If someone is transitioning from staying outside or in a shelter, they might not know the things to look for in an apartment. They may have limited experience in talking with landlords or advocating for themselves. This is where Willis Dady’s Rapid Re-Housing team comes in. They work to provide up to 12-months of rental assistance with case management to households that have high barriers and are literally homeless. I sat down with our Housing Case Manager, Marin Noska, to learn more.
Q: Do you go with clients to look at apartments before they sign the lease?
Yes, once a client is approved for an apartment we go with them to look at it. We do an inspection to make sure there is water, electricity, no bugs, and everything works. We write down anything that needs to be noted so they can get their deposit back.
Q: What does the rest of the process look like to get a client into their apartment?
After the case manager approves the apartment, they go in and look for three comparables. These are three other apartments in the area that are similar to make sure it’s a fair price. We also work within Fair Market Rent (FMR). These are set numbers within a reasonable range that we have to stay at or under. This is because of our funding requirements and what is best for our clients (explained more later). <