Padmission’s Unlocked series documents what changes when a community builds a structured, coordinated approach to housing access — told, wherever possible, in the words of the people who built it. This entry covers how RentSelect, operated by Bethesda Cares, brought centralized landlord engagement to Montgomery County, Maryland, and how that work helped translate housing resources into leases when it mattered most.
A Housing Search System That Depended on Who You Knew
Before RentSelect, Montgomery County had no centralized housing search platform and no coordinated way to connect property owners with people exiting homelessness — housing depended on individual case managers’ personal contacts. The challenge was one familiar to communities across the country. Case managers were working hard to connect clients to permanent housing, but landlord engagement had stalled, and there was no shared system behind the effort.
Housing opportunities existed. They were simply fragmented, hard to access, and dependent on individual relationships rather than a shared system. When a case manager’s personal contacts were exhausted, the search often started over from scratch — and the county’s reach was only ever as wide as any one worker’s network.
One Shared Platform Instead of Every Agency for Itself
RentSelect, built around Padmission Connect, replaced agency-by-agency landlord recruitment with one shared, countywide platform — and in year one recruited more than 90 landlords listing over 29,000 units. It brought housing providers, case managers, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies onto that single platform.
“Instead of every agency recruiting landlords independently, (we) built RentSelect around Padmission Connect so one shared resource expanded housing inventory for everyone.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares / RentSelect
The scale came quickly. Those 90-plus landlords and property-management partners listed their units across Montgomery County in Connect, and more than 100 caseworkers from over 25 Continuum of Care partner organizations gained access to a continually updated inventory of available housing — letting them search more efficiently, communicate directly with participating property owners, and identify units that matched their clients’ needs.
What It Actually Took: Staffing, Incentives, and Industry Credibility
Countywide landlord engagement required more than software: more than $250,000 in new resources funded incentives, dedicated staff, and a contracted rental agent, alongside the industry standing that landlord recruitment depends on.
“It took more than $250,000 in new resources — landlord incentive payments, Padmission Connect software, dedicated landlord engagement staffing, and a contracted rental agent with real estate industry expertise — to build the capacity for lasting landlord relationships.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
That capacity is what lowers the barriers that discourage owners from participating. The second half of the work was being known in the industry at all.
“Successful landlord engagement requires visibility within the broader housing industry.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
Acting on that, RentSelect joined the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) and sponsored Montgomery County’s Affordable Housing Conference, building relationships with real estate professionals, property managers, developers, and elected officials across the Washington metropolitan region. Support from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services mattered too: the county’s Continuum of Care leadership regularly shared RentSelect with providers and encouraged agencies to make the platform part of their housing navigation work.
When Vouchers Arrived, the Groundwork Was Already Done
Because RentSelect had already enrolled willing landlords in Padmission Connect, caseworkers had immediate access to available vacancies the moment new housing subsidies became available. The value of that coordinated approach became clear in 2025, when Montgomery County made a significant investment in short-term housing subsidy assistance for families experiencing homelessness. As vouchers became available, providers needed an efficient way to identify rental units before those opportunities disappeared.
“Because (we) had been engaging and enrolling willing landlords in Padmission Connect, caseworkers across the Continuum of Care had immediate access to a coordinated housing search platform with available vacancies.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
Agencies enrolled new users, utilization climbed, and providers searched listings in high numbers. Rather than relying on scattered internet searches, outdated housing lists, or individual landlord contacts, they worked from a shared housing inventory of participating property owners actively marketing available units.
What the Numbers Show
Family homelessness in Montgomery County fell 47% between the 2025 and 2026 Point-in-Time Counts — one of the county’s most significant year-over-year improvements. That result came from multiple coordinated investments, including expanded housing subsidy funding. RentSelect’s role was to make sure those resources could be translated into signed leases, quickly connecting voucher holders with available units before opportunities were gone.
“Financial assistance alone is not enough. Communities also need operational systems that allow housing resources, service providers, and landlords to work together efficiently.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
The Next Population: RentSelect Silver
RentSelect Silver, launching in summer 2026, extends the same coordinated landlord engagement model to adults 55 and older — recruiting senior-friendly housing and adding navigation support through Coordinated Entry. Building on the momentum of the first year, Bethesda Cares designed it for one of the fastest-growing populations in the county’s homeless response system.
It will expand outreach to senior-friendly and age-restricted housing, recruit landlords willing to lease to older adults exiting homelessness, and add dedicated navigation support for caseworkers assisting older adults through the Coordinated Entry System.
“By reducing housing search timelines and increasing access to age-accommodating housing, (we) aim to help more older adults transition from homelessness into stable homes in the community where they can age safely, independently, and with dignity.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
What Changes When the Structure Holds
When landlord engagement moves from individual relationships to a shared, coordinated system, housing inventory becomes visible across every agency and housing resources convert into leases fast. Montgomery County’s experience illustrates that operationally: landlords become recognized partners rather than unknown contacts, and the county’s reach stops depending on whose phone list is longest.
“Padmission Connect became far more than a housing search platform. It became the operational foundation for a coordinated housing access strategy that continues to unlock opportunities across the entire homeless response system.”
— John Mendez, Executive Director, Bethesda Cares
Frequently asked questions
What is centralized landlord engagement?
Centralized landlord engagement is a coordinated approach in which a single team recruits, vets, and maintains landlord relationships on behalf of every agency in a Continuum of Care, and makes that shared inventory available to all case managers through one platform. It replaces fragmented, agency-by-agency outreach in which each program keeps its own informal landlord list.
What did it cost Montgomery County to build RentSelect?
RentSelect, operated by Bethesda Cares, was supported by more than $250,000 in new resources during its first year. Those funds covered landlord incentive payments, the Padmission Connect platform, dedicated landlord-engagement staffing, and a contracted rental agent who provided real estate industry expertise in landlord recruitment and property-management networking.
How many landlords and units did RentSelect add in its first year?
In its first year RentSelect recruited more than 90 landlords and property-management partners, who listed over 29,000 rental units across Montgomery County in Padmission Connect. More than 100 caseworkers from over 25 Continuum of Care partner organizations gained access to that shared inventory.
How did centralized landlord engagement help reduce family homelessness in Montgomery County?
When Montgomery County expanded short-term housing subsidies in 2025, providers needed to place families before opportunities disappeared. Because RentSelect had already enrolled willing landlords in Padmission Connect, caseworkers had immediate access to available vacancies and could convert vouchers into signed leases quickly. Point-in-Time Count data reflects a 47% decrease in family homelessness between 2025 and 2026, a result of multiple coordinated investments including expanded subsidy funding.
What is RentSelect Silver?
RentSelect Silver, launching in summer 2026, extends the RentSelect landlord engagement model to adults age 55 and older experiencing homelessness. It expands outreach to senior-friendly and age-restricted housing, recruits landlords willing to lease to older adults, and adds dedicated housing navigation support for caseworkers assisting older adults through the Coordinated Entry System.
Explore how similar programs have taken shape in other communities, or learn more about the operational design behind coordinated landlord engagement systems. RentSelect posts program updates on its LinkedIn showcase page.
