Steady Roof Housing Stability Network

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Executive Summary

Steady Roof Housing Stability Network is a nonprofit in Washington that helps people keep the homes they have. We provide hands-on case management to tenants who are housed but struggling: people who have just moved out of homelessness, people in subsidized or supportive housing, people with disabilities, older adults on fixed incomes and families who have fallen behind on rent. A caring case manager, a peer who has been there and a benefits and health navigator work with each tenant to solve the problems that put a home at risk, and a flexible stabilization fund can pay a past-due rent or utility bill, directly to the landlord or utility, when that is what stands between a household and an eviction.

Getting into housing is only half the battle. Many people who leave homelessness, or who live on a very low income, lose their housing again within a year because of a missed rent payment, a lapsed benefit, a lease problem, a health crisis or isolation. Property owners often do not know where to turn when a tenant starts to struggle, and the first call they make is to a lawyer. By the time an eviction notice arrives, the choices are few. Case management that starts early, works from the tenant's own goals and has a direct line to the landlord can keep a home, and keep a family or a person off the street.

With this grant we will provide ongoing housing stability case management to about 60 households in Year 1, about 85 people, with each case manager carrying about 20 households. About 45 households will receive help from the stabilization fund averaging about $1,100, paid directly to a landlord or utility company and never as cash. Our Benefits and Health Navigator will help tenants keep their benefits, rental assistance and health coverage current, and a legal aid partner will help with eviction defense and requests for reasonable accommodation for a disability. We work with property owners, housing authorities and supportive housing providers who want a partner to call before a problem becomes an eviction. Our goal is that at least 90% of the households we serve are still in their homes 12 months later.

Our Year 1 budget is about $468,000, growing to about $747,500 by Year 5 as we add case managers, peer specialists and navigators and serve about 120 households a year. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 7 paid staff in Year 1 and 12 by Year 5. Property owner, housing authority and county contracts, Medicaid housing support payments and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 69% of our income in Year 1 to about 56% in Year 5.

We are asking the Evergreen Housing Stability Fund for $80,000 for one Housing Stability Case Manager, the stabilization fund, household needs such as cleaning and pest control, and a legal aid contract. Contracts, Medicaid payments, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Elena Park, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Steady Roof Housing Stability Network is a nonprofit organization in Washington. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To help people keep their homes, so that a hard month does not become a lost home.

What we believe. A home is the foundation for health, work, family and dignity. Losing a home is traumatic and expensive for the household, for the landlord and for the community, and it is often preventable. We follow a Housing First philosophy: we do not require sobriety, treatment or any set of behaviors for a tenant to receive help. Tenants are the experts on their own lives. We stand on the tenant's side, and we also respect the landlord's legitimate need to be paid and to keep the property safe. When both sides have a trusted partner, most problems can be solved.

How we started. Steady Roof began when a property manager at an affordable apartment building and a social worker at a clinic noticed that the same tenants kept appearing on the eviction list, often for small amounts of rent or fixable lease problems. The property manager said she would rather keep a tenant than evict one, but she had no one to call. They began meeting with tenants who were behind, helping them apply for assistance, replace a lost benefit or clear a unit, and in two years they worked with 71 households. Fifty-nine of them are still in their homes. Housing authorities, supportive housing providers and the county asked whether we could take on more. This proposal asks for support to turn that effort into a staffed program.

What we offer:
- Housing stability case management. Each tenant has a case manager who meets with them regularly, in their home or elsewhere, and helps them write a housing stability plan in their own words. We use approaches that research supports, such as Critical Time Intervention, a time-limited model for periods of transition, and motivational interviewing, and we adapt them to each person.
- Peer support. A Peer Support Specialist with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability offers friendship, encouragement and practical help.
- Benefits and health navigation. A Benefits and Health Navigator helps tenants apply for and keep benefits such as food assistance, disability benefits and health coverage, complete rental assistance recertifications on time and connect to a regular health provider and, if wanted, behavioral health care.
- A stabilization fund. Limited, flexible help to pay past-due rent or utility bills when that will keep a household housed, paid directly to the landlord or utility company, never as cash to a household, and tied to a plan.
- Household needs. Help with cleaning, pest control, minor repairs, locks, smoke detectors and furniture, which are often the difference between passing and failing a unit inspection.
- Legal help. A legal aid partner provides eviction defense, help with requests for reasonable accommodation for a disability under the Fair Housing Act and tenants' rights advice.
- Property owner partnership. A hotline and a single point of contact for owners and property managers, who can call us before filing for eviction. We agree on a plan with the tenant and the owner and check in on it.
- Community. Tenant meetings, a volunteer program and referrals that reduce isolation.

