CAMBA HOMEBASE TEACHES CLIENTS TO GO ON THEIR OWN

(Article published in HWW Nov 2009)

by Michka Weekes, Program Supervisor, CAMBA HomeBase

Some families who decide to go to shelter have a great opportunity to be rapidly re-housed in safe affordable housing but few are really prepared to do so. Many shelter applicants want permanent safe stable housing but that takes dedication and work on the applicant family’s part.

At CAMBA’s HomeBase program we asked for and received great input from our singles and families on what they would like to learn that would help them adjust and be successful Household Leaders. Based on client feedback we decided to change our traditional training to “Going on My Own” or as we fondly refer to as the “G.O.M.O” workshop. This workshop is designed to ensure that the families that cross paths with us are aware of what it takes to maintain stable housing and be successful and break the cycle of shelter use.

Many of our clients are young, new parents and have never been lease holders much less Head of Households (HOH), and they are unaware of what to expect. They have difficulty communicating with their landlords, understanding a lease, budgeting on limited income, problem solving, accessing benefits, meal planning, and other invaluable independent living skills. We believe so strongly in our workshops that we make them mandatory and offer them in Spanish. We cover the following topics:

• Tenant’s Responsibilities and Rights – Information provided by the Fair Housing Justice Center, New York State Attorney General, Legal Aid and CAMBA Legal Services.

• How to Read a Lease and Understanding the Agreement – Specific Exercises based on their lease.

• Deciding the differences between Wants and Needs and Determining a Realistic Budget – When clients are asked to fill out a budget worksheet, they tend to document things such as rent, utility and transportation but will omit things such as personal items, cigarettes, coffee, newspapers and other miscellaneous spending. We discuss the “Latte Effect” (This phrase was used about 10 years ago and it refers to people who spend money on the little things every day but don't realize how much it can add up over time). We use this example: $1.50 each morning for 365 mornings in a year = over $500.00. To determine how our clients arrive at an accurate account of what their actual spending is they are given a worksheet to document all of their expenses and follow up with their case manager to categorize their spending. Being aware of this information allows the client to make the necessary adjustments and to clearly recognize their wants and needs as well as areas where savings can happen!

• Communicating with Landlord – Clients are encouraged to form a positive relationship with their landlord. Though, clients are currently receiving support from their Case Manager, we encourage them to take time to work on building a good relationship. Of course some ways to do that are to pay rent on time, abide by the terms of the lease, be a good neighbor, and communicate appropriately. It is empowering for tenants to pay their rent, know the rules and legal rights, hold landlords accountable by being an effective communicator.

• Consequences of being a bad tenant – We discuss all the choices we have seen clients make that jeopardize their tenancy beyond not paying rent such as moving people in that are not on the lease, not cleaning the apartment or taking out garbage or recycling, making repairs that have resulted in tenant damage and abusing substances. While being undesirable is hard to prove, tenants have had to defend such cases. We teach that the lease is a legal binding document and that if any part of the agreement is broken there’s a possibility of court proceedings.

• Recognizing Legal Documents – Clients are given examples of legal court documents. So, in the event that court proceedings are brought against them, they know how to recognize what is happening and how to respond to it. They are encouraged to be proactive. Tenants that ignore documents have a higher eviction rate.

• Preparing for Inspection – In the event that a tenant is in the process of receiving a subsidy that requires an inspection, tenants are given a checklist of what the inspectors are looking for and we encourage tenants to make whatever small changes that are in their power to make sure the apartment passes inspection.

• Rules Regarding Advantage Subsidies – Landlords are responsible for Heat and Hot Water in all Advantage apartments and only in the Work Advantage subsidy are tenants responsible for $50.00 of the monthly rent. We discuss illegal side deals and the fact that there are no automatic flips to Section 8. We also discuss Good Cause Transfers and that they are only granted with substantial proof of why a transfer is necessary and that tenants have exhausted all other avenues to solve possible reasons for transfer.

• List of Community Resources – Community Specific- We encourage clients to find all the services in their community that may be needed now or in the future.

Becoming a lease holder is big responsibility and it requires active participation on the lease holders’ part. Being a successful lease holder and not needing the shelter is an awesome feeling of accomplishment!