# Padmission Padmission is the operating system for housing programs. ## Key URLs - [Home](https://www.padmission.com) - [Padmission Connect](https://www.padmission.com/connect) - [Padmission Journey](https://www.padmission.com/journey) - [Padmission Inspections](https://www.padmission.com/inspections) - [Customers](https://www.padmission.com/customers) - [Team](https://www.padmission.com/team) - [Careers](https://www.padmission.com/careers) - [About](https://www.padmission.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.padmission.com/contact) - [For Funders](https://www.padmission.com/for-funders) - [Learn](https://www.padmission.com/learn) - [Resources](https://www.padmission.com/resources) - [HOTMA applicability matrix](https://www.padmission.com/resources/hotma-matrix) - [FY 2027 Fair Market Rent changes](https://www.padmission.com/resources/fy2027-fmr-changes) - [Housing program administration](https://www.padmission.com/housing-program-administration) - [Landlord engagement](https://www.padmission.com/landlord-engagement) - [Customer stories](https://www.padmission.com/case-studies) - [NSPIRE inspections](https://www.padmission.com/nspire) - [HOTMA compliance](https://www.padmission.com/hotma) - [Housing search](https://www.padmission.com/housing-search) ## Agent Notes Blog posts are available as HTML at `/learn/{slug}` and plain Markdown at `/learn/{slug}.md`. Topic hubs are standalone pages at the site root. Each introduces a subject, surfaces the cornerstone reading, and then lists everything else on it. The HOTMA applicability matrix states, for each of 23 HOTMA provisions across 10 HUD programs, whether that provision applies, applies by election, does not apply, or is not addressed — with the citation supporting each. It accompanies the article at `/learn/hotma`. The FY 2027 Fair Market Rent changes explorer compares FY 2026 and FY 2027 FMRs across all 2,606 area-wide FMR areas at every bedroom size — the distribution, state rollups, the largest metros, and a searchable table. It accompanies the article at `/learn/fmr-across-hud-programs`. ## Full Learn Content # FY 2027 FMRs: what actually applies in ESG, CoC, HCV, HOPWA, and HOME Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/fmr-across-hud-programs --- title: "FY 2027 FMRs: what actually applies in ESG, CoC, HCV, HOPWA, and HOME" description: "HUD published FY 2027 Fair Market Rents on September 1, 2026. How the FMR applies in ESG, CoC, HCV, HOPWA, and HOME — including Small Area FMRs, payment standards, and what Phoenix's decrease means for each program." dek: "HUD published the FY 2027 Fair Market Rents today. ESG treats them as a hard ceiling. CoC rental assistance uses them to size the grant. HCV can price by ZIP. Phoenix is down almost six percent, which makes the difference easy to see." category: "Policy, Compliance & HUD Alignment" date: 2026-09-01 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/fmr-across-hud-programs/hero.png" hero_dark: "/images/learn/fmr-across-hud-programs/hero-dark.png" image: "/images/learn/fmr-across-hud-programs/hero.png" tags: - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - Housing Program Administration - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs tldr: - ["The FMR is a rent cap in ESG", "Gross rent — contract rent plus mandatory fees plus the PHA utility allowance — may not exceed the FMR. The unit also has to pass rent reasonableness. Both tests have to pass."] - ["The FMR is a budget number in CoC rental assistance", "It sizes the grant award. Rent reasonableness governs what you may actually pay. CoC leasing is the exception, capped at whichever is lower — the FMR or the reasonable rent."] - ["Small Area FMRs stop at the HCV program", "In the 65 mandatory metro areas, voucher payment standards vary by ZIP code. ESG and CoC in the same city use one metro-wide number."] - ["PHAs get a glide path CPD programs don't", "A payment standard reduction cannot be applied to an in-place voucher family for two years, and not without 12 months' notice. ESG has no equivalent provision."] - ["Phoenix is down almost six percent", "The two-bedroom FMR falls from $1,839 to $1,734 on October 1. Each program absorbs that differently."] draft: false --- HUD published the FY 2027 Fair Market Rents this morning, effective October 1, 2026 ([91 FR, doc. 2026-17891](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/01/2026-17891/fair-market-rents-for-the-housing-choice-voucher-program-moderate-rehabilitation-single-room)). Across all 2,606 area-wide FMR areas, the typical area's two-bedroom FMR rose 4.2 percent. Weighted by the people who live there, the national increase is 2.4 percent, and 466 areas came down. Those two numbers diverged because the increases landed in small and rural areas and the declines landed in large metros — Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Atlanta, Riverside — where most assisted households live. About a third of the country lives in an area where the two-bedroom FMR is lower on October 1 than it was on September 30.
Look up your areas
Every figure in this article comes from the FY 2027 Fair Market Rent changes resource — all 2,606 area-wide FMR areas at every bedroom size, with the distribution, the state rollups, the twenty-five largest metros, and a searchable table. Free, no sign-in. Find the areas you administer before you read the program rules below.
