U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Resident Engagement Strategies for ROSS Service Coordinators

Grantee Webinar

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Agenda I. Get Started and Be Engaging!

II. Overcoming Barriers to Engagement

– Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

III. Proactive Individual Engagement

– Maricopa County Housing Authority

IV. Residents at the Center of Engagement

– Denver Housing Authority

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

I. Get Started and Be Engaging!

Methods for Engaging Resident Participation:

Marketing

Resident Leaders

Community Partnerships

Proactive Individual Engagement

3

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

II. Overcoming Barriers to Engagement

Melissa Nordell-Earp, Family Service Coordinator

City of Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

Serving Des Moines Residents with ROSS

• Diverse Adult Population

– Homeless

– Refugees

– Disabled

– Mentally Ill

• Employment

– Unstable Hours

– Low Wages

5

Maslow’s Hierarchy

•Progression

•Instability

•Crisis mode

•Chronic stress

Understanding Barriers to Engagement

6

Mental health

Trauma

Disabilities

Limited English proficiency

Lack of modeling

Priorities

Habits

Low resiliency/tolerance threshold

Barriers to Engagement

7

Engagement

Motivation

Purpose

Relationships

Connection

Participation

Support Action

Initial Engagement: The Welcome Visit

Activities:

Introduce ROSS

Describe incentives for joining

Define your role and assistance

Assess immediate community needs

Make referrals when appropriate and able

Coordinate follow-up meetings

9

Strategies for Continued Engagement

Be Accessible • Phone access

Be Genuine

Establish Common Expectations • Accountability

• Identify action steps & timeframes

• Schedule meetings at the same day & time

Motivational Interviewing

Leverage Funding

10

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

III. Proactive Individual Engagement

Vivian Diaz, ROSS-SC Program Coordinator

Housing Authority of Maricopa County, Arizona

How to Overcome Engagement Challenges

Use a variety of outreach and communication

Survey residents to identify service needs

Identify key services to “anchor” engagement

Clarify your role with Property Management

Schedule partner services on-site or nearby

Follow up with participants individually

12

How to Engage Families with Children

Use childcare as an “anchor” service

Identify providers for specific needs

Create non-traditional childcare solutions

Develop relationships among families and childcare service partners

13

Effective Engagement Strategies

Create service anchors to support engagement pathways

Periodically contact partners to engage in ongoing service activities

Include a Resident Liaison as a member of the partner’s support service team

14

More Effective Engagement Strategies

Establish responses to community service needs

Childcare

Senior Health

Food and Nutrition

Employment

Offer partners opportunities to meet their organizational service goals through ROSS

Dedicate resources for Resident Liaisons

15

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

IV. Residents at the Center of Engagement

Annie Hancock, Health & Aging

Angela Komar, Self-Sufficiency

Tsehai Teklehaimanot, Resident Councils & Boards

Denver Housing Authority Program Administrators

The Role of ROSS Service Coordinators in Denver

Communities we serve: Senior/Disabled Housing Focus: Aging in Place

Family Housing Focus: Self-Sufficiency

Who we collaborate with: – Resident Associations

– Housing Management

– Community Partners

17

Local Resident Councils (LRC)

• Foundation for community building

• Partner with service coordinators to meet community needs & achieve program goals

• Use Resident Council meetings to provide: – Information about programming and goals

– Housing management updates

– Partner organization presentations

– Availability of translation services

Resident Associations

18

Residents are your best community advocates!

Identify resident leaders and ambassadors

Strengthen role of Resident Councils

Use surveys to assess community needs

Partner with resident leaders to meet needs

Residents as Partners

19

Develop relationships with local agencies:

Medical Centers – Referral services

– Classes

Faith-Based Institutions – Food banks

– Clothing drives

– Volunteer base

Local Service Partners

20

Libraries – Mobile book centers – Technology classes

Recreation centers – Senior fitness classes – Gathering spaces

Schools – Intergenerational programs – After-school and early-learning programs

More Local Partners

21

• Resident Services Orientation

• Welcome Neighbor

• Resident Achievement Program

– Recognizes residents for setting and meeting significant self-sufficiency goals

Initial Engagement

22

Deliver monthly newsletter and calendar door-to-door

Post fliers for neighborhood events/classes/workshops/meetings

Update bulletin boards regularly with new programming information

Present community information on TVs in common areas

Email information to residents

Attend Resident Council and Board meetings

Gain resident referrals through regular meetings with Property Managers

Provide annual events that help build community

Gather feedback and suggestions from resident surveys and focus groups

Ongoing Engagement

23

Resident Leadership

Leadership Conference Resident Council Board

24

Questions and Discussion

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development