Reduce homelessness by connecting individuals with affordable vacant rentals
Lesson Learned:
Nonprofit tech innovations can build the capacity of nonprofit and government service providers, like enabling them to connect more clients to affordable housing.
In the United States, 650,000 people were homeless in 2023.[1] That same year, 3.2 million rental housing units were vacant.[2] One reason rental units remain vacant is that nearly 90% of landlords
screen out those with previous evictions, low credit scores, and criminal backgrounds, leaving large swaths of the population unable to access housing.[3]
Housing Connector uses a tech-powered platform to connect landlords with individuals in need of housing while reducing risk to property owners and providing case management for renters.
“The last two years I was homeless… To hear the words that I was approved, I was elated. The future looks very promising. Jobs lined up, stable home. There is hope.”
— Chauncey Williamson, a tenant
” I got laid off of my job and in between finding another, I fell behind on my rent. I felt so depressed and scared because I didn’t want to get evicted…Thank you for programs like yours because without this help, I don’t know what I would do.”
-Brunelle, a tenant
What it does
Founded in 2019 and based in Seattle, Washington, Housing Connector operates in Denver, Colorado, Portland, Oregon, Dallas, Texas, and across Washington State.
Housing Connector collaborates with Zillow, a popular real estate listing platform, for its housing marketplace. Community Partners (nonprofits, case managers, and service providers focused on housing) and people experiencing housing insecurity use the tech marketplace to find available rental units whose owners or property managers (called Property Partners) have agreed to reduce their screening criteria.
Community Partners and future residents filter properties to view only properties that residents would be eligible for, expediting the time to move in.
To ensure stability in a resident’s new home, Housing Connector attaches a “risk mitigation package” to each lease, comprised of a guarantee of three months of rent payments, $5,000 in damages, and two years of support services for residents. Community Partners also provide ongoing case management for their clients during at least the first year of residency. Housing Connector trains all case managers to use the organization’s Zillow platform and enroll clients in their services.
Additionally, Housing Connector works with local governments to provide housing for homeless populations. In Denver, the organization works with the city government to help people living in encampments find housing that the city subsidizes for up to a year. Housing Connector helps the city identify available housing units, process payments, and connect participants with case managers.
How effective it is
Since its inception in 2019, Housing Connector has connected more than 8,300 residents to housing. Of these, 27% have disabilities, 18% have criminal histories, 7% are veterans, and 53% belong to households with children.
99.4% of residents have avoided eviction outcomes to date, despite their higher risk of housing insecurity. For example, in Dallas, Texas, Housing Connector’s eviction rate is 0% compared to the city’s 8% eviction rate.[4]
Housing Connector’s approach aligns with the Housing First model, which connects those at risk of or experiencing homelessness to housing without preconditions, such as sobriety, treatment, or service participation requirements. Studies have consistently shown the model improves long-term housing, mental and physical health, and child wellbeing outcomes.[5]
It costs an average of $504 annually for Housing Connector to keep one person housed. This cost is significantly lower than the average cost of a temporary family shelter bed in the United States, which is more than $17,700 a year.[6]
How philanthropy helps
Housing Connector receives about 70% of its funds from government support and 30% from philanthropic support. Further philanthropic support will help Housing Connector develop new products and solutions to scale its operations and connect more people to housing. Learn more: https://www.housingconnector.com/
More ways to help
HomeStart’s the Renew Collaborative works with tenants and their landlords in the Greater Boston Area to stop evictions and keep tenants in their homes. Impact Justice’s the Homecoming Project prevents recidivism and homelessness by connecting those formerly incarcerated with stable housing. Point Source Youth builds the capacity of nonprofits serving youth experiencing homelessness.
Notes
[1] U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2023, December 15). HUD Releases January 2023 Point-in-Time Count Report. HUD.Gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_23_278
[2] US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (December 27, 2023). Number of unoccupied rental housing units in the United States from 2012 to 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 08, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/187569/housing-units-for-rent-in-the-us-since-1975/
[3] Boshart, A. (2022). How Tenant Screening Services Disproportionately Exclude Renters of Color from Housing | Housing Matters. The Urban Institute. https://housingmatters.urban.org/articles/how-tenant-screening-services-disproportionately-exclude-renters-color-housing; Sirota, E. (2023). Smokescreen: Unfair Tenant Screening Practices Perpetuate Housing Discrimination. Shriver Center on Poverty Law. https://www.povertylaw.org/article/unfair-tenant-screening-practices/
[4] Eviction Lab. (2024). Dallas, Texas | Eviction Tracking System. Eviction Lab. https://evictionlab.org/eviction-tracking/dallas-tx/
[5] Aubry, T., Nelson, G., & Tsemberis, S. (2015). Housing First for People with Severe Mental Illness Who are Homeless: A Review of the Research and Findings from the at Home—Chez soi Demonstration Project. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(11), 467–474. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371506001102
[6] Culhane, D. P., & An, S. (2021). Estimated Revenue of the Nonprofit Homeless Shelter Industry in the United States: Implications for a More Comprehensive Approach to Unmet Shelter Demand. Housing Policy Debate, 32(6), 823–836. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2021.1905024