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- CoC Program Special NOFO Digest: Landlord Engagement
September 15, 2022
On June 22, 2022, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Supplemental Funding Opportunity to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness (Special Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)) was announced. This is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, and it includes funds set aside to address homelessness in rural communities.
Applications for the Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness NOFO must be submitted no later than October 20, 2022, at 8:00 PM EDT.
To support communities in developing their plans to address rural and unsheltered homelessness; existing Technical Assistance (TA) and other resources through a series of listserv messages.
View all CoC Program Special NOFO Digests
Engaging landlords and property owners to identify an inventory of housing available for housing assistance is an essential component of any plan to house people experiencing homelessness. When landlords know about, trust, and feel supported by an organization, they are more likely to accept as tenants people with histories of homelessness and backgrounds that typically make it challenging to find someone to rent to them (e.g., criminal background, eviction history) that those organizations work with. The importance of landlord engagement has become especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, as rapid re-housing (RRH) and rental assistance efforts have required close cooperation with landlords and property managers.
In responding to the Special NOFO, CoCs are expected to demonstrate how they recruit landlords, and their units, in which to use tenant-based assistance. Recruitment should begin with a review of existing data to determine the unit type, location, and site-specific needs of unhoused persons in the community. CoCs should pay particular attention to geographic areas of their CoC where people experiencing homelessness want to live but have not been able to find a unit. CoCs should also evaluate their existing landlord recruitment efforts to determine what has and has not worked well. This analysis should inform new approaches and renewed efforts.
From there, CoCs can hone their recruitment strategies to be more effective. Some ideas to consider:
During outreach, CoCs should present landlords with a simple set of questions:
The Reset your Community’s Critical Partnerships During COVID Response fact sheet discusses these asks in further detail.
For landlords on the fence about participating, CoCs should share the benefits of the partnership. These may include timely and reliable rent payments from agencies, landlord/tenant mediation to resolve conflicts, assistance with minor repairs to bring units to habitability standards, and risk mitigation funds that pay for excessive damage to a unit beyond the security deposit. Establishing and consulting with a landlord advisory group may also help CoCs understand landlord worries and expand recruitment.
Throughout the process, CoCs should strive for timely and proactive communication with landlords. In a successful partnership, landlords are aware both of what CoCs require from them and of what CoCs can do for them. To ensure this, CoCs should do the following that is highlighted in the Landlord Engagement fact sheet:
The following resources provide further guidance for recruiting and retaining landlords.
View the CoC Special NOFO Page
For questions about the Special NOFO, please email SpecialCoCNOFO@hud.gov.
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