Who we serve. Households who are housed and at risk of losing their housing, including people who recently left homelessness, residents of supportive and affordable housing, voucher holders, people with disabilities, older adults on fixed incomes and families with children. Referrals come from property owners, housing authorities, supportive housing providers, clinics, hospitals, schools, courts and 211. We do not charge tenants for any service.

What we do not do. We are not a landlord and we do not manage property. We do not evict or help evict anyone, and we do not act as an agent of any landlord. We do not provide medical or mental health treatment, and we refer to providers. We do not promise that any household will keep its home.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes a property manager, a housing attorney, a person who has experienced housing instability, a nurse, a housing authority staff member, a pastor and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director, who is also our Clinical Director, supervises case management and manages the organization, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two housing authorities, three supportive housing providers, eight property managers, a legal aid organization and the county human services department. We have a letter of intent for a small office on a bus line. Before we begin, an attorney will review our lease, owner and participant agreements, stabilization fund rules and privacy policies, and we will confirm how our services can be paid for through Medicaid in Washington.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this program is needed.

Housing instability is one of the strongest drivers of homelessness, and most homelessness could be prevented by acting before a household loses its home. In many communities, a growing share of renters spend more than half of their income on rent. For these households, a car repair, a missed shift, a medical bill or a lapsed benefit can lead to a late payment, a notice and an eviction filing. An eviction record can make it very hard to rent again. It can also affect credit, employment and children's schooling.

The gaps we see:
1. Small problems become evictions. A tenant who is a few hundred dollars behind, who forgot to renew a voucher or who has a unit that fails an inspection can face eviction for a problem that would have been simple to fix, if someone had stepped in early.
2. Tenants do not know where to turn. Many people are afraid to tell a landlord they are behind, do not know what help exists and do not know their rights. Many have disabilities that make paperwork very hard.
3. Case management ends at move-in. Many programs that help people leave homelessness support them only until they sign a lease. The first year in housing is when many people struggle most, and it is when support often disappears.
4. Lapsed benefits and recertifications. A missed deadline for rental assistance, food benefits or health coverage can cut income or end a subsidy in a month. Tenants with disabilities, with limited English or without a phone are most at risk.
5. Health and isolation. People who have lived outdoors or in shelters may find a quiet apartment difficult. Loneliness, mental health challenges, substance use and chronic illness can lead to lease violations or missed rent.
6. Property owners need a partner. Landlords and property managers want to keep good tenants but may not have the time or tools to help one in crisis. When they have no one to call, eviction is the only option.
7. Legal help is scarce. Tenants who have a lawyer are far more likely to avoid eviction. Many tenants have none. Many disabled tenants do not know they can request a reasonable accommodation, such as a payment plan or a change to a lease rule.
8. Inequity. Black, Native American, Latino and disabled residents face higher eviction rates and housing instability in many communities. Programs must be designed to reach and serve them.

What the evidence says. Research and program experience suggest that tenancy support, which includes helping tenants solve problems, connect to benefits and communicate with landlords, can help people stay housed, especially after leaving homelessness. Results vary by program and place, and we will measure and report our own.

How we know people want this. In our pilot, we worked with 71 households and 59 are still in their homes. Eight property managers told us they would call us before filing for eviction if we could respond within two business days. A supportive housing provider told us that about one in five new tenants leaves within a year.

