1. Working with Landlords to Find Housing: Using Master-Leased Apartments As Short-Term Housing National Alliance to End Homelessness National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness February 7, 2008 Beyond Shelter 1200 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600 Los Angeles, CA 90017

2.  Partnership with L.A. County Departments  Funded through County General Funds  300 homeless families  Immediate removal from Skid Row area and into motels  After a few weeks, relocation to short-term housing, including master-leased apartments  Permanent housing with Section 8 subsidies or short- term shallow subsidies and intensive, time-limited case management services SKID ROW FAMILIES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

3. Why We Decided to Lease Apartments as Shelter? Family short-term housing programs are completely full in Los Angeles County Families are staying in programs longer, contributing to shelter “gridlock” Families with certain compositions are hard to place Programs have increasingly stringent entry requirements

4. Program Characteristics: Entry Requirements Among All Programs* Shelter Partnership’s 2006 Study: “Operating at Capacity: Family Shelters in Los Angeles County” www.shelterpartnership.org *Excludes DV Programs in LA County

5. Goals for Apartment Search Conveniently located within a few mile radius of our Demonstration Project office or with direct public transit access to that office Conveniently located within a few mile radius of our Demonstration Project office or with direct public transit access to that office Landlords willing to accept Section 8 vouchers Landlords willing to accept Section 8 vouchers Units that could pass Section 8 inspection Units that could pass Section 8 inspection

6. Scattered-site placements as opposed to clustering families in the same or neighboring buildings Scattered-site placements as opposed to clustering families in the same or neighboring buildings Decent quality neighborhoods Decent quality neighborhoods 12 month leases, in the beginning of the Demonstration Project, and month-to-month leases, towards the end of the short-term housing phase of the Project 12 month leases, in the beginning of the Demonstration Project, and month-to-month leases, towards the end of the short-term housing phase of the Project

7. Program Features Beyond Shelter is the lease holder and families are guests (not a “sublease” situation) Beyond Shelter is the lease holder and families are guests (not a “sublease” situation) Agency furnishes the apartment and the furnishings move with the family to permanent housing Agency furnishes the apartment and the furnishings move with the family to permanent housing Units turn over so that one unit may serve multiple families Units turn over so that one unit may serve multiple families Units can be convertible (transition-in-place) Units can be convertible (transition-in-place)

8. While the families are in the master-leased units, a housing specialist develops and then implements a permanent housing plan in conjunction with the family. While the families are in the master-leased units, a housing specialist develops and then implements a permanent housing plan in conjunction with the family. This plan includes applying for a Section 8 subsidy or, for those ineligible for Section 8, accessing a short-term subsidy (i.e., 1-2 years) This plan includes applying for a Section 8 subsidy or, for those ineligible for Section 8, accessing a short-term subsidy (i.e., 1-2 years)

9. Families remain in the units until a permanent housing or short-term, shallow subsidy has been processed and a suitable apartment has been located or current unit converts Families remain in the units until a permanent housing or short-term, shallow subsidy has been processed and a suitable apartment has been located or current unit converts Once in permanent housing with their own lease agreements, families receive six months of voluntary, intensive home-based case management. Once in permanent housing with their own lease agreements, families receive six months of voluntary, intensive home-based case management.

10. TO ACCESSING PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSING TO ACCESSING PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSING Know What You Are “Selling” Know What You Are “Selling” Develop Relationships With Landlords Develop Relationships With Landlords Market The Program Market The Program Warm Hits – Through Contacts Warm Hits – Through Contacts Cold Calls And Community Searches Cold Calls And Community Searches Networking Networking Follow-Up Follow-Up

11. 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 PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSING

12. 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

13. Networking Associations Presentations Informal opportunities Follow-Up Follow up with current owners Go the EXTRA MILE

14. Why Use Apartments as Shelter? To expand system capacity and reduce the gap between program availability and family need To serve families who are hard-to-place and those who are hard-to-serve Families might not avoid this type of program in the same way that they avoid traditional shelters as long as possible

15. Anti-stigma due to no patent program label or institutional feel – normalizing environment Conventional programs do not work for all families Master-leased apartments are an effective engagement tool

16. Effective strategy to neutralize NIMBYism Begins the process of re-integrating families back into communities Facilitates the transition to independent living Economics: apartments may be cheaper, or at least comparable in cost to conventional options

17. Nightly Costs of Temporary Housing by Locality

18. Lessons Learned Non-monetary incentives work with landlords Scatter apartment rentals but within close proximity to program offices

19. Beware of unanticipated costs Property damage: are you covered? Understand the needs and wants of landlords

20. Do NOT make promises you cannot keep Document, Document, Document all communications with landlords Myth: landlords do not want to rent to homeless families or agencies serving them

21. Expanding the Model: Funding Options SHP SHP ESG ESG FEMA FEMA CDBG CDBG TANF TANF General Funds HOME Housing Trust Funds Foundation Grants Some Examples: