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MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES LANDLORD GUARANTEE PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE
RENTING TO HOMELESS
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New City program provides supports to landlords that rent to
homeless individuals and families
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BOSTON - Wednesday,
October 11, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City
of Boston has launched the Landlord Guarantee Pilot Program,
a new initiative that will support landlords who choose to rent to homeless
individuals and families that rely on outside financial support and
resources. Participating landlords receive a dedicated landlord partner from
the Office of Housing Stability, access to landlord resources including
mediation services and access to funds for losses such as unpaid rent and
excessive damages.
"Boston is
committed to making sure all individuals and families have stable, long-term
housing -- and that means we have to work with landlords to encourage them to
rent to those homeless renters who may not be able to meet traditional tenant
requirements," said Mayor Walsh. "This is an innovative program
designed to encourage more housing options for all, and I thank all our landlords,
tenants and partners who made this program possible."
The Landlord Guarantee
Program supports Boston's Way Home, the
Walsh Administration's plan to end veteran and chronic homelessness in
Boston, and is run through the Department of Neighborhood
Development's Office of Housing Stability (OHS).
Interested landlords submit a program application to OHS. Once the
application is received, potential tenants are referred to participating
landlords. The Landlord Guarantee Program is only open to landlords with
properties in the City of Boston.
Landlords who
participate in the Landlord Guarantee Program are entitled to three key
benefits, including reimbursement up to $10,000 for losses such as unpaid
rent, repairs for tenant damage, insurance deductibles and certain court
costs. In addition, participating landlords will receive a Landlord Partner through
OHS. The Landlord Partner supports the success of the landlord-tenant
relationship, providing assistance or referrals to help resolve issues that
may affect the continuation of the tenancy.
"When the
apartment in our two-family home became vacant, we were very excited to find
out about the Landlord Guarantee program," said Mary McCarthy and Liz
Breadon, Brighton residents and landlords, respectively, who are
participating in the program. "We had heard of a family that had become
homeless, but wanted to return to Brighton, where they had a community of
support. With the support of the City's Office of Housing Stability, the
rental of our apartment to a formerly homeless family has been great and we
are very happy and secure in the ongoing support this program gives us. Thank
you for the Landlord Guarantee Pilot Program. It is a great step toward
returning people to a home and stabilizing our neighborhoods by working with
both landlords and tenants."
Prospective tenants in
the Landlord Guarantee Program are families and individuals who have been
homeless and are actively seeking a home now. Many households have a stable
monthly income; some are pursuing education and job training opportunities.
Each household will receive federal or state rental assistance; part of their
rent will be paid directly to the landlord.
Each household also
comes with the support of a case manager to help previously homeless
households stabilize as they transition to permanent residency, which may
include assistance in budgeting and finance, apartment etiquette, or any
other life skills needed to be a successful renter. Tenant participants
receive at least six months of case management services and may receive these
services longer, depending on household need.
The Landlord Guarantee
program is based on a national model, designed to help property owners,
tenants and community partners end homelessness in cities with highly
competitive rental markets and extremely low vacancy rates. This program
model is currently being used successfully in cities such as Seattle,
Portland and Denver. Hundreds of families and individuals have been housed
nationally; of those, only between three and five percent of landlords have
needed to request reimbursement from the guarantee fund.
"Having spoken
with professionals running these programs nationwide the past three years, I
can confidently tell you this approach works," said Peter Shapiro,
Jamaica Plain Property Owner and author of The Good Landlord.
"Participating landlords express pride and joy in being able to make a
profit while making a difference -- while our nation's homeless get the
housing they need. DND's new initiative is exciting not only because it will
house the homeless faster, but because it will create landlord partnerships
that can make housing work for everyone! I'll be applying to this program the
next time I have a unit available."
Landlords interested
in participating in the program can contact the Office of Housing Stability
at 617-635-4200 (Option 3) or landlordpartner@boston.gov.
About the Office of
Housing Stability
The City of Boston's
Office of Housing Stability works to prevent displacement through promoting
housing preservation and tenant stabilization. The office offers Boston
residents housing crisis support; provides information about tenant and
landlord rights and responsibilities; develops new programs and resources;
and researches, drafts, and implements policies designed to prevent
displacement and keep communities intact.
About Boston's Way
Home
Boston's Way Home, the
City of Boston's plan to end veteran and chronic homelessness, has redesigned
the way Boston offers services to homeless individuals. Rather than counting
on shelter as the solution to the issue, Boston has moved toward a
housing-first model, where an individual's entrance into the shelter system
is also their entrance to a path toward permanent, stable housing.
In January 2016, Mayor
Walsh announced Boston had ended chronic veteran homelessness; to date,
nearly 850 homeless veterans have been housed. In 2016, the City scaled up
its efforts to end chronic homelessness; since January of 2016, 391
chronically homeless individuals have been housed, representing 2,300 years
of homelessness ended
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