How we will show the need. Before we submit this proposal, we will add the number of eviction filings in our county in the last year from the court, the number of households on the county's coordinated entry list, the share of renters who spend more than half of their income on rent from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of tenants in supportive and subsidized housing in our area, the first-year retention rates for housing programs from our Continuum of Care and the number of tenants who have contacted us for help. We will add data by race and ethnicity.

Who benefits first. Households in our county who are housed but at risk of losing their housing, especially people who recently left homelessness, residents of supportive and subsidized housing, people with disabilities, older adults on fixed incomes and families with children, and the property owners who house them.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Take referrals early. Property managers, housing authorities, supportive housing providers, clinics, schools, courts and 211 can refer a tenant who is struggling, and tenants can refer themselves. We respond within two business days. Referrals that arrive before an eviction notice give us the most time to help.

2. Enroll without preconditions. We follow a Housing First philosophy. A tenant does not need to be sober, working, in treatment or to meet any other condition to receive help. We explain our services and the tenant's rights in plain language and get written consent before we talk with a landlord or another provider.

3. Write a housing stability plan together. In the first two weeks, the Housing Stability Case Manager meets with the tenant, usually at home, and writes a simple plan: what is going well, what is putting the home at risk, what the tenant wants and who will do what. The plan includes steps like paying a past-due balance, completing a recertification, fixing a lease problem or connecting to health care.

4. Provide time-limited, intensive support. Following the Critical Time Intervention model, the case manager works with the tenant in phases. In the first phase, the case manager meets often, at least weekly, to solve urgent problems. In the second phase, the tenant tries out solutions with the case manager's backup. In the third phase, the case manager hands off to the tenant's lasting supports and meets less often. A typical household receives support for about 9 to 12 months, and some need more. Each case manager carries about 20 households.

5. Pay for what will keep a home. When a tenant is behind on rent or a utility bill and help will prevent an eviction or a shutoff, the stabilization fund pays the landlord or utility company directly, never as cash to the household. Help is limited to what the plan requires, up to $2,500 per household per year, and is combined with a plan to prevent the problem from recurring. We expect about 45 households to receive an average of about $1,100 in Year 1.

6. Keep benefits and coverage current. The Benefits and Health Navigator helps tenants apply for food assistance, disability benefits and health coverage, complete rental assistance recertifications on time, correct errors and appeal denials, and connect to a regular health provider and, if wanted, behavioral health care.

7. Support home and neighbors. The case manager and peer help with the practical tasks of keeping a home: understanding a lease, budgeting, cleaning and pest control, repairs, getting along with neighbors and asking a landlord for help. Household needs funds pay for cleaning, pest control, minor repairs, locks, smoke detectors and furniture. For tenants with serious clutter or hoarding challenges, we work with specialized partners and a gentle, non-punitive approach.

8. Partner with property owners. Owners and property managers can call a hotline and reach a person who knows the tenant's plan, with the tenant's permission. We agree on a written plan with the owner and tenant, check in regularly and say so when a plan is working. We do not share a tenant's health or personal information with a landlord without written permission.

9. Provide legal help. A legal aid partner defends against eviction filings, helps tenants request reasonable accommodations for a disability, such as more time to pay, a payment plan or a change to a lease rule, and advises on tenants' rights.

10. Build community. A Peer Support Specialist leads tenant gatherings and connects tenants to volunteers and groups. Tenants may become peer volunteers.

11. Learn from tenants. A Tenant Advisory Council reviews our materials and results, and members are paid a stipend.

How we will measure results. For every household we record when they enrolled, the risks they faced, the services they received, the amount of any stabilization fund payment, whether they remain housed at 6 and 12 months and whether any eviction judgment was entered. We track income, benefits and recertifications, health coverage and connection to a regular provider, and tenant and property owner satisfaction.