The FY 2027 Fair Market Rent explorer: a distribution chart of how far the two-bedroom FMR moved in each area, with decreases in ochre and increases in blue, above a searchable table of every FMR area
If you run one HUD-funded rental assistance program, you have one number to absorb. Most of the organizations we work with run four or five, and the FMR does a different job in each of them. ## What the FMR is The FMR is HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent for standard-quality units in a market area, calculated under [24 CFR 888.113](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-888/subpart-A/section-888.113). For FY 2027 it is built from five-year American Community Survey data collected between 2020 and 2024, then trended forward with a gross rent inflation factor and forecast trend factors. Two details in this year's notice will show up in your work. The first is the floor. A published FMR "may be no less than 90 percent of the prior year's FMRs for units with the same number of bedrooms." Forty areas hit that floor at the two-bedroom size this year, and 74 did at the four-bedroom size. In those places the published FMR is not HUD's estimate of the market. It is last year's number minus ten percent, because HUD's actual estimate fell further than the rule lets the published figure drop in one year. The second is that the notice tells PHAs they can use the gap. A PHA in a floored area "may request payment standards below the basic range (24 CFR 982.503(e))" and "reference the 'unfloored' rents" in the FY 2027 FMR Documentation System. § 982.503(e) still requires HUD approval for a standard below 90 percent of the FMR, so this is a way to ask, not permission to act. HUD does not say the published number is wrong in those areas. It did publish the unfloored figures and name that use for them. That route exists only for voucher agencies. An ESG recipient in a floored area gets the published number as a hard ceiling, with no equivalent process. ## Phoenix: one cut, five consequences Take the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Its FY 2027 FMRs: | Unit size | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | Change | |---|---|---|---| | Studio | $1,457 | $1,390 | −$67 (−4.6%) | | 1 bedroom | $1,583 | $1,493 | −$90 (−5.7%) | | 2 bedroom | $1,839 | $1,734 | −$105 (−5.7%) | | 3 bedroom | $2,452 | $2,287 | −$165 (−6.7%) | | 4 bedroom | $2,720 | $2,537 | −$183 (−6.7%) | Arizona has the steepest statewide decline in the country this year, and Phoenix is about three-quarters of it. Tucson is essentially flat at +0.2 percent for a two-bedroom. Several smaller Arizona areas, Flagstaff and Yuma among them, fell all the way to the 90 percent floor. Five million people live in the Phoenix FMR area. The larger the unit, the deeper the cut, which hits the family-sized units that rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs are already struggling to find. Now follow that $105 through each program. ## ESG: the FMR is a hard ceiling on gross rent Under [24 CFR 576.106(d)(1)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-576/subpart-B/section-576.106), "Rental assistance cannot be provided unless the rent does not exceed the Fair Market Rent established by HUD, as provided under 24 CFR part 888, and complies with HUD's standard of rent reasonableness, as established under 24 CFR 982.507." Those are two tests, and both have to pass. A unit can be perfectly reasonable next to comparable unassisted units and still fail, because the FMR test is a hard cap. The rent being tested is gross rent, though the regulation never uses that phrase. Paragraph (d)(2) builds it: the total monthly rent for the unit, plus any fees required for occupancy under the lease other than late fees and pet fees, plus — if the tenant pays utilities separately — the monthly allowance for utilities excluding telephone established by the public housing authority for that area. Three parts of that definition get missed in the field. Mandatory occupancy fees count, so a $45 monthly "amenity fee" required by the lease is part of the rent for this test. Whether a landlord-required renter's insurance premium is a fee "required for occupancy under the lease" is a fair reading of the text, but not one HUD has confirmed in guidance we can point to, so treat it as a question for your field office rather than a settled answer. The utility allowance is the PHA's published schedule for the area, not the landlord's estimate and not the household's actual bills. And it is the PHA's schedule even though ESG is not a PHA program. In Phoenix on October 1, a two-bedroom unit at $1,650 contract rent with a $95 utility allowance has a gross rent of $1,745. Last year that cleared the $1,839 FMR with room to spare. This year it exceeds $1,734 and fails. **§ 576.106 says nothing about what happens to a household already in that unit.** There is no grandfathering clause, no transition period, and nothing that keys the change to lease renewal or annual recertification. The section is a condition on providing assistance. It is silent on a rent that complied when assistance began and stops complying when the FMR drops. Guidance outside the regulation may address it. If your HUD field office has given you a written position, that position is worth more than anything in this article. The rule text itself does not answer the question. In a year when a metro drops six percent, a lot of recipients are about to ask it. ## CoC: the FMR sizes your grant, not your rent This is the misunderstanding that costs people units. For CoC rental assistance, [24 CFR 578.51(f)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578/subpart-D/section-578.51) provides that "The amount of rental assistance in each project will be calculated by multiplying the number and size of units proposed by the FMR of each unit on the date the application is submitted to HUD, by the term of the grant." That is a budget formula. It sizes the award. It is not a cap on the rent you may pay for any particular unit. What governs the rent is paragraph (g): "HUD will only provide rental assistance for a unit if the rent is reasonable." Reasonableness is measured against comparable unassisted units in the market, not against the FMR. Nothing in § 578.51 caps the rent for a CoC rental assistance unit at the FMR. Reasonableness under (g) governs the rent, and the grant total, the approved application budget, and your grant agreement still bind. That is not the same as "you may pay above FMR," and it is the statement the regulation supports. Many recipients never test it, because they absorbed "the FMR is the cap" from the ESG side of the house and applied it program-wide. The exception is CoC **leasing**, which is a different activity with a different rule — and the rule is stricter than the FMR alone. [24 CFR 578.49(b)(2)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578/subpart-D/section-578.49) sets three limits on leasing an individual unit: the rent paid "must be reasonable in relation to rents being charged for comparable units," it "may not exceed rents currently