The Community and Economic Development Agency requested that Gibson & Associates (G&A) perform a case study of their housing services for renters at risk of homelessness in 2002-2003.
G&A began by first listening to the current providers of housing services to obtain their perceptions as to how services were being delivered.
G&A analyzed Oakland’s rental market, each of the funded Oakland organizations and simultaneously researched the structures and practices found elsewhere in the U.S. G&A researchers then conducted extensive research as to how other similar jurisdictions had organized and delivered these services, identifying nine communities with models of integrated accessible services.
An extensive literature review and telephone interview with housing service experts throughout the nation supplemented the effort. In the resulting report, the research team delineated the characteristics of Oakland’s rental market, identified effective housing services and their service models throughout the nation; assessed the effectiveness of Oakland’s programs and made recommendations for the reorganization of Oakland’s service system.
Our research identified: ways to restructure and better coordinate services to improve client access; ways to develop collaborative relationships with landlords to increase the number of available affordable housing units; models of service that provide more comprehensive client case management, planning, rental assistance, and follow-up services, all of which have been shown increase housing stability for renters at risk of homelessness.
The city of Oakland incorporated the recommendations from this research in their next cycle of requests for proposals creating a separate RFP that required coordination and integration of services.
<< back to Recent CRE Projects |
