Tenant Participation in Supportive Housing Anne Cory Corporation

Tenant Participation in Supportive Housing Anne Cory Corporation for Supportive Housing 3/17/10 www. csh. org

Definition of Community Building n 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. 2

By Building Community, a Tenant: n n n 3 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 n 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 n n 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

Defining the Process n n n 6 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?

Tenant Involvement n 7 INVOLVE TENANTS IN THE PLANNING OF ACTIVITIES, OUTINGS, PARTIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS

Tenant Involvement n 8 IDENTIFY NATURAL LEADERS AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Tenant Involvement n 9 SOLICIT INPUT ABOUT THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED

Tenant Involvement n CREATE OPEN COMMUNICATION FORUMS SUCH AS COMMUNITY MEETINGS – – – 10 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 n 11 ESTABLISH A TENANT COUNCIL or TENANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Tenant Involvement n 12 INVOLVE TENANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSE RULES AND OTHER BUILDING POLICIES

Tenant Involvement n n 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 n 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. 14

Considerations in Designing House Rules n PURPOSE OF THE HOUSE RULES – Rules should have a clear purpose that should be understood by the community.

Considerations in Designing House Rules n 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 n 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 n 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 n 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 n n n 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 n n n Allows a point-of-entry for engagement Makes their job easier by delegating tasks and responsibilities Opportunity. Benefits to observe building dynamics on a new of Tenant Involvement level Increases positive activities and diminishes negative activities Helps identify natural leadership in the community of tenants

Benefits of Tenant Involvement: For Property Management n n 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 n n 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 n Questions?

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