Working with Landlords to Working with Landlords to Find Housing:Find Housing:

Using Master-Leased Apartments As Using Master-Leased Apartments As Short-Term HousingShort-Term Housing

National Alliance to End Homelessness National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness

February 7 , 2008

Beyond ShelterBeyond Shelter1200 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 6001200 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600

Los Angeles, CA 90017Los Angeles, CA 90017

Partnership with L.A. County DepartmentsPartnership with L.A. County Departments Funded through County General FundsFunded through County General Funds 300 homeless families300 homeless families Immediate removal from Skid Row area and Immediate removal from Skid Row area and

into motelsinto motels After a few weeks, relocation to short-term After a few weeks, relocation to short-term

housing, including master-leased housing, including master-leased apartmentsapartments

Permanent housing with Section 8 subsidies Permanent housing with Section 8 subsidies or short-term shallow subsidies and or short-term shallow subsidies and intensive, time-limited case management intensive, time-limited case management servicesservices

SKID ROW FAMILIES SKID ROW FAMILIES DEMONSTRATION PROJECTDEMONSTRATION PROJECT

Why We Decided to Lease Why We Decided to Lease Apartments as Shelter?Apartments as Shelter?

Family short-term housing Family short-term housing programs are completely full in programs are completely full in Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County

Families are staying in programs Families are staying in programs longer, contributing to shelter longer, contributing to shelter “gridlock”“gridlock”

Families with certain compositions Families with certain compositions are hard to placeare hard to place

Programs have increasingly Programs have increasingly stringent entry requirementsstringent entry requirements

Program Characteristics:Program Characteristics:Entry Requirements Among All Programs*Entry Requirements Among All Programs*

42% 42%

38%

35%

25%

17%

13%

2%

23%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

No Two-Parent

Families

Sobriety Age Limitfor Boys

Age Limitfor Children

Pass DrugTest

No SeriousMentalIllness

Parent(s)Must Be

Working orIn School

Time Limiton

DomesticViolenceHistory

Other

Entry Requirements

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

Pro

gra

ms

Shelter Partnership’s 2006 Study: “Operating at Capacity: Family Shelters in Los Angeles County” www.shelterpartnership.org

*Excludes DV Programs in LA County

Goals for Apartment SearchGoals for Apartment Search

Conveniently located within a few mile Conveniently located within a few mile radius of our Demonstration Project office radius of our Demonstration Project office or with direct public transit access to that or with direct public transit access to that officeoffice

Landlords willing to accept Section 8 Landlords willing to accept Section 8 vouchersvouchers

Units that could pass Section 8 inspectionUnits that could pass Section 8 inspection

Scattered-site placements as opposed Scattered-site placements as opposed to clustering families in the same or to clustering families in the same or neighboring buildingsneighboring buildings

Decent quality neighborhoodsDecent quality neighborhoods

12 month leases, in the beginning of 12 month leases, in the beginning of the Demonstration Project, and the Demonstration Project, and month-to-month leases, towards the month-to-month leases, towards the end of the short-term housing phase end of the short-term housing phase of the Projectof the Project

Program FeaturesProgram Features

Beyond Shelter is the lease holder and Beyond Shelter is the lease holder and families are guests (not a “sublease” families are guests (not a “sublease” situation)situation)

Agency furnishes the apartment and the Agency furnishes the apartment and the furnishings move with the family to furnishings move with the family to permanent housingpermanent housing

Units turn over so that one unit may serve Units turn over so that one unit may serve multiple familiesmultiple families

Units can be convertible (transition-in-place)Units can be convertible (transition-in-place)

While the families are in the master-While the families are in the master-leased units, a housing specialist leased units, a housing specialist develops and then implements a develops and then implements a permanent housing plan in conjunction permanent housing plan in conjunction with the family.with the family.