being charged for comparable units," and it "may not exceed HUD-determined fair market rents." The ceiling is whichever is lower: the FMR or the reasonable rent. If the FMR rose, that does not raise what leasing funds may pay. If the FMR fell, that lowers it whether or not the market moved with it. The thing being capped is **the rent paid with grant funds**, not the rent the unit commands. A unit renting above the FMR is not off-limits to a leasing project. The recipient holds the lease, so it may take the unit and pay the balance — but only from a non-CoC source, because CoC leasing funds stop at the lower of the two limits. A $1,500 unit that is rent-reasonable at $1,500, in an area with a $1,350 FMR, is a unit a leasing project can hold for $1,350 of CoC funds and $150 of something else. HUD's own FY 2027 notice keeps the two uses apart. It lists the FMR's uses as including "calculation of maximum award amounts for Continuum of Care recipients **and** the maximum amount of rent a recipient may pay for property leased with Continuum of Care funds." Two uses. Only the second is a rent cap. For Phoenix, the grant-amount effect is arithmetic. A CoC rental assistance project applying for 100 two-bedroom units for a one-year term is sized at $2,206,800 using the FY 2026 FMR and $2,080,800 using FY 2027 — $126,000 less for the same 100 units. The rents those units actually command have not fallen by six percent. ACS data and trend factors describe a market as it was, not as it is on the day you sign a lease. The gap lands on the recipient. ## HCV: the same metro, priced by ZIP code Phoenix is one of the metropolitan areas where HUD requires PHAs to use Small Area FMRs in the Housing Choice Voucher program, designated in HUD's [October 25, 2023 notice](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/25/2023-23685/small-area-fair-market-rents-in-the-housing-choice-voucher-program-metropolitan-areas-subject-to) and effective for HCV since October 1, 2024. That notice uses the older area name, Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ MSA — same CBSA, 38060. Sixty-five metro areas are currently on the list. For FY 2027, HUD publishes a two-bedroom SAFMR for each of 225 ZIP codes in the Phoenix metro. They run from $1,380 to $2,600, and the high end is not where you would guess: the six ZIP codes at $2,600 include north Scottsdale and Cave Creek, but also Ahwatukee in south Phoenix, south Gilbert, and Waddell out west. The metro-wide figure — $1,734 — is a 40th-percentile estimate for the whole metro. It does not describe any particular neighborhood. A Phoenix-area PHA sets tenant-based voucher payment standards from those ZIP-level numbers, within the basic range of 90 to 110 percent, which means a two-bedroom payment standard as high as $2,860 in the highest-cost ZIP codes. Project-based vouchers are a separate question: § 888.113(h) lets a PHA extend SAFMRs to PBV, but does not require it. An ESG project in those same ZIP codes is held to $1,734. A CoC leasing project is held to whichever is lower: $1,734 or the reasonable rent. That is the rule, not a gap in it. [24 CFR 888.113(c)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-888/subpart-A/section-888.113) states that "Small Area FMRs only apply to tenant-based assistance under the HCV program." The preamble to the 2016 SAFMR final rule says the same thing in plainer English: "Other programs that use FMRs would continue to use area-wide FMRs" ([81 FR 80567, Nov. 16, 2016](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-11-16/html/2016-27114.htm)). What that means on the ground: the two main CPD sources of homeless-dedicated rental assistance cannot follow rents into high-opportunity neighborhoods, in the very metros where HUD has decided that following rents by ZIP code is the right approach for vouchers. A voucher holder in Phoenix can lease in Scottsdale at a payment standard built from Scottsdale rents. A rapid rehousing participant in the same city, served by the same CoC, is priced off a number that averages Scottsdale with south Phoenix. ## Where PHAs get room that CPD programs don't When the FMR falls, the HCV program has tools for it. The CPD programs mostly do not. **PHAs set payment standards, not rents.** Under [24 CFR 982.503(c)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-982/subpart-K/section-982.503), a payment standard anywhere from 90 to 110 percent of the applicable published FMR is the "basic range," and the PHA "may establish a payment standard amount within the basic range without HUD approval or prior notification to HUD." Revision is required within three months of the FMR's effective date only where it is needed to stay inside that range. That range is what CPD programs do not have, and it absorbs a lot of a decrease. The most common two-bedroom SAFMR in the Phoenix metro is $1,740, covering 53 ZIP codes — close enough to the $1,734 metro-wide figure to make the comparison clean. In those ZIP codes HUD publishes a basic range of $1,566 to $1,914, and the PHA may sit anywhere in it without asking HUD anything. A payment standard set at $1,839 last year still falls inside that range, so nothing compels the PHA to reduce it at all. An ESG recipient looking at $1,734 in the same ZIP codes has no range. A unit is either under the line or ineligible. **Exception standards go further.** Above the basic range, § 982.503(d) allows a PHA to establish an exception payment standard between 110 and 120 percent of the applicable FMR on notification to HUD without prior approval when it meets specified criteria (paragraph (d)(3)); to go above 110 percent otherwise with HUD approval (paragraph (d)(4)); and to set a standard up to 120 percent for an individual family as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability, without HUD approval or prior notification (paragraph (d)(5)). A couple of notes, because this section gets repeated loosely. The reasonable accommodation exception is not something the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act created. HUD's [2024 HOTMA implementation rule](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2024/05/07/2024-08601.txt), which codified it at paragraph (d)(5), described the change as clarifying "existing policy." What HOTMA newly authorized on payment standards is the 110-to-120 percent range on notification rather than prior approval. Phoenix also cannot use paragraph (d)(2). That paragraph lets a PHA set ZIP-code exception standards off the SAFMR, but only where the PHA is *not* in a designated SAFMR area. A Phoenix PHA is already working from SAFMRs, so (d)(2) is not on its menu. Its routes above the basic range are (d)(3), (d)(4), and (d)(5). **Existing voucher households get a long runway.