Our Year 1 goals:
- About 60 households (about 85 people) enroll, with each case manager carrying about 20 households.
- At least 90% of households are still in their homes 12 months after enrolling.
- No more than 5% of households have an eviction judgment entered.
- About 45 households receive stabilization fund help averaging about $1,100, and at least 70% of those with past-due rent are caught up within 60 days.
- At least 95% of rental assistance recertifications are completed on time.
- At least 70% of households are connected to a regular health provider.
- At least 8 property owners or managers use the hotline, and at least 80% say it helped.
- At least 90% of tenants say they were treated with respect.
These are goals, and we will report our real results to the Fund, including where we fall short. We do not promise that any household will keep its home.

Market Analysis

Who we serve and how many.

The people. Households in our county who are housed in affordable, subsidized or market-rate rentals and who are at risk of losing their housing. We welcome people of every background, and we prioritize people who recently left homelessness, people in supportive housing, voucher holders, people with disabilities, older adults on fixed incomes, families with children, and households that have received a notice to pay or quit. Eligibility for any government funding is confirmed for each funding source.

Where we work. Our office is on a bus line, and our staff meet tenants in their homes, at property management offices, libraries and clinics throughout the county. We form partnerships with property owners and housing providers countywide.

How many we will reach:
- Year 1: about 60 households (about 85 people), with about 45 receiving stabilization fund help.
- Year 2: about 70 households, with a fourth Housing Stability Case Manager.
- Year 3: about 85 households, with a second Peer Support Specialist.
- Year 4: about 100 households, with a fifth Housing Stability Case Manager and a second Benefits and Health Navigator.
- Year 5: about 120 households, with a sixth Housing Stability Case Manager.
Over five years we expect to serve about 435 households, with each case manager carrying about 20 households at a time.

Who else benefits:
- Property owners and managers. They keep good tenants, avoid the cost and time of eviction and turnover and gain a reliable partner.
- Children. Children in households that stay housed keep their schools, friends and routines.
- Supportive housing providers and housing authorities. They gain more successful tenancies and a trusted partner for tenants who need extra help.
- Hospitals and clinics. Patients who are stably housed are easier to care for, and fewer may need emergency care, though we do not promise this.
- The community. Fewer evictions mean fewer people entering shelters and living outside, and it costs far less to help a household stay housed than to rehouse one.

How we will size the need before we submit. We will add eviction filings in our county, the number of renter households with severe cost burdens, the number of tenants in supportive and subsidized housing and their first-year retention rates, and the number of referrals we have received. These come from the county court, the U.S. Census Bureau, our Continuum of Care, the housing authorities and our own records.

Competitive Landscape

Other help tenants can get, and how we fit.

- Emergency rental assistance programs. Many communities offer short-term help paying back rent. These funds are often limited, may require a long application and rarely include case management. We provide a stabilization fund and a plan to keep a household from falling behind again, and we help tenants apply for other assistance.
- Rapid rehousing and housing search programs. They help people get into housing and often end support after a few months. We help people stay.
- Permanent supportive housing services. Some supportive housing has its own services, often with large caseloads. We partner with these providers, add capacity and help tenants who are not in a program with services.
- Housing authority and property management staff. They keep buildings running and enforce leases, and they are not set up to provide case management. We are on the tenant's side and give them a partner to call.
- Legal aid. Provides eviction defense, usually with long waits. We refer tenants quickly and fund a contract so that tenants at risk can be seen sooner.
- Health, behavioral health and benefits programs. We work with them and help tenants use their services.
- Churches and charities. Many provide one-time help with rent. We work with them and offer a plan and follow-up so one-time help leads to lasting stability.

The gap we fill. In our county, no program offers early, intensive, tenant-centered case management together with a flexible stabilization fund, peer support, benefits and health navigation, legal aid and a hotline for property owners, in one coordinated team.

Our partners:
- Two housing authorities and three supportive housing providers, which refer tenants and share information with permission.
- Eight property managers and a rental housing association.
- A legal aid organization, which provides eviction defense and accommodation help.
- The county human services department and the Continuum of Care.
- A community health center and a behavioral health clinic, which accept referrals.
- A managed care plan that is exploring housing support services.
- Congregations, which provide volunteers and donations.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How tenants, property owners and supporters will find us and how we keep them engaged.

Reaching tenants:
- Property owners and managers. A manager can hand a tenant a card or call us with the tenant's permission when a payment is late or a problem arises.
- Housing authorities and supportive housing providers. They refer tenants who are at risk or who have just moved in.
- Clinics, hospitals and schools. Social workers and nurses refer patients and families whose housing is at risk.
- Courts and legal aid. A notice about eviction rights and our services goes to tenants who receive a filing, and legal aid refers tenants to us.
- 211 and community sites. Libraries, food pantries, churches and community centers post our information.
- Word of mouth. Tenants who kept their homes tell their neighbors.
- A simple website and a toll-free number and text line in English and Spanish, with clear information and a short form.

Reaching property owners:
- A short, plain guide for owners and managers on how the hotline works, what we do and do not do and how a plan works.
- Visits and presentations at rental housing association meetings.
- A promise to answer within two business days and to respect the tenant's privacy.
- Regular check-ins and a thank-you for owners who give a tenant a second chance.

Making it easy to say yes:
- No appointment is needed to call, and a tenant does not need to be behind on rent to ask for help.
- We never require a tenant to meet any condition before we help, and we explain every step.
- We meet people where they are, at home, a library or a clinic.
- Services are free, and tenants can end services at any time.

Keeping tenants engaged:
- The same case manager and peer work with the same tenant throughout.
- Plans are written in the tenant's own words, with their goals first.
- We celebrate milestones, such as a recertification completed, a debt paid off or a first year in the home.

Reaching supporters. Property owners, banks, health plans, congregations and local businesses are invited to sponsor the stabilization fund or a tenant gathering. We share results twice a year with funders and partners as totals.

Outreach budget. The owner hotline and partnership costs are about $6,000 a year in Year 1, and training, data system and evaluation are about $8,000. The sign, brochures for tenants and owners and the website are paid for once from startup money ($2,500).

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3: Attorney review of the lease, owner and participant agreements, stabilization fund rules and privacy policies, sign the lease, hire three Housing Stability Case Managers, a Peer Support Specialist and a Benefits and Health Navigator, sign agreements with the legal aid partner and property owners, and set up the secure records system and hotline.
- Month 4: Staff training in Critical Time Intervention, motivational interviewing, Housing First, trauma-informed care, fair housing and the Fair Housing Act's reasonable accommodation process, and crisis response. Seat the Tenant Advisory Council.
- Months 5 to 8: Open to referrals. First enrollments, first stabilization fund payments and first owner hotline calls. Medicaid enrollment and billing set-up.
- Months 9 to 12: First Medicaid payments arrive. First 12-month results. Review of results, a year-end report to funders and partners and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased office on a bus line, with a reception area, a private meeting room and workspace for staff. Staff do most of their work in tenants' homes and in the community. Office rent and utilities are about $24,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, flooring and an accessible, private meeting room are a one-time cost of $4,000, with a deposit and first month of rent of $4,500.

Equipment. We buy about $13,000 of equipment once at the start: seven laptops, secure tablets for home visits and mobile hotspots ($6,500), office furniture and a private meeting room ($4,000), locking cabinets for confidential records ($1,500) and home visit safety kits ($1,000). After Year 1, we set aside about $2,000 to $3,000 a year to replace and add equipment. An opening stock of household stability kits is a one-time cost of $3,000.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director who is also our Clinical Director (a licensed clinician who supervises case management), three Housing Stability Case Managers, a Peer Support Specialist, a Benefits and Health Navigator and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A fourth Housing Stability Case Manager joins in Year 2, a second Peer Support Specialist in Year 3, a fifth case manager and a second Navigator in Year 4 and a sixth case manager in Year 5. Each case manager carries about 20 households.

Supervision and quality. The Clinical Director meets with each case manager weekly to review cases, and the team meets as a whole every month. We track fidelity to the Critical Time Intervention model. Training, the data system and evaluation cost about $8,000 a year in Year 1.

Tenant-centered boundaries. We are on the tenant's side and are not an agent of any landlord. We never share a tenant's health or personal information with a landlord without the tenant's written permission, and tenants can end services at any time. We never evict or help evict anyone. We report to property owners only on agreed plan steps, with the tenant's permission.

Stabilization fund controls. Payments are tied to a plan, capped at $2,500 per household per year, and paid directly to a landlord or utility company, never as cash to a household. A landlord must provide a ledger and a W-9, and must agree to withdraw or pause an eviction filing when payment and a plan are in place. Each payment is approved by the Executive Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all payments each quarter. The fund is about $50,000 a year in Year 1.

Fair housing and accommodations. We follow federal, state and local fair housing laws. We help tenants with disabilities request reasonable accommodations in writing and refer them to legal aid when a request is denied. We do not work with landlords who discriminate.

Safety. Staff follow a written safety plan for home visits, including pairing for visits when needed and a check-in system. If a tenant or anyone is in immediate danger, staff call 911. A tenant in emotional crisis is offered the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and staff stay with the person until help arrives. Staff are trained to recognize and report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child or a vulnerable adult, as the law requires.

Privacy. Tenants' information is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, and shared only with the tenant's written permission, except where the law requires it. Federal privacy rules apply to health information we receive from health providers and Medicaid, and an attorney reviews which rules apply to each type of record. We report results to funders only as totals, never with a tenant's name.

Medicaid billing. Some states, including Washington, now allow Medicaid to pay for certain housing supports, such as help finding and keeping housing, for eligible people. Eligibility, services and rates differ and change, so we confirm current rules with the state and managed care plans before billing, and an outside accountant reviews our billing practices. Payment starts late in Year 1.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, property, professional and non-owned auto liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $8,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the organization.

Elena Park, LICSW, Executive Director and Clinical Director. Elena leads the organization, raises money, manages grants and contracts and relationships with housing authorities, owners and the county, supervises case management and reports to the board. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who spent 6 years as a supportive housing case manager and 5 years as a program director in a homeless services agency and co-founded our pilot. Planned salary: $66,000 a year.

Housing Stability Case Manager. Works one on one with tenants, writes housing stability plans, manages stabilization fund requests, coordinates services and communicates with owners with permission. This role requires experience in social work, housing services or human services, training in Housing First, Critical Time Intervention and trauma-informed care, and a background check. Lived experience is valued. Three in Year 1, four in Years 2 and 3, five in Year 4 and six in Year 5, at a planned salary of $48,000 each. The Evergreen Housing Stability Fund grant would support the first Housing Stability Case Manager.

Peer Support Specialist. A person with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability who offers peer support, leads tenant gatherings and helps tenants with practical tasks. One in Years 1 and 2 and two from Year 3, at a planned salary of $40,000 each.

Benefits and Health Navigator. Helps tenants apply for and keep benefits and coverage, complete recertifications, resolve errors, appeal denials and connect to health providers. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned salary of $44,000 each.

Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time). Handles scheduling, stabilization fund payments, the data system, billing support and reports, about 25 hours a week. Planned pay: $26,000 a year.

Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.

Staff in each year: 7 paid staff in Year 1 (six full-time and one part-time), 8 in Year 2, 9 in Year 3, 11 in Year 4 and 12 in Year 5.

Volunteers. About 40 trained volunteers in Year 1 who help with household cleaning days, tenant gatherings and rides. Volunteers complete a background check and orientation and do not handle confidential records or money.

The board. A seven-member volunteer board approves the budget, reviews results twice a year and helps raise money. Board members serve three-year terms. The board's certified public accountant chairs the finance committee. At least one member has experienced housing instability.

People who help us. An outside accountant who reviews our books every year, a housing attorney who reviews our lease, agreements and stabilization fund rules, an insurance agent who understands housing programs, a billing consultant for Medicaid enrollment and a Tenant Advisory Council that meets quarterly.

Training. All staff and volunteers complete training in Housing First, Critical Time Intervention, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, fair housing, privacy and cultural humility before starting, and again each year.

Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder. The Executive Director and a board member must both approve any payment over $2,500.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Open the program, enroll about 60 households, provide stabilization fund help to about 45 and keep at least 90% of households housed after 12 months. A balanced budget of about $468,000, with a small surplus of about $11,400. 7 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a fourth Housing Stability Case Manager and enroll about 70 households. First full year of Medicaid payments and 12-month follow-up. A balanced budget of about $527,000, with a small surplus of about $12,000. 8 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a second Peer Support Specialist and enroll about 85 households. A balanced budget of about $579,000, with a small surplus of about $12,400. 9 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a fifth Housing Stability Case Manager and a second Benefits and Health Navigator and enroll about 100 households. A balanced budget of about $685,500, with a small surplus of about $14,500. 11 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a sixth Housing Stability Case Manager and enroll about 120 households, with property owner, housing authority and county contracts and Medicaid payments covering about 37% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $747,500, with a small surplus of about $14,800. 12 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Households enrolled and the risks they faced at enrollment.
- Share still housed at 6 and 12 months, and share with an eviction judgment.
- Stabilization fund payments, average amount and share of past-due rent resolved within 60 days.
- Rental assistance recertifications completed on time, benefits and health coverage kept or gained.
- Connections to a regular health provider.
- Property owner hotline use and satisfaction.
- Tenant satisfaction and whether tenants felt respected, with results by race and ethnicity so that we can find and fix gaps.

How we review results. The Clinical Director reviews caseloads and cases every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes monthly. Each quarter, the Tenant Advisory Council reviews results with us. Twice a year, the board reviews results and we share them with funders and partners as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $80,000 from the Evergreen Housing Stability Fund for one Housing Stability Case Manager, the stabilization fund, household needs such as cleaning and pest control, and a legal aid contract, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Housing Stability Case Manager salary, $48,000.
- Other: Stabilization fund (rent arrears and utilities paid directly to landlords and utility companies), $20,000 (other funds add $30,000).
- Other: Household needs (cleaning, pest control, minor repairs and furniture), $5,000 (other funds add $3,000).
- Contractual: Legal aid contract for eviction defense and reasonable accommodations, $7,000 (other funds add $3,000).

Other money in the program. Property owner, housing authority and county contracts, Medicaid housing support payments, other grants and local donors pay the other $36,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director and Clinical Director's salary ($66,000), the second and third Housing Stability Case Managers ($96,000), the Peer Support Specialist ($40,000), the Benefits and Health Navigator ($44,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), transportation and phones ($6,000), owner hotline and partnership costs ($6,000), office rent and utilities ($24,000), insurance ($8,000), training, data system and evaluation ($8,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $468,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $11,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $323,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), property owner, housing authority and county contracts $100,000, Medicaid housing support payments $20,000 and donations and local sponsors $25,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director and Clinical Director $66,000; three Housing Stability Case Managers $144,000; Peer Support Specialist $40,000; Benefits and Health Navigator $44,000; Program Coordinator $26,000; stabilization fund about $50,000; household needs about $8,000; transportation and phones about $6,000; owner hotline and partnership costs about $6,000; legal aid contract about $10,000; office rent and utilities about $24,000; insurance about $8,000; training, data system and evaluation about $8,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $4,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned the stabilization fund. The fund is about $50,000 in Year 1, helping about 45 households at about $1,100 each, with a cap of $2,500 per household per year. It grows about 12% a year, to about $78,700 in Year 5, as we serve about 120 households. Every payment goes directly to a landlord or utility company.

