Tenant Participation in Supportive

Housing

Anne CoryCorporation for Supportive Housing

3/17/10www.csh.org

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Definition of Community Building

Community building involves a range of activities, which include: – connecting tenants to each other – connecting tenants to the staff – connecting tenants/the program to the neighborhood

and the community at large

Community Building recognized that the relationships among tenants can support housing stability.

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By Building Community, a Tenant:

Develops a vested interest in the well-being of their residence;

Becomes more aware of how his/her actions affect the community’s well-being;

Builds self-esteem through social and interpersonal connections;

Develops skills. Fills the void left when tenants leave the community

of the street, the jail, or the drug treatment center.

Building Community

Each tenant represents a puzzle piece within a housing community. Thinking about how tenants fit together and interact with one another – whether positively or negatively – can be an important piece in creating community, avoiding and/or resolving conflicts, and supporting the housing stability of all tenants.

Elements of Community Building

ENGAGING AND FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE RESIDENCE

INVOLVING TENANTS IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

CONNECTING TENANTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY

PROMOTING POSITIVE NORMS OF BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE RESIDENCE

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Defining the Process

How are tenants’ ideas to be incorporated into the decision-making process?

Who makes the final decisions? What is the process for evaluating and revisiting

decisions in the future?

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Tenant Involvement

INVOLVE TENANTS IN THE PLANNING OF ACTIVITIES, OUTINGS, PARTIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS

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Tenant Involvement

IDENTIFY NATURAL LEADERS AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS

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Tenant Involvement

SOLICIT INPUT ABOUT THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED

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Tenant Involvement

CREATE OPEN COMMUNICATION FORUMS SUCH AS COMMUNITY MEETINGS– troubleshoot issues

– dispel rumors

– sing praises

– reduce the number of “public secrets”

– give community members the comfort of knowing there is a forum to express concerns

Tenant Involvement

ESTABLISH A TENANT COUNCIL or TENANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

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Tenant Involvement

INVOLVE TENANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSE RULES AND OTHER BUILDING POLICIES

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Tenant Involvement

Leadership can be formal or informal. Leadership opportunities include:

– tenant councils or forums– lending support to other tenants by being a part of a

support network– becoming a peer-to-peer worker

House Rules

Why do we need house rules?– Support a safe environment – Ensuring that tenants’ rights are respected and

maintained– Allow tenants to decide on the environment in which

they want to live.

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Considerations in Designing House Rules

PURPOSE OF THE HOUSE RULES – Rules should have a clear purpose that should be

understood by the community.

Considerations in Designing House Rules

ENFORCEABILITY: – Consistency is necessary when enforcing rules in

a building. Rules that cannot be uniformly enforced should be excluded from the list.

Considerations in Designing House Rules

LESS IS MORE: – Having a few enforceable rules is far more

effective than pages of rules that cannot be enforced or even effectively communicated.

Considerations in Designing House Rules

ALLOW FOR CHANGE OVER TIME– Create a structure and a process to review and

revise rules. – Have a process in place for grievances and

appeals for rules.

House Rules Enforcement

How do we formalize house rules?– Can use as addendum to lease– Tenants comply as a condition of the lease– Violations of House Rules becomes breach of the

lease

Benefits of Tenant Involvement: For the Tenant

Combats isolation, improves social and psychological ties among community members.

Helps tenant develop an interest in the well-being of the facility.

Helps to create a culture of mutual understanding and tolerance.

Increases tenant’s awareness of how his/her actions affect the community’s well-being

Builds self-esteem through social and interpersonal connections

Develops skills

Benefits of Tenant Involvement: For Services Staff

Allows a point-of-entry for engagement Makes their job easier by delegating tasks and

responsibilities Opportunity to observe building dynamics on a new

level Increases positive activities and diminishes negative

activities Helps identify natural leadership in the community of

tenants

Benefits of Tenant Involvement

Benefits of Tenant Involvement: For Property Management

Early identification of property management and maintenance issues.

Increases the likelihood that the building will be maintained.

Increases buildings’ safety and security Establishing a positive community can avert some

problems before they erupt. .

Tenant Involvement and Positive Norms

Engaging tenants in a dialogue about the norms of the residence and how they can help promote them is an effective community development strategy.

The first step in promoting positive norms is to identify:– Existing norms – Desired norms – Undesirable but tolerable behaviors – Intolerable behaviors

Tenant Involvement

Questions?

For more information, go to

www.csh.org