** This is the provision with no analogue anywhere in CPD, and it is where the difference becomes a difference in someone's rent burden. Under [24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-982/subpart-K/section-982.505), "the initial reduction to the family's payment standard amount may not be applied any earlier than two years following the effective date of the decrease in the payment standard," and the PHA "must provide the family with at least 12 months' written notice of any reduction in the payment standard amount that will affect the family if the family remains in place." The 12 months can run inside the two years, so the floor is two years, not three. Paragraph (c)(3)(iv) requires the PHA to administer decreases in accordance with its Administrative Plan, which is where a PHA that wants to be more generous than the minimum writes that down. Put an ESG household next to that. A voucher household in Phoenix whose payment standard falls has at least two years before the reduction can be applied, and cannot be reduced without 12 months' written notice. Their PHA writes the policy into a document it controls. An ESG household in the same building, in a unit whose gross rent now exceeds $1,734, has a regulation that is silent on their situation and a recipient with no discretion, because the FMR test in § 576.106(d)(1) has no range, no exception standard, and no waiver at the recipient's level. If your organization runs both, this is the year that shows up in the same portfolio, in the same ZIP codes, sometimes on the same street. ## HOPWA and HOME HOPWA and HOME sit in different places on this map. They do not behave like ESG or CoC. **HOPWA** constrains the grantee's rent standard rather than the unit rent. Under [24 CFR 574.320(a)(2)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-574/subpart-D/section-574.320), "The rent standard shall be established by the grantee and shall be no more than the published section 8 fair market rent (FMR) or the HUD-approved community-wide exception rent for the unit size." Then it adds flexibility that ESG lacks entirely: "on a unit by unit basis, the grantee may increase that amount by up to 10 percent for up to 20 percent of the units assisted." Rent reasonableness applies separately under (a)(3). That section has not been amended since 1996. **HOME** works off published HOME rent limits rather than the FMR directly, though the High HOME limit under [24 CFR 92.252(a)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-92/subpart-F/section-92.252) is still computed as the lesser of the FMR under 24 CFR 888.111 or 30 percent of the adjusted income of a family at 65 percent of area median. HOME tenant-based rental assistance is looser still: under [24 CFR 92.209(h)(3)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-92/subpart-E/section-92.209) the participating jurisdiction sets its own rent standard based on either local market conditions or the HCV payment standard determined under 982.503(a) through (c) — with no FMR ceiling of its own. The cross-reference stops at paragraph (c), so a PJ taking the payment standard route cannot import the exception standards in (d). ## What to do before October 1 Do this in the order the work actually happens. 1. **Pull the new FMRs for every area you operate in, at every bedroom size.** Not just two-bedroom, and not just your headquarters metro. The bedroom-size gradient this year is real: nationally, studios rose about a point more than four-bedrooms, and in declining markets the largest units fell hardest. Our [FY 2027 FMR resource](/resources/fy2027-fmr-changes) has every area at every size if you want to check yours quickly. 2. **Re-run every ESG-assisted unit against the new gross rent ceiling.** Contract rent plus mandatory occupancy fees plus the current PHA utility allowance. Flag anything within about five percent of the new FMR, not just the units already over — utility allowance updates move that number too. 3. **Separate your CoC leasing units from your CoC rental assistance units** in whatever system you use, if they are not already separated. Only the first group takes an FMR cap, and there it is the lower of the FMR and the reasonable rent. Confirm how your renewal budget was sized before assuming a rent has to come down. 4. **In SAFMR metros, stop using the metro-wide number for tenant-based voucher payment standards** and stop using ZIP-level numbers for the CPD programs. Both errors happen, and they are easy to make when one spreadsheet feeds several programs. 5. **Check whether any of your areas are at the 90 percent floor.** If they are, the published FMR is above HUD's own estimate of the market, and the FY 2027 FMR Documentation System will show you the unfloored figure. That is directly useful to a PHA under 982.503(e) and useful to everyone else as a market signal. 6. **If an area FMR looks wrong for your market, the reevaluation door is open.** Comments on the notice are due October 1, 2026; survey data supporting a reevaluation request is due January 8, 2027, with revised FMRs published in April 2027. That process exists and is underused. ## How Journey handles it [Padmission Journey](/journey) stores FMRs by area, by bedroom size, and by effective date, and runs the rent test that belongs to the program funding each unit: the gross rent ceiling for ESG, rent reasonableness for CoC rental assistance, the lower of the FMR and the reasonable rent for CoC leasing, the grantee rent standard for HOPWA. Utility allowance schedules are versioned with them, so a gross rent calculation run today and the same calculation run in March both use the allowance that was in effect on the date of the determination. Because the tables carry effective dates, October 1 does not require a coordinated update across programs on a single afternoon. Units approved under FY 2026 figures keep their determination record. New determinations pick up FY 2027. When an area's FMR falls, Journey can surface the affected units ahead of the effective date rather than at the next annual recertification. That is the difference between calling a landlord in September and surprising a household in October. If you want to see how your programs would handle October 1, [get in touch](/contact). --- *Regulatory citations in this article were verified against the eCFR and the Federal Register as of September 1, 2026. Nothing here is legal advice, and where your HUD field office has issued written guidance on a point, that guidance governs.