About contracts and Medicaid. Property owners, housing authorities and the county may pay for tenancy support for their tenants because it costs far less than an eviction and turnover. Some states allow Medicaid to pay for housing supports for eligible people. We plan for Medicaid payments to start late in Year 1, at about $20,000, and to grow to about $95,000 by Year 5, based on about $150 per month for about 45% of participants, which assumes the state keeps paying for these supports. All of these amounts are planning estimates, not promises, and payer rules and budgets change. Payments often arrive weeks after we bill, so we plan for about $32,760 owed to us at the end of Year 1. We plan for grants and donors to cover the gap if payers are delayed or reduce payments.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $38,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $13,000 of equipment (laptops and tablets, office furniture, locking storage and safety kits), $4,000 for paint, flooring and an accessible meeting room, $4,500 for the office deposit and first month of rent, $3,000 for the opening stock of household stability kits, $800 for the business license and permits, $6,000 for an attorney's review of the lease, agreements, stabilization fund rules and privacy policies and for accounting setup, $2,500 for the sign, brochures and website, and $4,500 for background checks, training in Critical Time Intervention and motivational interviewing and the first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($38,300), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $18,800) and a cash cushion of about $113,500, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $171,000. We start with $25,000 of our own savings and $150,000 in startup support from a community foundation, a hospital community benefit gift and our board, $175,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $468,000 in Year 1 to about $747,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $323,000, $330,000, $334,000, $397,500 and $416,500 in Years 1 to 5. Property owner, housing authority and county contracts grow from $100,000 to $180,000, Medicaid housing support payments grow from $20,000 to $95,000 and donations and local sponsors grow from $25,000 to $56,000. We add a fourth case manager in Year 2, a second peer specialist in Year 3, a fifth case manager and a second navigator in Year 4 and a sixth case manager in Year 5. Grants fall from about 69% of our income in Year 1 to about 56% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $143,200, at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is that contracts from property owners, housing authorities and the county and Medicaid payments carry a growing share of the cost each year, since we are paid for tenancy support that saves them money. We will also invite banks, health plans, congregations and employers to sponsor the stabilization fund and grow individual donors, including tenants and property owners we have helped.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Medicaid or other payers delay or change payment. We plan low in Year 1, follow state rules closely and keep a cash cushion.
- Tenants do not engage. We build trust through peers and landlords they know, offer choices and meet them where they are.
- A property owner proceeds with eviction anyway. We help the tenant with legal aid and a plan, and we keep working with owners who respond.
- Rising rents and low incomes make stability hard. We help with benefits and income, connect tenants to longer-term assistance and pursue partnerships with housing providers.
- A staff member is hurt or a tenant is in crisis. We use a written safety plan, train every staff member and connect to 911 and the 988 Lifeline.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow contracts and donors and keep our costs per household low.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one part-time case manager and a small stabilization fund in partnership with one property manager and a clinic, helping 10 to 15 households in the first year, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Licenses and resumes for your Executive Director and Clinical Director and job descriptions for the case managers, peer specialist and navigator.
- Letters of support from housing authorities, supportive housing providers, property managers, legal aid and the county.
- Your stabilization fund rules, owner and participant agreements and sample housing stability plan.
- Your confidentiality policy, safety plan, crisis plan and mandatory reporting policy.
- Information on the Critical Time Intervention model and your training plan.
- Your Medicaid enrollment plan, or a letter from a managed care plan.
- Results from your pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of liability insurance, or a quote.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $323,000 in Year 1, then $330,000, $334,000, $397,500 and $416,500.
- Property Owner, Housing Authority and County Contracts: $100,000 in Year 1, growing to $180,000.
- Medicaid Housing Support Payments: $20,000 in Year 1, then $45,000, $65,000, $80,000 and $95,000 (about $150 per month for about 45% of participants by Year 5).
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $56,000.
- Households: about 60 enrolled in Year 1 with about 45 receiving stabilization fund help averaging about $1,100, growing to about 120 enrolled in Year 5, with each case manager carrying about 20 households.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director and Clinical Director $66,000, Housing Stability Case Manager $48,000 (three in Year 1, four in Years 2 and 3, five in Year 4, six in Year 5), Peer Support Specialist $40,000 (one in Years 1 and 2, two from Year 3), Benefits and Health Navigator $44,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Stabilization Fund $50,000 (growing about 12% a year), Household Needs $8,000, Transportation and Phones $6,000, Owner Hotline and Partnership Costs $6,000, Legal Aid Contract $10,000, Office Rent and Utilities $24,000, Insurance $8,000, Training, Data System and Evaluation $8,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 8% a year.
- Equipment: $13,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $38,300, paid once from $175,000 in startup money.
- About 7% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs