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<br />• Complex, inflexible application requirements for housing resources that may vary <br />between jurisdictions, exclude certain people (e.g., undocumented, formerly <br />incarcerated), or be difficult to meet <br />• Communication between CBOs and property owners is difficult to navigate, requires individual <br />relationships with each location <br />• Overall cost of housing (most CBOs’ clients fall under the 30% AMI) and need for tenant <br />protections <br />The CBOs recommend these strategies to strengthen outreach efforts: <br />• Meet people where they are -- plug into existing outreach channels <br />• Partner with school districts to distribute information, as well as any civic organizations such as <br />libraries, religious institutions, medical services <br />• “Train the trainer” approach to educate existing service providers on housing rights and referrals <br />for their clients <br />• Provide materials appropriate for audience (e.g., physical flyers for seniors; video/audio content <br />for Mam speakers) <br />Some solutions that panelists recommended for housing projects to better serve their clients: <br />• Identify onsite supportive services that are appropriate for residents early in process <br />• Early and sustained relationships between service providers and properties, especially relative to <br />preparing eligible residents for the document/application needs for housing <br />• Renters’ protection and long-term rental subsidies, particularly for households under 30% AMI <br />• Greater flexibility in application process (make it easier for CBOs and their clients to navigate, <br />remove barriers for undocumented people) <br />3 Discussion <br />Questions <br />1. How does your work address fair housing? <br />• See Panelists, above <br />2. Is there sufficient access to information on matters related to fair housing in the county? <br />• Even when provided with information, clients (particularly immigrant communities) may not have <br />access to the provided resources. <br />• Language and technology barriers –pandemic has shifted available entry points for access. <br />• Differing interpretations of ‘fair housing ’ beyond the legal definition, and how it connects to other <br />housing needs. <br />• Clients, particularly under 30% AMI, have limited time or availability to explore programs and <br />resources, and often connect to the CBOs closer to the end (e.g., during evictions). <br />3. Housing issues are complicated and interconnected. What do you see as the primary obstacles your <br />clients face? What do you think are the contributing factors to these trends? <br />• El Timpano: For Spanish and Mam speakers: language barriers (particularly for Mam, which has <br />no written language) <br />o Complex, inflexible application requirements for housing resources that are hard to <br />meet/understand for both clients and CBOs <br />o Jurisdiction understaffing, meaning that there is no clear point of contact <br />o Digital barriers <br />o Difficulties understanding rights and accessing info and resources <br />o Fear and distrust due to previous experiences within the system