Landlords, developers, housing agencies
- Property developers, landlords and housing agencies are a key piece of the puzzle in solving homelessness.
- Michael Webb, president of McLaughlin Mitchell Homes, said that the work must start now to end homelessness. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” he says. “Start small and work out the kinks, but don’t be afraid to start.”
- Representatives from 17 different organizations provided the following advice.
- We need to build on existing infrastructure. Several thousand units may now exist to house everyone, but the supply of bachelor and small suites is limited. Once more affordable housing is built, current tenants will move out and more units will be available.
- A major part of the solution is combining the housing provision with services and support from the agencies. A 24-hour emergency contact that landlords could call would also be valuable in the event of health-related or other issues with tenants.
- This will work best if the agency is responsible for the initial lease and damage deposit. Once the tenant has some history with the landlord, the lease can be transferred to the tenant so he/she can establish a positive rental history.
- We need to look at the legislation and policies that will interfere with Housing First