* --- # HOTMA compliance: what actually applies to CoC, ESG, and the rest of CPD Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/hotma --- title: "HOTMA compliance: what actually applies to CoC, ESG, and the rest of CPD" description: "HOTMA compliance for housing programs is not one rule set. Which HOTMA rental assistance, income calculation and asset provisions reach CoC, ESG, HOME, HOPWA, HTF and CDBG, with a citation for each." dek: "Most of what your team has read or been told about HOTMA was written for public housing authorities administering the Housing Choice Voucher program and public housing. A good deal of it does not apply to a CoC or ESG-assisted household. Acting as though it does can cost a household its assistance." category: "Policy, Compliance & HUD Alignment" hero: "/images/learn/hotma/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/hotma/hero.webp" date: 2026-08-19 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" tags: - Inspections - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - HOTMA - Housing Program Administration - Inspections & Compliance - NSPIRE - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- ## The short version HOTMA compliance for housing programs is not one rule set. It is several, and which one you follow depends on the funding stream paying for the unit. The same household, with the same income and the same savings account, is treated differently in a CoC Rapid Rehousing program than in a HOPWA program down the street or living at the same property. That is not a mistake anyone made. It is what the regulations say. Three of the most-talked-about HOTMA changes do not apply to CoC or ESG at all. The asset cap that makes a household ineligible, the bar on assisting a household that owns real property, and the fixed-income shortcut people call "triennial recertification" apply to one CPD program, HOPWA, and to none of the others. One change is already required, and you are late if you have not made it. The 29 federally mandated income exclusions took effect January 31, 2024. They do not wait for 2027. The reason you and your staff have bad information is not carelessness. HUD's PIH and MF divisions wrote a 10-attachment implementation notice for public housing authorities and multifamily owners in 2023, and said in that notice that CPD would issue its own. Nearly three years later, it has not. Everything the sector knows about HOTMA is mostly learned from the PIH guidance and consultants from the PHA space, because that is the only guidance there is. Rules that differ by funding stream cannot be solved by training. You have to build the right rule into the process each program follows, so the funding stream decides which rule applies before anyone has to remember that it should.
Look up your program
Every provision in this article is in the applicability matrix — 23 provisions across 10 HUD programs, each cell stating what that program's own rule says with the citation behind it. Filter to the programs you run and check the rows that decide a household's eligibility.
The HOTMA applicability matrix: 23 provisions down the left, ten HUD programs across the top, and a grid of cells coloured by whether each provision applies, is available by election, does not apply, or is not addressed
## What HOTMA is, in one paragraph HOTMA, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016, changed how HUD-assisted programs count a household's income, what they subtract from it before calculating a household's rent, and how they treat savings and property. HUD wrote the rules in a [February 2023 regulation](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-01617). For HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD)-funded programs, the deadline to be following them is [January 1, 2027](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-23989), though you have been allowed to start any time since January 1, 2024. That is the easy part, and it is where most explanations stop. The hard part is the question this article exists to answer: which of these rules is yours? ## Why the same law lands differently in different programs Because most HOTMA rules live in a part of the regulations that were written for someone else, and your program only has to follow them if your own rules say so. Here is the plain version. HUD put the HOTMA definitions in a section of the Code of Federal Regulations called 24 CFR part 5. Part 5 is the rulebook for Section 8 and public housing. [It says so directly](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.618). One of its own paragraphs reads, "This section applies to the Section 8 (tenant-based and project-based) and public housing programs." CoC, ESG, HOME, HOPWA, HTF, and CDBG are not Section 8 or public housing. They are CPD programs, and each has its own rulebook: [part 578](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-578.77) for CoC, [part 576](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-576.401) for ESG, [part 92](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-92.203) for HOME, and so on. A part 5 rule applies to your program only if your rulebook points at it by name. Think of it like a lease that references a separate set of building rules. If your lease says, "the quiet hours policy applies," you are bound by quiet hours. If it says nothing about the parking policy, you are not bound by the parking policy, even though both are printed in the same building handbook, and even though your neighbor across the hall is bound by both. Three things follow from that, and they produce three different answers: Sometimes your rulebook points at a whole section. The CoC Program's rule says income "must be calculated in accordance with [24 CFR 5.609](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.609)," so all of section 5.609 comes along, including parts most summaries never mention. Sometimes it points at one paragraph and stops. CoC's rule also says "and [24 CFR 5.611(a)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.611)." Paragraph (a) is the list of deductions. Paragraphs (c) through (e) are the hardship exemptions. CoC got (a). CoC did not get (c) through (e). A single letter in a citation is the difference between a hardship process your program runs and one it has no authority or need to run. And sometimes your rulebook says nothing at all. Parts 576 and 578 never mention section 5.618, which is where the asset cap and the real-property bar live. That silence is the answer: those rules do not apply to the CoC or ESG programs. What this means on Monday morning: before you apply any HOTMA rule to a household, do not ask what HOTMA says. Ask what your own program's regulation says about that rule. ## What changes for every program that uses the Part 5 definitions All of these reach you, because they live inside the income definition your program already applies. **How income is counted.** CoC, ESG, HOPWA, and HOME-ARP must use the part 5 definition of annual income. HOME, HTF, and [CDBG](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-570.3) choose between that definition and an IRS-based one. Wherever the part 5 definition is used, its own 28 exclusions come with it, including education savings accounts, state Medicaid payments that support a household member with a disability to stay in the unit, loan proceeds, civil rights settlements, and a broad exclusion for one-time income. That last one has a trap in it: income from contract work, day labor, or seasonal work is not excluded, even when the amount and timing vary from month to month. Those 28 are written into the regulation itself. The 29 federally mandated exclusions noted above are a separate list HUD publishes by notice, and they apply on top of the 28. **The deduction amounts, which now change every January.** The dependent deduction is $500 in 2026 and $525 in 2027. The elderly-or-disabled household deduction is $550, then $575. HUD publishes the new figures the previous year, which means the numbers your staff trains on this fall are not the numbers they must use on the deadline. **The medical deduction threshold, which moved from 3% to 10%.