Identifying and Building Partnerships with 

Your Local Housing Sector

Workshop 3

Engaging Local Housing Officials

2023
Virtual Workshop Series

• Workshop #1 Introductory housing concepts

• Workshop #2 Public housing and HUD-assisted housing

resources

• Workshop #3 Engaging local housing officials
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1. Coordinate Technical Assistance

2. Facilitate Partnerships

3. Recognize and Share Innovations

4. Leverage and Align Resources

Learn more at: acl.gov/HousingAndServices

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What’s Possible

When we work together to align and leverage our work to coordinate 

affordable, accessible housing with increased access to health and 

social services, we create the infrastructure to fully meet the needs of 

the people we serve. 

“Partnerships don’t just happen, however. They need ‘connective 

tissue’—an infrastructure supporting frequent and systemic level 

collaborations—to help form the partnership and hold it together over 

time.”

Building connective tissue for effective housing-health initiatives (brookings.edu)

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Why Reach Out and Engage with Local Housing 

Officials?

• We serve the same people!

• The disability, aging and/or health sectors provide services people served by 

the housing sector need and use.

• We are stronger together and can leverage our resources, expertise, 

innovation, problem solving skills and overcome challenges.

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Preparing to Reach Out to Local Officials

• Do your homework!

• Do you have a local/county Public Housing Agency? 

– https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts

• Does your community have HUD-assisted housing? 

– HUD Housing Locator https://resources.hud.gov/

– https://www.ncsha.org/housing-help/

• Explore existing housing-services partnerships

– Continuum of Care (CoC) contacts
More Homework!

• House America

– https://www.hud.gov/house_america/partners

• Visit HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher dashboard and the Emergency 

Housing Voucher dashboard to learn if there are vouchers available in your 

community or state

– https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ehv/dashboard

– https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/hcv/dashboard

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Preparing Questions for Local Officials

• Develop a list of questions for the agencies

– What housing opportunities are available for older adults? people with disabilities?

– What are the eligibility requirements for these programs?

– Is the application process open at this time? 

– Do you have any accessible units available at this time?

– Do you have many older adults or people with disabilities in your programs at this 

time?

– Do you partner with any community services agencies? Which ones?
Compile Data to Share with Local Officials

• Compile data about the needs of people with disabilities and older adults in 

your community

– How many older adults or people with disabilities does your agency serve who want 

to leave a nursing facility and have community-based services but cannot leave 

without housing?

– How many of your clients are at risk because they live in unsafe conditions or need 

accessible housing?

– How many of your clients are at risk of or are being evicted because they can no 

longer afford their housing situation?

– How many of your clients are homeless or at risk of homelessness?

– What size units do your clients need?
Other Data to Consider

• What home modifications or assistive technology could be available through 

your organization or partners to make units accessible or increase 

independence of people residing in units ultimately increasing housing 

stability?

• What are readmission rates at hospitals? What are the causes? Do you 

have programs that address these issues (like fall prevention programs)?

• What are eviction trends? Does your organization offer services that can 

help people manage their finances and pay rent on time?

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Identifying Connections to Local Officials

• Can you “network” to any board members or agency employees?

• Do you, your staff or your board have any connections to the housing 

agencies in your community?
What Do You Bring to the Table?

• Housing agencies provide housing not services!

• Housing agencies recognize the need for services and supports for their 

tenants!

• Housing agencies want to partner with agencies that can:

– Refer eligible applicants when there are openings

– Help tenants with move-in 

– Help tenants be successful: pay rent on time, keep unit clean, etc

– Be available when tenancy issues arise
Establishing New Partnerships: Lessons Learned

• Establish key points of contact

– Revisit regularly to update when there’s turnover

• Establish mutual understanding

• Define roles and responsibilities 

• Meet regularly and as often as needed 

• Set mutual goals and review progress
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Was this workshop helpful to 

you? What are other areas of 

interest?

Please email us at hsrc@acl.hhs.gov

Check us out 

www.acl.gov/housingandservices
About These Virtual Workshops

The following organizations contributed to this product: Technical Assistance Collaborative and 

USAging. The National Council on Independent Living, and Independent Living Research Utilization 

provided reviews.

This presentation was funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living through a contract with Mission Analytics Group, Inc. 

(Contract number HHSP233201500060I) which subcontracted the work to USAging. The views expressed do not necessarily represent 

the positions or policies of the Administration for Community Living / Department of Health and Human Services.