Listen to concerns and explore how to resolve, not refute,

1

• Working with Landlords

2
Permanent Housing Options

• Public sector serves as landlord (e.g. public
  housing under control of housing authority)
  
• Under contract w/the public sector, a private
  business or non-profit organization serves as
  landlord (e.g. CDC, Section 8 developments).
  
• Private rental market.

3
Challenges

• Families you serve have minimal incomes very
  few units are affordable to them.
  
• Given dearth of rental units affordable to very
  poor families, landlords can be very selective.
  
• Families you serve have challenging, if any,
  rental history.
  
• Landlords may have had bad experiences before,
  want to play it safe.

4
What you can offer

• Help landlord (private or public) meet their
  goals
  
• PHAs voucher utilization rates, administration
  challenges inspections, etc., decrease turnover
  and evictions.
  
• Back-up a resource to resolve issues that might
  arise and protect the property/asset.
  
• Opportunity to contribute to their community
  while minimizing their personal risk.
  

5
Bringing Landlords to the Table

• Sell your mission, your programs services and
  your families.
  
• Listen to concerns and explore how to resolve,
  not refute, them.
  
• Be reliable trustworthy success breeds
  success.

6
Negotiations are Possible!

• Lower renter requirements
• Credit checks, etc. are the landlords protection
  against making a bad choice e.g. someone who
  will not pay their rent. Are their mechanisms
  you can adopt to minimize their risk AND allow
  them to rent to the family you are working with?
• Lower rent!
• Upfront rental payments or assistance with upkeep
  of the property may allow landlord to offer unit
  for reduced rate.

7
Strategies From Beyond Shelter

• 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 including public sector
  
• Cold calls community searches
• Neighborhood searches, door to door, internet
  listing, newspapers
  
• Warm hits
• Previous landlord partners, word of mouth, owners
  w/history of philanthropy, personal
  experience/knowledge
  

8
Strategies From Beyond Shelter (cont)

• Networking
• Associations, presentations, informal
  opportunities
  
• Follow-up
• Follow up with current owners, go the extra
  mile!
  
• Lessons Learned
• Non-monetary incentives can work
• Beware of unanticipated costs
• Understand needs and wants of landlords
• DO NOT make promises you cannot keep
• Document all communications w/landlords
• Myth landlords do not want to rent to homeless
  families or agencies serving them