Workshop Recap: Housing Retention Model
On Thursday, April 15th, SCANPH convened in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners to discuss the workshop topic of Housing Retention Models: A Four-Step Procedure to Promote Housing Stability. Moderated by Marc Tousignant, the workshop provided an overview of teams-based approaches to implementing a successful housing retention model. To keep residents stable, housed, and prevent evictions, the session explored the importance of collaborative relationships between Supportive Services and the Property Management staff to build housing communities that prioritize tenants and housing retention.
Panelist Maria Brown, Director of Permanent Housing at PATH, kicked off the discussion with an overview of PATH’s 4-Step Procedure, predominantly focusing on housing retention. In the last few years, PATH has held successful trainings for the 4-Step Procedure across multiple agencies. PATH Ventures develops, owns, and operates affordable housing, specifically operating permanent supportive housing through a lease-based approach. At PATH, services are voluntary. The services provided are people-centered and tenant-driven, allowing tenants to make informed lifestyle choices about their housing. Through a services-based approach, PATH works closely with Property Management to focus on harm-reduction in housing. Brown outlined the 4-Step Housing Retention Procedure, a methods-based way to escalate responses to disruptive behaviors through trauma-informed approaches.
Step 1: Potential lease violations, display of atypical behavior, aim for Property Management and Supportive Services staff to respond within 72 hours.
Step 2: A reasonable amount of time has passed with no change or resolution. Property Management and Supportive Services staff notify residents of clear lease violations and connect necessary supports to follow lease parameters.
Step 3: If the tenant issue remains unresolved, regional managers and director levels are involved. This step is not a behavior contract. Instead, PATH has a tenant-centered approach.
Step 4: If reasonable time has gone by and the Housing Retention Plan has passed with no reasonable update to the concern, the partner and owner move to the eviction process. Since PATH holds the role as both property owner and tenant advocate, PATH has to step back from supportive roles at this time. PATH will proceed to outsource services to other tenants’ rights groups or alternate housing providers.
To close, Brown noted implementing evidence-based practices for hoarding, mental health and anti-violence resources, PATH has seen continued success in the 4-Step Housing Retention Procedure.
Brett Morales, VP of Property Management, and Kimberly Wee, Vice President of Residential Services at Century Housing opened up their panel with an overview of Century Villages at Cabrillo, a 2,100 resident, 27-acre affordable housing community in Long Beach with 15 on-site service providers. Century has adopted an integrated approach to help people remain stably housed. Century has implemented, adopted and adapted PATH’s 4-Step Housing Retention model with success, putting the model into practice at Century Villages at Cabrillo in 2018. Morales noted that the 4-Step Plan develops a shared language between on-site staff to determine a clear course for next-step plans to preserve tenants’ housing. Limiting Century’s case management staff present in meetings has allowed for more coaching and support to resolve conflict or answer questions, implementing tenant and provider trust and accountability. While this process requires patience, flexibility, trust and commitment, as well as solutions-oriented negotiating, Morales and Wee agree that it is a powerful feeling to know that you’ve done all you can to preserve someone’s right to housing.