This plan includes applying for a Section This plan includes applying for a Section

8 subsidy or, for those ineligible for 8 subsidy or, for those ineligible for Section 8, accessing a short-term Section 8, accessing a short-term subsidy (i.e., 1-2 years)subsidy (i.e., 1-2 years)

Families remain in the units until a Families remain in the units until a permanent housing or short-term, permanent housing or short-term, shallow subsidy has been processed shallow subsidy has been processed and a suitable apartment has been and a suitable apartment has been located or current unit convertslocated or current unit converts

Once in permanent housing with their Once in permanent housing with their own lease agreements, families receive own lease agreements, families receive six months of voluntary, intensive six months of voluntary, intensive home-based case management.home-based case management.

TO ACCESSING PRIVATETO ACCESSING PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSING RENTAL HOUSING

Know What You Are “Selling”Know What You Are “Selling” Develop Relationships With Develop Relationships With

LandlordsLandlords Market The ProgramMarket The Program Warm Hits – Through ContactsWarm Hits – Through Contacts Cold Calls And Community Cold Calls And Community

SearchesSearches NetworkingNetworking Follow-UpFollow-Up

Know What You are “Selling”

Marketing materials Benefits to owners Organizational history of success Educate and dispel myths/stereotypes

Market to Whom? Private landlords Property Management Companies Other entities

ACCESSING PRIVATEACCESSING PRIVATERENTAL HOUSINGRENTAL HOUSING

Cold Calls & Community Searches Neighborhood searches – Targeted

Outreach Door to door Internet listings Newspapers

Warm Hits Previous owners/management companies Word of mouth Owners with history of philanthropy,

personal experience/knowledge

Networking Associations Presentations Informal opportunities

Follow-Up Follow up with current owners Go the EXTRA MILE

Why Use Apartments as Why Use Apartments as Shelter?Shelter?

To expand system capacity and reduce To expand system capacity and reduce the gap between program availability the gap between program availability and family needand family need

To serve families who are hard-to-place To serve families who are hard-to-place and those who are hard-to-serveand those who are hard-to-serve

Families might not avoid this type of Families might not avoid this type of program in the same way that they program in the same way that they avoid traditional shelters as long as avoid traditional shelters as long as possiblepossible

Anti-stigma due to no patent program Anti-stigma due to no patent program label or institutional feel – normalizing label or institutional feel – normalizing environmentenvironment

Conventional programs do not work Conventional programs do not work for all familiesfor all families

Master-leased apartments are an Master-leased apartments are an effective engagement tooleffective engagement tool

Effective strategy to neutralize Effective strategy to neutralize NIMBYismNIMBYism

Begins the process of re-integrating Begins the process of re-integrating families back into communitiesfamilies back into communities

Facilitates the transition to Facilitates the transition to independent livingindependent living

Economics: apartments may be Economics: apartments may be cheaper, or at least comparable in cost cheaper, or at least comparable in cost to conventional optionsto conventional options

Nightly Costs of Temporary Nightly Costs of Temporary Housing by LocalityHousing by Locality

$62

$79 $82$87

$100

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

$80

$90

$100

Wash, DCShelter

Los AngelesM-L Apt

ColumbusShelter

LancasterShelter

MassachusettsMotel

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Non-monetary incentives Non-monetary incentives work with landlordswork with landlords

Scatter apartment rentals Scatter apartment rentals but within close proximity but within close proximity to program officesto program offices

Beware of unanticipated Beware of unanticipated costscosts

Property damage: are you Property damage: are you covered?covered?

Understand the needs and Understand the needs and wants of landlords wants of landlords

Do NOT make promises you Do NOT make promises you cannot keep cannot keep

Document, Document, Document, Document, Document all communications Document all communications with landlordswith landlords

Myth: landlords do not want Myth: landlords do not want to rent to homeless families or to rent to homeless families or agencies serving themagencies serving them

Expanding the Model: Expanding the Model: Funding OptionsFunding Options

SHPSHP ESGESG FEMAFEMA CDBGCDBG TANFTANF

General FundsGeneral Funds HOMEHOME Housing Trust Housing Trust

FundsFunds Foundation GrantsFoundation Grants

Some Examples: