Healthy Homes in Your Community - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Healthy Homes in Your Community

Kevin Lundy, Program Officer, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

Brett

Byerly

, Executive Director, Greensboro Housing Coalition

April Richard, Healthy Homes Team Manager, Greensboro Housing CoalitionSlide2

Greensboro Housing Coalition

Non profit of 25 years

Advocates for safe and affordable housing for all, but with a special focus on helping people with low incomes and disabilities

Service range provides for all from homeless to homeowners

3 Teams: Homelessness Prevention, Foreclosure Prevention, and Healthy Homes

Address housing issues by not only providing referrals to other agencies, but with referrals within our agency– the teams work together and support the work of each otherSlide3

Key Partners

Kresge

Foundation

City of Greensboro

Neighborhood Development Department

Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

Cone Health

Community Housing Solutions

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Center for Housing and Community Studies (new 2015)

Evaluation of research and Data Mapping

Partnership for Community Care

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency

North Carolina Housing Coalition

National Center for Healthy Homes

Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina

Cottage Grove

Inititave

New Hope Community Development

Mustard Seed Community Clinic

Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

Environmental Protection AgencySlide4

Policy Activities of GHC: Code Enforcement

RUCO ended in 2011 due to legislative changes

Post-RUCO task force formed

Created new code enforcement ordinance

Established fines for non-compliance

$200- initial

$75- daily fine for subsequent days

Total fines: nearly $1 millionElon University Bus Tour- January 2015Students requested information about collections of fines +/- 7% collection rateProposed revisions to code enforcement ordinance- July 2015Enacted- September 2015Slide5

Impact of Code Enforcement Policy ChangesSlide6

Community Education Activities of GHC: Bus Tour

GHC started doing Healthy Homes Bus Tours in 2004

The purpose of the tours is to raise awareness of housing issues in our communities.

Stops on the tour have included:

Substandard houses and apartments where the owner has repeatedly not been in compliance with minimum housing standards (Greensboro Adopted IPMC)

Homes or apartments that have been remediated by our partners (i.e. Lead abatement, accessibility repairs, properties that were problematic and now are turning around). Slide7

Healthy Homes Team of GHC

Umbrella team

Accept walk-ins, call-ins, and referrals from other teams

Respond to tenant and homeowner complaints and concerns

Assess homes for health and safety hazards while engaging tenants and homeowners in this process

Provide tenant and landlord education on rights and responsibilities

Discuss solutions and/or next steps to resolve or alleviate housing concernsSlide8

Programs

Housing Hotline

Housing Quality Standard Inspections

Provide inspections of properties before our agency and partners provide financial assistance for moving expenses for the homeless or those living in hazardous conditions

Advancing

Safe and Healthy Homes Initiatives

Funded by The

Kresge FoundationHome visiting programAsthma Demonstration PartnernshipHealthy Homes, Healthy CommunitiesLandlord Tenant PartnershipSlide9

Asthma Demonstration Partnership

40 households received interventions

Referred by Cone Health

Intervention Model

2 person team to interview family and perform visual assessment

Assessed intervention needs based on home visit

Hired contractors to make repairs as needed

Provide trigger reduction materials or servicesGreen cleaning kit, allergen mattress and pillow covers, HEPA vacuums, HVAC filters, Integrated Pest ManagementConducted follow up visit to interview family and perform second visual assessmentUNCG researcher completed data analysisAnalysis has shown that modest repairs to the home and education can reduce the use of medicines, emergency medical care, and the burden on the family

Fostered a collaborative relationship with the major hospital system in the areaSlide10

Healthy Communities, Healthy Greensboro

EPA funded collaborative agreement to reduce asthma hospitalization rates

Targets 4 zip codes- 27401, 27405, 27406, 27407

UNCG researcher produced heat maps to show high areas of need for program

Areas also coincide with clusters of substandard housing, older homes, and public housing

Intervention Model- community engagement

300 home visits

Attending neighborhood and community meetings to discuss safe and healthy housingEngaging partner agencies and educating them on safe and healthy housingSlide11

Landlord Tenant Partnership

Established by Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro

Provides a funding source for

GHC to move people out of dangerous housing

Help low-income rental owners to make repairs to their unitsSlide12

Landlord Tenant Partnership

Established in December 2013, the Landlord-Tenant Partnership is a joint venture of the Greensboro Housing Coalition (GHC) and Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (CFGG).

The Landlord-Tenant Partnership Fund at CFGG supports the Landlord-Tenant Partnership program by making payments and deposits for rent and utilities for:

Tenants participating in the Partnership;

Tenants displaced by substandard housing;

and

Tenants displaced by other reasons that lead to loss of housing

.Slide13

Landlord-Tenant Partnership Eligibility

Tenants whose landlords participate in the Partnership are:

Eligible for past due rent IF they have verified reason for owing rent AND can pay rent in the future.

Eligible for supplemental rent for up to six months IF the new landlord has raised rents after rehabilitation AND tenant pays the pre-rehabilitation rent each month.

Tenants who are displaced by substandard housing are:

Eligible for security deposit, and/or first month’s rent, and/or utility deposits, IF they can pay rent and utilities in the new rental unit.

Process Notes:

For approved assistance, CFGG processes disbursements to third parties directly (e.g. utility, landlord). Disbursements are not made to individuals who are clients of GHC.

Appropriate documentation is required for each “case”.Slide14

The Impact

CFGG fundholders and community members have contributed nearly $150,000 to this fund

Since its inception, the fund has enabled 108 households to secure safe, healthy, affordable housing.

Support has been provided to tenants/families in the form of 235 payments to vendors/third parties totaling $108,599.87.

On average, each household received approximately $960.Slide15

Typical Case

Call-in client complaining of a long standing issue with landlord about repairs or pest management

Initial Call Interview

Rental history

Repair request history

Landlord response

Rent payment delinquency

Schedule home visit, obtain property management contact information, and/or provide advice on following the protocols for repair requestsHome VisitTenant provides assessor with a walk-throughPictures are taken of issuesMediation begins with property management

Demographics

Black couple or female, head of household with children

Immigrants and refugees

Lower income, earning slightly above minimum wage

Living in rental properties in Eastern Greensboro

Rent: $400-650 for 2 or more bedroomsSlide16
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Importance in Area

Reducing the number of substandard homes in the area

Increasing tenants’ and landlords’ knowledge of their rights and responsibilities

Increasing the number of families that will leave homelessness and go into a safe, healthy, and sustainable housing

Empowers our vulnerable population by equipping them with the skills they need to manage the safety of their home

Raising the property values of homes in areas near substandard units which increases homeowner wealth and the tax base of the city.