Tenant Support in Permanent

Supportive Housing

Anne CoryCorporation for Supportive Housing

MHSA Operations TA Call

August 4, 2010www.csh.org

2

Tenant Support in Permanent Supportive Housing

Agenda Making the transition to PSH Supporting tenants in their new home Soliciting tenant input Creating structures for tenant involvement Tenant Leadership Hiring tenants as staff Tools to help

Making the transition to PSH

Homelessness involves more than just the loss of a home

Understand the impact of loss and homelessness

Impact on transition into permanent housing Prepare people to succeed in housing

3

Making the transition to PSH

Once people move into housing they may temporarily experience relapse and/or psychiatric decompensation: be prepared for such crises

4

Supporting tenants in their new home

Help tenants define their housing and service goals

Establish clear policies and procedures Clarify expectations of tenancy Orient residents to their new home

5

Supporting tenants in their new home

Help tenants get “in the driver’s seat” Exploring the resident’s housing preferences

sends the message that the decision-making process is mutual and not a directive from the worker. It also provides valuable information to the worker about the resident’s expectations.

6

Supporting tenants in their new home

Help tenants get “in the driver’s seat” We must not underestimate the

importance of hope and its impact in supporting residents’ ability to achieve the goal of accessing housing.

Many residents who have succeeded in securing and maintaining housing point out that someone believed in them even if they had given up believing in themselves.

7

History of Community Building in Supportive Housing

Fostering positive supportive relationships among tenants resulted in a greater sense of belonging, enhanced self-esteem, increased use of social services, decreased isolation, provided increased safety and for some, more confidence to engage in other relationships outside the residence.

8

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

9

Soliciting tenant input and

Creating structures for tenant

involvement

11

Why involve tenants in decision making?

Sense of ownership in the community Empowerment and skill building Build relationships Develop trust Encourage shared responsibility Develop consensus Support tenant-driven community norms

12

How are tenants’ views incorporated into your programs?

One-on-one discussions eliciting tenants’ opinions

Community meetings Tenant surveys Focus groups Advisory committees Tenant councils Hiring tenants as staff

13

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Hold community meetings Serve as a forum for community

announcements Gather viewpoints and suggestions Help troubleshoot issues, dispel rumors and

share information Educate tenants on operating costs issues Educate management on tenant concerns

and priorities

14

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Tenant Surveys Determine how to meet tenants’ needs Assess effective ways to offer support services Gather ideas for program improvement

15

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Hold focus groups Focus groups of current and former tenants can

provide valuable input Use to gather information on specific issues Use skilled facilitator

16

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Create a Tenant Council Gives a voice to tenants Provides a forum for tenants to advocate on

their own behalf Provides environment for tenants to develop

leadership and advocacy skills Provides opportunity for tenants to make

and carry out meaningful decisions

17

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Create A Tenant Advisory Committee Serves as liaison between tenants and

management Open lines of communication Can address a specific issue or provide

recommendations to board on an ongoing basis

18

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Use teamwork Create partnership of staff and residents to

address issues together (shift from “doing for” to doing with”)

Communicate to tenants that their input is valued

Supports self-efficacy among tenants Ensure training for tenants and staff to help this

approach work

19

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Support tenant-driven community norms within single-site projects

Norms are informal rules for behavior and culture in a housing site

Tenant input in establishing norms creates greater support

20

Involving and Empowering Tenants

Hire tenants as peers and/or support peer-run programs

Peer support is an essential component of a supportive network for people living with mental illness

Communicates the potential for recovery Benefits tenants and housing providers Improves effectiveness of engagement Peer employees can fill designated positions or

mainstream positions

CSH Dimensions of Quality

Dimension #6: Tenant Rights, Input and Leadership

Definition: Tenant rights are protected within consistently-enforced policies and procedures, tenants are provided with meaningful input and leadership opportunities, and staff relationships with tenants are characterized by respect and trust.

21

CSH Dimensions of Quality

Key Indicators of Quality: All involved organizations actively seek tenant

input in decision-making at their highest organizational levels, support tenants in forming tenant councils, and meet regularly with any tenant-led organizations.

22

CSH Dimensions of Quality

Assessing Key Indicators of Quality: Questions to Consider:

– What efforts have been made to support tenants in forming tenant councils or other tenant-led organizations?

– Do tenant input opportunities result in meaningful changes within the involved organizations?

23

Additional Indicators of Quality: Tenant Input and Leadership

1. Leadership development opportunities for tenants are created and/or supported by all partners.

2. Tenants are provided with regular opportunities to provide input regarding all policies related to tenant and consumer rights.

3. Tenants are provided with regular opportunities to provide input regarding the design, development, and delivery of supportive services.

4. Tenants who participate in leadership development and input opportunities are protected by a “no-retaliation” policy.

24

Meaningful Tenant Involvement

Tenant involvement criteria: Participation must meet real needs and create

real results. Don’t ask for resident input if you aren’t willing to

take it seriously and devote time to addressing resident concerns.

To be true “partners” in the building’s success, residents need to understand the financial and other constraints of the project, and they need to participate in setting the building’s goals.

25

Meaningful Tenant Involvement

Try to have some resources available to meet resident requests or implement resident ideas.

A convenient on-site meeting space increases participation enormously.

Democratic leadership skills are not widely taught in our culture. Try to make organizing and training resources available to residents to give them the skills to conduct good meetings and create an accountable organization.

26

Introduction to Tools

28

Tools

Internal: Tenant Welcome Manual Tenant education (tenancy issues, clinical

issues)

External: NAMI Housing Toolkit SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practices KIT:

Permanent Supportive Housing – Tools for Tenants

Tools

Tenant Welcome Manual Agency/Program Background Building Procedures House Rules and Consequences Rent Collection Community Amenities and Resources Grievance Procedures Security and Emergency Procedures Supportive Services Tenant Council

29

NAMI Housing Toolkit

A Housing Toolkit: Information to help the public mental health community meet the housing needs of people with mental illnesses

Available at www.nami.org

30

Tools

Education for Tenants SAMHSA Tool KITS for information to educate

tenants and families about strategies for coping with psychiatric disabilities.

Includes “Tools for Tenants” in the Permanent Supportive Housing KIT http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/CommunitySupport/toolkits/housing/

31

Tools

Education for Tenants California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants’ And

Landlords’ Rights And Responsibilities, California Department of Consumer Affairs, 2010. Available at http://www.dca.ca.gov

32

www.csh.org