooner the work begins
the better
Why are Housing Stability Plans Important?
• Create a clear road map for both the
family and the case manager
– By establishing the housing goal from the
very beginning, families are immediately
engaged and motivated
• Makes goal of housing into concrete and
attainable
• Everyone knows who is working on what
and why
• Plan can be modified to adjust for the
challenges they are facing
How are Housing Stability Plans created?
• Developed with the household
• Reflect the client’s voice and expressed
goals
• Include long term & short term goals
• Timelines and who is responsible for
completing each action item
• A strong Housing Plan supports and
works with the needs of the household
Elements Included in
Housing Stability Plans
• Two to three client centered goals
– SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound) goals
• Action items (tasks) for each goal
• Target completion date
• Who is responsible for each task
• Barriers to obtaining permanent housing
• Acknowledgement that participant is willing to achieve goals in
the plan
SMART Goals Formula
Adopted from: http://hr.smcgov.org/how-set-smart-goals-guide-supervisors-and-employees
SMART Goal Interactive Activity
A single female, Ann, comes to your agency looking for
rental assistance because of an impending eviction. She was
laid off her job three months ago and struggling to find
work. Ann is eligible for your housing program.
How would you create a SMART goal to help her gain employment
to improve her housing stability?
Writing Comprehensive
Case Notes
Importance of Case Notes
• Important ethical requirement
–Refresh your memory about a household
–A coworker
–A supervisor
–A Program Monitor (Funder)
»Verify that Case Management services were
provided ONLY when they are documented.
• Deficiencies and barriers should link directly to services
and activities
Importance of Case Notes
• Case notes are an extension of
our delivery of service
• Reflects the respect for our
participants
• Acknowledges our responsibility
as their service provider
• Honors the relationship with
accurate documentation
Case Notes Generally Should…
• Reflect back on service plans
• Address the goals established by the participant
• Address progress/ lack of progress toward the
goals
• Address obstacles and barriers
• Discuss next steps
Sample Case Note Outline
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Case manager’s name
Date of case note
Participant’s name
Date of visit/session
Observation (changes?)
Purpose of visit/session
• Topics discussed
• Movement toward goals
since last visit
• Obstacles toward
progress goals
• Brief summary, next steps
When Writing Case Notes
• Be concise. Use short sentences
and paragraphs
• Use plain, everyday language
• Use active verbs rather than passive
verbs.
– 'John drove the car' (active) is
preferable to 'The car was driven by
John' (passive)
• Check for misspelled words and
inaccurate or unclear statements
When Writing Case Notes
• Case plans, incident reports, etc.
can be used in courts or grievance
processes
• Don’t write sarcastic comments
• Avoid metaphors or similes; write
exactly what you mean
• Don’t use slang or street language,
clichés, or jargon
When Writing Case Notes
• Record facts only
• Record facts accurately and
completely
• Never include judgmental opinions,
stereotypical comments, or any
offensive statements.
• Use clear, simple, concise language,
including professional terminology if
appropriate
• Don’t make any comment you
couldn’t defend in a court of law
Strong Verbs to Use…
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Reflected
Counseled
Structure
Discussed
Summarized
Directed
Supported
Encouraged
Urged
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Advised
Focused
Assessed
Identified
Assisted
Recommended
Clarified
Referred
Confronted
Case Note Time Management
• Schedule “Case notes”
time daily
• Set a personal goal to
complete a certain
amount in one sitting
• Block out enough time
on your calendar
– Pick a time that’s the best
for you
How Would You Document This
Interaction?
Participant came 20 minutes late to job club. In your agency when
participants are over 10 minutes late, they don’t get credit for
attending. When you told the participant you would not be able to
count her as attending Job Club, the participant got mad at you,
yelled about her child having a doctor appointment and left. You
tried to talk to her about good cause policy, but she left too quickly.
You suspect she lied about her reason for being late. This is a
pattern with this participant and you as a counselor are frustrated.
Example Case Note #1
Sherry came to Job Club late as usual. I told her
that you can’t be late and get credit for coming.
She told me her kid was at the doctor. I think she
is lying about this. She got mad at me and
stormed off. I will call and talk to her about good
cause if this isn’t a lie.
Example Case Note #2
10/1/16- Sherry came to Job Club 20 minutes late. The
agency’s policy that if you are over 10 minutes late, you
can’t get credit for the class was explained to her. In a
loud and angry voice she said she was late because she
had to bring her child to a doctor’s appt. She walked out
before good cause could be explained. Verification from
the doctor will help determine if she qualified for good
cause. This will be requested by phone tomorrow
morning.
-JSmith
Thank you for fulfilling your role in providing
services to individuals and families!
Questions?
Contact Information
Cherita Newman, MSW
Program Associate
Community Action Partnership, National Office
[email protected]
This presentation was developed with support from funding from the Department of
Veteran Affairs via grants 14-ZZ-319, 14-ZZ-320, 14-ZZ-321. The views expressed in this
presentation are not necessarily the views of the funder