FITCHBURG — For families trying to find stable housing and for property owners navigating the responsibilities of being a landlord, the challenges can often intersect in unexpected ways.
A new regional training program is seeking to address some of those challenges by giving current and prospective landlords practical information about housing regulations, property maintenance, tenant relationships and the role rental housing plays in supporting local families and businesses.
Empower Children for Success, in partnership with the Gardner Child Care Policy Advocacy Program and NewVue Communities Inc., has launched the Landlord and Aspiring Landlord Stewards Training Program, an eight-session series being offered free online.
The Tuesday evening workshops, held from 6 until 8 p.m., run through Nov. 10. The sessions are being co-facilitated by Marites MacLean of Empower Children for Success and Francisco Ramos of NewVue Communities.
The program comes as communities across North Central Massachusetts continue to grapple with the availability and affordability of rental housing.
For organizers, the issue extends beyond whether a family can find an apartment.
Safe and stable housing can affect children’s health, family routines and parents’ ability to remain in the workforce. At the same time, property owners are often expected to navigate a complicated set of responsibilities, from fair housing laws and insurance requirements to maintenance and communication with tenants.
The training is designed to give landlords and aspiring landlords a better understanding of those responsibilities while encouraging them to view property ownership as a form of community stewardship.
A particular challenge for child care providers
One focus of the program is the connection between rental housing and the region’s child care system.
Licensed family child care providers frequently operate out of residential properties. Finding a suitable property — and working with a landlord who understands the requirements of operating child care in a home — can create another hurdle for providers.
Early childhood educators provide an essential service for working families, organizers say, but issues involving liability insurance, property upkeep and licensing requirements can make residential rentals more complicated.
A session led by ECFS will focus specifically on working with child care educators and the considerations involved when a rental property is used for a licensed family child care program.
Beyond collecting the rent
The eight-session curriculum also encourages participants to look at property management from a broader perspective.
Sessions cover financial planning and property cash flow, tenant resources and rental assistance, fair housing requirements, environmental health and safety including lead abatement, mold prevention, radon testing and property maintenance,, and community engagement.
Participants will learn about issues including lead abatement, mold prevention, radon testing and property maintenance, as well as federal and state laws concerning discrimination and reasonable accommodations.
The organizers also plan to discuss resources that may help tenants who are behind on rent, with the goal of helping landlords understand options that can potentially prevent housing disruptions.
The underlying message of the program is that maintaining a rental property and maintaining a stable tenancy can be connected goals.
By improving communication between landlords and tenants and encouraging preventative maintenance, organizers hope the training will contribute to fewer housing disruptions and stronger neighborhoods.
The program is open not only to people who currently own or manage rental property, but also to residents considering becoming landlords.
The workshops are being offered virtually through Zoom and are free to participants. Those interested in registering can contact Marites MacLean at [email protected] or Francisco Ramos at [email protected].
Original article
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