Landlords may have reservations about renting to lower-income tenants, particularly those with a history of homelessness, evictions, poor credit, or justice involvement.  Landlord education can help provide information designed to address these concerns and break down stereotypes about lower-income tenants.  Landlords participating in education opportunities can benefit from learning about topics related to effective communication, building productive partnerships with tenants, managing crisis situations, and legal issues.  Landlords can also learn more about opportunities such as Weatherization Services and the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which can provide support to both tenants and landlords at no cost to the landlord.

Tenants who participate in tenant education opportunities have a better understanding of their legal rights as well as the responsibilities associated with being a good tenant.  A tenant education curriculum may include financial topics, guidance on understanding legal documents such as rental agreements, home organization and basic maintenance skills, and communication tips for working with landlords.  Tenant education classes can help set the foundation for a positive relationship between the landlord and tenant.

Source:

HUD Exchange Info. (n.d.). A Guide to Tenant Education.

CMCA has identified a need for both landlord and tenant education opportunities.  CMCA is in the process of determining a curriculum designed to promote responsible and mutually beneficial relationships between tenants and landlords.  Updates will be made to this page once education opportunities have been launched.

FY22 Quarter 1 Updates

Key Updates:  

• Callaway county held a quarterly Housing Alliance meeting for landlords. Two new HCV landldords were added.
• Two new partnerships formed with Salvation Army and Foster Youth Initiative. CMCA provided HUD housing applications and provided virtual briefings.

On Target?  

Challenges:  

Strengths:  Having virtual briefings allows CMCA to be able to issue more vouchers and move members through the process quickly.

Changes needed?