resident support

Support Services

Strengthening and supporting residents through advocacy that meets the resident’s individual needs. HOU’s Resident Services programs are designed to strengthen individuals and their community by supporting residents and coordinating beneficial services.

Resident Services

Strengthening and supporting residents through advocacy that meets the resident’s individual needs.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited’s Resident Services programs are designed to support residents by coordinating services that meet their needs. On-site resident service coordination can encompass developing, coordinating, and monitoring educational and recreational programs for youth and seniors, access to jobs and training programs, and systems for responding to management referrals.

HOU’s Resident Services play a critical role in the success of communities. HOU staff works closely with property management staff and resident governance organizations. It connects residents, property management, and area social services that address each resident’s unique needs.

HOU establishes continuing relationships with social and human resources in the area that offer on-site programs that match and connect residents to services that meet the resident and their family’s needs.

HOU staff are actively involved in working with local service providers such as mental health and substance abuse disorder counselors, domestic violence prevention and intervention services, senior and disability service providers, and financial assistance resources to ensure quality services are provided to residents.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited has experience operating specialized human services programs designed to meet the needs of seniors and people with disabilities.

HOU coordinates with on-site management to provide supportive services, including social service and health-related referrals, recreational activities, and assistance with lease compliance issues. In its work at these sites, HOU becomes actively involved in helping residents age in place and provide support with challenges that may include mental health, financial management, and substance abuse.

HOU on ADVOCACY FOR RESIDENTS WITH HOUSING ISSUES
  • Advocates for the resident to prevent eviction
  • Organizes, schedules, and follows up on housing inspections and re-certifications
  • Works with residents to resolve disputes and promote positive neighbor relations
  • Collaborates with property management and residents to stay in compliance with the terms of their lease
HOU on ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING:
  • Arrange residents’ schedules for transportation/mobility for shopping, medical care, and community programs
  • Coordinates Community and Recreational Activities for residents to on-site and off-site programs such as arts and crafts, day trips, and youth sports programs
  • Arranges for direct help with housekeeping and personal training
  • Arranges Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) for personal hygiene and care
HOU on EDUCATION/LITERACY AND TRAINING:
  • Arranges programs for building Life Skills
  • Arranges and schedules Computer Training
  • Schedules participation in GED programming
  • Facilitates Section 3 job placements
  • Collaborates with external resources to assist residents interested in Higher Education, Technical Training, Professional Development and Job Readiness
HOU establishes a NETWORK OF RESOURCES
  • Creates partnerships with area service providers for the benefit of residents
  • Works purposefully to find nearby service providers that offer programs to meet residents’ varied circumstances
  • Maintains communication with service provider staff and, if applicable, residents’ case worker to effectively support residents
HOU on HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:
  • Conducts one-on-one and group training sessions on Personal/Household spending and budgeting
  • Provides guidance and referrals to outside agencies on credit repair and savings strategies
  • Provides guidance and referrals to first-time home buyers and loan programs

Case Management

One-on-one assessment and on-going guidance to refer residents to an appropriate network of beneficial resources.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited’s site case management is an individual and personal approach to support residents’ needs. HOU staff meets with the resident and their family to write a plan that connects resident to relevant resources and service providers.

Quality of Life (QOL) programs at assisted housing developments have significantly reduced evictions and enhanced independent living capability for residents.

At multifamily, mixed-income, and tax credit housing properties, HOU works onsite with management and residents to address community issues and lease violations to improve residents’ quality of life and prevent unnecessary evictions.

Throughout each relocation project, HOU Case Managers work closely with relocation staff to ensure an optimum relocation process for residents and to maximize the return rate of original residents to the redeveloped property.

The resident service plan establishes the priorities to guide the resident and staff to work in a proactive and concrete step-by-step approach that addresses resident needs.

The service plan sets measurable, attainable, and realistic individual goals, objectives, and activities for the resident and, if appropriate, the family to work with the close support persons and other providers.

HOU understands that the assessment process is continuous because needs change as the individual’s circumstances change, grow, and develop.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited brings together a core group of onsite stakeholders and resource partners to identify the strengths and needs of the resident and family in an environment of trust, respect, accountability and confidentiality.

Through QOL meetings, HOU serves as a resident advocate to establish and promote support services for residents. HOU staff maintain regular contact with residents to address issues and concerns and to establish plans for assistance, whenever possible.

Case managers connect residents to service providers as identified in the resident assessment and outlined in their individual Service Plan to support the resident to access services overcome challenges. Case managers advocate for the resident and negotiate with the service provider to ensure the referrals matches the resident’s needs.

Following a referral, case managers follow-up with the resident and the service provider to ensure the resident is receiving referred services ensure it continues to be the best possible match. The resident self-sufficiency progress and outcomes are tracked as part of the service plan

Community Building

On-site services designed to integrate individuals and their families into their new community.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited provides Community and Supportive Services (CSS), including planning, implementation, and evaluation services. HOU is actively engaged from the application writing phase, through the project planning phase, to the project implementation phase, and finally to the project completion and close-out phase.

HOU first provided Community and Supportive Services during the project planning phase for the Indianapolis Housing Authority in 1994. This work included assistance with resident relations and the writing and launching of a Community Development and Self-Sufficiency Plan.

Since that time, HOU has taken the lead in developing HUD-approved CSS Workplans for:

  • Allequippa Terrace in Pittsburgh, PA,
  • Southfield Village in Stamford, CT
  • Broadway Homes in Baltimore, MD,
  • East Capitol Dwellings in Washington, DC
  • Rockwell Gardens in Chicago, IL
  • Arthur Capper Carrollsburg in Washington, DC

HOU has also collaborated on proposals for HUD approval in Stamford, CT, Yonkers, NY, and Chicago Heights, IL.

At active, affordable housing in transition site-development projects, Housing Opportunities Unlimited’s staff actively assists residents to enhance their self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. Supporting the residents personally affected by these construction projects is foundational for building a sustainable, positive, clean, marketable, and affordable mixed-income community. On-going HOU Case Management work supports the integration of residents into the community.

HOU’s focus on on-site service is placed upon maximizing growthful opportunities for residents and resident families to integrate into the fabric of their new community.

These efforts include:

  • Coordinating educational opportunities for youth
  • Coordinating educational and career development support for work-eligible adults
  • Assisting residents with lease compliance
  • Promoting residents optimum health and safety
  • Fostering independent living by facilitating services that support individuals with disabilities and substance abuse disorders

HOU provides a high level of community-based advocacy required to affect immediate and sustainable results. A key to the community’s success is HOU’s work to build resident council capacity, including fundraising and customized training for council members.

Resident programming is tailored to address site-specific demographics and needs. HOU on-site programs and community and supportive service implementations include:

  • Developing HUD-approved CSS work plans
  • Neighborhood economic development initiatives
  • Fundraising for community benefit projects
  • Community center resident-involved program planning and implementation
  • Developing on-site computer centers
  • Coordinating and monitoring area service providers and Section 3 compliance
  • Monitoring and teaching housekeeping compliance
  • Combined youth and elder programming to foster respect and tolerance
  • Providing supportive services for residents with disabilities
  • Providing individual resident and family case management