Homelessness 201: Maximizing Landlord Relationships on ZOOM

Course Description:

Solid relationships between housing programs and landlords are the key to linking participants to housing. These relationships help to encourage them to take a chance on a participant who has high barriers or prevent a landlord from terminating a participant’s lease early. This workshop is a facilitated conversation around how best to connect with rental opportunities and property management. Keith Nance will join Warren Duncan as co-facilitator and will share his extensive experience working with landlords throughout Minnesota for over 20 years.

The goal of this workshop is for attendees to better understand the motivation of landlords and adapt aspects of mindful communication and person-centered skills to fit working in the private rental assistance market. The presenters will facilitate a discussion about ideal relationships with landlords, and strategies to improve these relationships to maximize opportunities to work together, as well as provide tips and advice. The conversation will center around cultivating a network of landlords and improving relationships to have a strong partnership. The session will also involve role plays to practice responding to push back from landlords when renting to participants.

Presenter Bios:

Warren Duncan is the Program Director at Hearth Connection.  As a native of Des Moines, IA, he graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Sociology.  He began his career as a volunteer at a meal program and delivered meals to the homeless on the streets of Des Moines.  Warren has worked with homeless children in an emergency shelter, with at-risk adolescents at an alternative high school, supervised a group home in the south metro and served as a Case Manager for the chronically homeless in the Twin Cities.  He has been working in permanent supportive housing for the last 10 years and is passionate about using Housing First and Harm Reduction principles.

Keith Nance is a Program Manager for the Housing First Program in Hennepin County at the Link. Keith has over 20 years of experience serving people with multiple barriers secure permanent housing. He has established effective partnerships and collaborations with property management companies and social service agencies throughout the 7-county Metro. He continues to serve on various committees with County constituents and the Department of Human Services to find ways to effectively serve individuals with multiple barriers to permanent housing. Keith is now instrumental in helping to establish new programs that address tenancy support and households experiencing stability issues or difficulties in obtaining a desired choice in their housing.

How to register:  Registration below is broken into Member & Non-Member.  If you are unsure whether you are part of a member organization or would like more information about membership, please contact Michele.  If you choose to pay by credit card, you will be walked through payment process and receive an automated email confirming your payment and registration.  If you choose to pay by check, you will receive an invoice from MESH.  Payment is expected prior to training date.  Please contact Michele if scholarship help is needed.  You may register more than 1 person at a time and note the names in the space provided.  I will send out the Zoom link to participants the day prior to the training.