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WHA Blog

Learn about the latest news and upcoming events from the WHA and its member agencies.

WHA Seeks Partnerships with Landlords to Help End Homelessness in Washtenaw Co.

Jessilyn Averill

Washtenaw Housing Alliance sat down with CTN’s Soapbox to explain about our Community Housing Locator’s role in partnering with landlords and property owners in Washtenaw County to help our member agencies work to end homelessness by permanently housing individuals and families.

A critical partner in the work to end homelessness are landlords and property owners who own homes and apartments in the community. The Washtenaw Housing Alliance (WHA) needs landlords and property owners to work with us and our member agencies to help families and individuals find and secure rental housing in the private landlord setting. 

Over the past couple of years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has provided many people in our community with Housing Choice Vouchers and other types of rental assistance that must be used in the private housing market.  

We need landlords and property management companies’ assistance and support in helping us to secure safe, affordable housing for the people in our community in need of housing.

Housing location has become an increasingly important aspect of every community’s homeless response system, with:

  1. The decrease in resources for traditional public housing and other affordable housing development;

  2. The increase in rental subsidy programs and resources that rely on existing private market rental units to house recipients; and,

  3. The national push to implement best practices in homeless system strategies, that reduce emergency shelter stays and re-house homeless households as quickly as possible.

WHA’s Community Housing Locator works closely with representatives from WHA’s member-agencies who are working directly with clients experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. This staff role is to increase housing options for people experiencing homelessness through building constructive and supportive relationships with landlords and property owners in the community.

Our Community Housing Locator helps landlords and property owners understand the different programs that might be available to potential tenants - such as Housing Choice Vouchers, Permanent Supportive Housing, or Rapid Re-Housing. These are all programs that provide some rent assistance to potential tenants and rely on the private market to obtain housing. Our Housing Locator also helps our member agency service providers find affordable housing for their clients.

There are many benefits to working with the WHA and our partner agencies. 

  1. We can help landlords fill unit vacancies rapidly, with access to a large pool of pre-screened, potential tenants seeking housing. In addition, many of our agencies offer programs that provide guaranteed rent and move-in cost assistance such as security deposits. 

  2. During the COVID pandemic, we heard from so many landlords and property owners who were thankful to be working with us and our member agencies. In most programs, as a tenants’ income changes, the rent paid by the rental assistance program adjusts up or down, to guarantee rent is 100% paid. These landlords received full rent payments each month, despite their tenants’ incomes decreasing or being eliminated because of loss of work hours or jobs altogether. Housing choice vouchers or other types of rental assistance programs offer this security to landlords.

  3. Our partners can also provide ongoing case management and tenant education to potential tenants. Participants are connected to case management support through a WHA Member Agency and receive access to tenant and financial education resources.

  4. Landlords that work with us may be eligible to access our new landlord guarantee fund. This fund can offer financial incentives for taking a client who has experienced homelessness and housing insecurity, and who oftentimes does not have a rental or credit history. It also can provide an incentive payment for a lease that is renewed and help tenants secure renters insurance.

  5. We also provide a single point of contact for landlords and property owners. The Community Housing Locator serves as a liaison between the landlord and WHA Member Agencies and can quickly help troubleshoot issues if they arise.

For a full list of benefits to working with the WHA and our partners, landlords and property owners can visit WHA’s Landlords webpage at whalliance.org. Click on “Get Involved” and “For Landlords” for more information!

We want landlords who are willing to help house people with some housing barriers and who know it is going to take all of us working together to end homelessness. For that reason, we are working to develop a landlord champion in this community. If you know someone who may want to join our efforts and become our champion, please get in touch. Visit whalliance.org under “Get Involved” and “For Landlords” to connect with our Community Housing Locator. 

It is going to take all of us, including landlords and property owners, to end homelessness in our community. Will you please join our movement to end homelessness? Visit whalliance.org for more information and to get involved.