After announcing last month a new initiative to house more than two dozen homeless people, Bridge to Home has scheduled a workshop for local landlords to learn about benefits available to those who lease to people who receive rental assistance.
The free, virtual workshop is sponsored by the nonprofit and the local homeless task force and is scheduled to take place from noon to 1 p.m. Friday.
“Many landlords are not aware of the money that is available to them when they open up their properties to people receiving rental assistance,” Bridge to Home Executive Director Mike Foley said in a prepared statement. “This workshop will walk them through the steps to receive financial incentives while helping house those in need in our community.”
The workshop comes after Bridge to Home officials in October announced Project 30, an effort to house 30 homeless people by Jan. 5 through a contract with the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. With the funds, Bridge to Home will pay monthly rent, utilities and other expenses directly to landlords and property owners for up to two years, according to Foley.
During the lease period through county programs like Project 30 and Housing Choice (Section 8), staff with the nonprofit will help tenants develop income sources. Financial incentives for landlords can also include payments for holding units and repairs while applications are processed, according to Bridge to Home officials.
Workshop presenters are set to include Jennifer Lee, the director of Los Angeles County’s LeaseUp program, and Chris Najarro, the programs director at Bridge to Home. Both LeaseUp and Bridge to Home coordinate the incentives, while LeaseUp manages a data bank of available housing units, officials announced in a recent news release.
To register for the virtual workshop, send an email to [email protected] and for more information about Bridge to Home, visit btohome.org.