** This is the change most likely to reduce a household's deduction and raise its rent. Two related deductions get collapsed into one in most trainings, and they are not the same. Unreimbursed health and medical expenses are available *only to an elderly or disabled household*. Attendant care and auxiliary apparatus expenses are available for any household member who is a person with a disability, to the extent those costs let someone in the household work and are capped at the earnings they make possible. The 10% floor applies to the two of them added together. The practical effect: many elderly and disabled households with ongoing but moderate medical costs will fall below the floor and lose the deduction entirely. **How savings and property are counted.** Necessary personal property is excluded, as are retirement accounts and the value of an ABLE account. That one is worth flagging, because ABLE frequently gets described as an income exclusion when it is an asset exclusion. Non-necessary personal property is excluded only while its combined value stays at or below $52,787 in 2026 and $54,898 in 2027. Once it crosses that line, the entire combined value counts, not just the amount above it. Where net assets exceed the same threshold and the actual return cannot be determined, income is imputed at [HUD's published passbook savings rate](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/inflationary-adjustments-notifications.html): 0.40% in 2026, 0.38% in 2027. There is a gap in that last rule worth knowing about. [The regulation](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.603) excludes "necessary" personal property and counts "non-necessary" personal property, and then never defines either term. Two reasonable coordinators will draw that line in different places. In a multi-provider system, that is not a hypothetical. And one change is already required. The [29 federally mandated income exclusions published January 31, 2024](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-01873) are in force now and cannot be deferred to 2027. HUD reminded CPD grantees of this in the December 2025 extension notice, telling them to apply the exclusions "even if they have not yet implemented the HOTMA final rule." A wrinkle worth knowing: the January 2024 exclusions notice's own list of covered programs names parts 92, 93, and 574 but not parts 576 or 578. CoC and ESG are covered anyway. HUD said so on a [HUD Exchange guidance page](https://www.hudexchange.info/news/cpd-guidance-on-income-determinations-notice/), which states the notice "applies to HUD programs regardless of the definition of annual income used to determine eligibility for assistance." ## What changes only for some programs Before asking which hardship exemption applies, ask whether your program calculates adjusted income at all. For three of the seven, it does not. The CoC Program does. Both the occupancy charge in leasing models and the rent contribution in a rental assistance model run on adjusted income, using the deductions in 5.611(a). HOPWA does and takes more of the HOTMA machinery than any other CPD program. HOME does in three situations only: tenant-based rental assistance (HOME TBRA), [Low HOME Rent units](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-92.252), and over-income tenants. ESG does not. There is no ESG tenant rent calculation; income is an eligibility test, not a rent input. HTF does not, and [its regulation](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-93.151) says so outright: "The HTF program does not require that adjusted income be used or calculated by HTF grantees." HOME-ARP does not. CDBG does not; the phrase does not appear in its regulations. Where a program does not calculate adjusted income, every question downstream of it (deductions, hardship exemptions, the medical threshold) is moot. ### The hardship exemptions do not reach CoC or ESG They are real, they are complicated, and for the two largest homeless assistance programs they are simply not in play. Part 578 borrows paragraph (a) of the deduction rule and nothing else. ESG has no adjusted income for them to attach to. HOME participating jurisdictions may offer them, at their option, for tenant-based rental assistance and Low HOME Rent units, but not for over-income tenants. [HOPWA grantees](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-574.310) may offer them, at their option. For the programs that do run them, three things are worth highlighting, because they show up in almost every training deck in a garbled form: The phase-in is not open to everyone. It is available only to a household that was already receiving the medical deduction because its costs exceeded 3% of income as of January 1, 2024, a date that has now passed, and one we could find no HUD explanation of for a grantee starting in 2027. The general hardship is not "medical costs above 5% of income." The household must show that its qualifying costs went up, or that a change in circumstances the responsible entity has defined in policy caused the hardship. The 5% figure is the relief you grant, not the test you apply. And there is a one-way door most people miss. A household can move from the phase-in to the general hardship at any time. It can never move back. The sentence that says so is buried in the phase-in paragraph, not the general hardship paragraph, which is why almost nobody finds it. Because the phase-in is a durable benefit that steps down on a schedule and the general hardship is a richer benefit that expires every 90 days, a household that takes the general hardship early may be trading down, and it's easy to miss. One more that is not a HOTMA change at all. The [minimum rent hardship](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.630) shows up on nearly every HOTMA slide deck. It has been in the regulations since March 2000, and it applies only where a program charges a minimum rent, which CoC and ESG do not. ### The asset cap and the real-property bar reach just one CPD program This is the change with the clearest risk of denying assistance to a household that qualifies for it. The rule makes a household ineligible when its net assets exceed a cap ($105,574 in 2026, $109,797 in 2027), or when it owns real property it could reasonably live in. And the section containing it limits itself to Section 8 and public housing. Among CPD programs, only HOPWA is subject to it, and only because [part 574](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-574.310) reaches out and cites it by name. HUD said part of this directly in an [April 2024 notice](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-08133): "The asset limitation does not apply to the 202/811 PRAC, 236, 811 PRA, CDBG, HOME, HOME-ARP, HTF, or SPRAC programs." That list does not mention CoC or ESG. For those two, the answer comes from the silence of parts 576 and 578. HUD's own annual value tables carry the same answer: the asset-limitation row lists the Section 8 and public housing programs, plus HOPWA, and nothing else.
HUD's CY2027 inflation-adjusted value table. The asset limitation row lists Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, HCV, public housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Mod Rehab SRO and HOPWA. The threshold rows below it additionally list HOME and HTF.
HUD's CY2027 Inflation-Adjusted Values table. The asset-limitation row names the Section 8 and public housing programs plus HOPWA, and stops there. CoC, ESG, HOME and HTF appear only on the threshold rows beneath it. Source: HUD, Office of Public and Indian Housing.
For a CoC or ESG provider the translation is two sentences. You will count assets differently starting on your compliance date. You will not deny a household for having too many of them. ### There is no such thing as triennial recertification Not in CoC, not in ESG, not in HOME, and not, strictly speaking, anywhere. [The provision people are describing](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-5.657) lets an administrator apply the annual cost-of-living adjustment to a household's fixed income sources instead of redetermining everything, when at least 90% of income is fixed. It does not replace the annual reexamination. The three-year cycle inside it is captioned "Triennial verification" and governs how often you need third-party documentation. Annual reexamination, triennial verification. Those are different things. It also does not reach most of CPD. The part 5 version is a Section 8 and public housing provision, and parts 576, 578, 92, 93, and 570 never mention it. HOPWA is the exception, and it wrote its own version rather than borrowing one. A CoC or HOME provider that moves a fixed-income household to a three-year examination cycle is not ahead of the curve. It is out of compliance with its own program's schedule, and the household may sit at the wrong rent for two years before anyone notices. ## What does not change Your examination schedule. HOTMA did not touch it, and it is what a monitoring team will measure you against. CoC has two schedules, not one, and people conflate them constantly. For rental assistance, examination is required initially and at least annually, with adjustments as changes in income come to light. For occupancy charges in leasing models, examination is required initially, and the participant may request a review when household composition changes or income drops. If you run both a leasing program and rental assistance, you are running both schedules. ESG re-evaluates at least every three months for homelessness prevention and at least annually for Rapid Rehousing. HOME examines annually, with source documents at least every sixth year where the participating jurisdiction allows self-certification. [HTF](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/section-93.302) works the same way. HOPWA reexamines annually. CDBG has no ongoing recertification at all. Household composition changes do not trigger a recertification for CPD programs. In April 2026, HUD required an interim reexamination whenever a household member is added or removed, whether or not it changes income, subject to an optional written-policy exception for changes in the last three months of a certification period. That requirement lives in a notice addressed to public housing authorities and multifamily owners. It names no CPD program, and CPD has issued nothing parallel. CoC has had its own composition trigger since 2016, but only on the occupancy-charge side, and it is participant-initiated rather than mandatory. ## The guidance gap, and why it exists We're suffering from bad HOTMA information because the only detailed HOTMA guidance HUD has published was written for a different set of programs. In September 2023, HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing and its Office of Multifamily Housing jointly issued Notice PIH 2023-27 / H 2023-10, revised the following February. It runs to ten attachments: asset limitation, calculating income, deductions and expenses, fair housing requirements, household composition, income, income exclusions, inflationary adjustments, interim reexaminations, and verification. It has been amended, supplemented with FAQs, and paired with a discretionary policies list and a form instruction booklet. It is, by any measure, a serious piece of implementation support. It is also addressed to public housing authorities and multifamily owners. It names no CPD program. And it contains this sentence: "CPD will issue separate guidance on how HOTMA impacts its programs." That was nearly three years ago. HUD said something similar in a December 2023 Federal Register notice, stating it "intends to issue supplemental guidance to HOME participating jurisdictions and HTF grantees." As of August 2026, we could not locate either product on HUD Exchange, on hud.gov, or in the CPD notice series. What CPD grantees have instead is three Federal Register notices about deadlines, a HUD Exchange news item, a HOPWA webinar series, and the CPD Income Eligibility Calculator. For CoC and ESG specifically, the two programs whose regulations most need interpretation because they borrow part 5 in pieces rather than wholesale, the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs has published nothing. SNAPS was actively issuing notices through 2026, including one on CoC Program registration and one on Unified Funding Agency designation. Neither addressed HOTMA. The concrete cost of that gap is measurable. The PIH notice tells its readers how to tell necessary from non-necessary personal property. CPD grantees got no equivalent, and the regulation itself does not define the terms. The phase-in hardship is anchored to January 1, 2024, and we could find no guidance on how that anchor works for a grantee starting three years later. The HOME-ARP notice still points at paragraph numbers the 2023 rule renumbered, so a reader who follows the cross-reference lands in the wrong place. This is a capacity story more than a willingness story, and it is worth saying so plainly. HUD has been operating through a significant reduction in staff. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimated in April 2025 that roughly 2,300 people, about 23% of the department's workforce, had retired, been placed on administrative leave, or accepted a deferred-resignation offer in the first four months of that year alone. Later reporting put the reduction higher. CPD was reportedly targeted for the deepest cuts of any office in the agency, though what actually happened has not been confirmed publicly. Over the same period, SNAPS absorbed an extraordinary operational load from the CoC competition litigation: two FY2025 funding notices vacated by a federal court, a prior-year competition reopened under court order in January 2026, three separate rounds of renewal awards between March and May, a congressionally mandated non-competitive renewal, and then the FY2026 notice set aside in its entirety on August 7, 2026. The people who would have written the CPD guidance spent 2025 and 2026 keeping the money moving. That is the right priority. It also means the guidance may not be coming anytime soon, and planning as though it will is not a plan. Where that leaves you: the regulation is the guidance. Every answer in this article came from reading the program's own rulebook and following the cross-references. That is a defensible way to work. It is also not a reasonable thing to ask a housing coordinator carrying 40 households to do. ## Why this gets harder in CoCs with multiple providers operating housing programs Because the variance between your providers is not all error. A good deal of it is correct, and correct variance is the kind training cannot fix. A single-agency program has one interpretation problem: read the rule, decide, train, execute. The lift is real, but the decision happens in one place. A Continuum of Care does not work that way. CoC Program-funded Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, ESG-funded Rapid Rehousing, and HOME tenant-based rental assistance may be operated by multiple agencies in the same community, each with its own staff, documentation practices, and reading of the rules. Locally funded programs add another layer: will they adopt HUD's requirements for consistency, or keep their flexibility? Will we inspect one unit using habitability standards, one with HQS, and one with NSPIRE at the same property? How do we explain that to landlords, when [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) depends on giving them one answer? Put HOTMA into that system and two things happen at once. The first is ordinary inconsistent program execution: two program leaders reading the same guidance and arriving at different, internally consistent answers about where necessary personal property ends or which examination schedule governs a household whose unit is paid for by two funding streams. ![A policy binder standing apart from a row of banded household case files, illustrating the distance between a written rule and the enrollments it has to reach](/images/learn/hotma/inpost-4.webp) The second is stranger and more consequential. The same household, with the same income and the same savings, is genuinely supposed to be treated differently depending on which funding stream pays for the unit. A CoC Rapid Rehousing household cannot be denied for assets above $105,574. A HOPWA household can. A HOME tenant-based household may be offered a hardship exemption. A CoC Permanent Supportive Housing household may not. No amount of staff training resolves that, because there is nothing to resolve. The rules differ. That distinction matters for what you do next. If all the variance were error, more training would help. Because much of it is correct, the only thing that helps is making sure the right rule reaches the right enrollment every time, and that the file shows which rule was applied and why. The challenge here is not effort. Program leaders and specialists are not applying the wrong asset rule because they do not care. They are applying it because someone handed them a HOTMA training built from the only guidance HUD published, and nothing in that training said "this part is not yours." ## What structured housing assistance program execution does in response It moves the rule out of staff's memory and into the process, so the participant's funding stream decides which rule applies before anyone has to remember that it should. There is a useful way to think about where a system sits. Most homelessness response systems move through four states as they mature: reactive, where each situation is handled as it arrives; aligned, where everyone has been trained on the same policy; structured, where the policy is built into the process people actually follow; and predictable, where the output is consistent enough that leadership can plan against it and a monitoring visit holds no surprises. Training gets a system from reactive to aligned. It does not get it to structured, because alignment lives in people and people rotate. In a sector with the turnover ours has, a system that depends on what each program leader and their team remembers is a system that resets every time someone leaves. This is the case for building the [administration of rental assistance](/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration) around the program rather than around the worker. [Padmission Journey](/journey) is the operational software our customers use to run eligibility determinations, income examinations and rent calculations, payments, inspections, and the documentation behind all of it. What matters for HOTMA is narrower and more specific than "it handles compliance." It applies the deduction set the participant's program actually uses. A CoC enrollment gets the mandatory deductions and nothing else. A HOME tenant-based enrollment gets those plus the hardship process, if the participating jurisdiction adopted it. A HOPWA enrollment gets the broader set. An ESG or HTF enrollment gets no adjusted income calculation, because neither program has one. It does not show a screen that does not apply. The asset cap and real-property questions appear on a HOPWA enrollment. They do not appear on a CoC enrollment, which is the point, because a screen that exists is a screen someone eventually fills in. It keeps the annual figures current. The deduction amounts, thresholds, and passbook savings rate change every January. They change once, centrally, and take effect on the day they apply rather than whenever each provider's policy manual catches up. And it produces the record while the work happens. Which rule was applied, which program it came from, what the household reported, when the notice went out. [Audit readiness](/learn/administering-housing-programs) is not something you assemble in the three weeks before a monitoring visit. It is a property of how the work was done. What changes in practice is quieter than a feature list suggests. A team member processing an annual reexamination applies the right methodology because the process carries it, not because she remembered which rule attaches to which funding stream. A program director manages the exceptions the system surfaces instead of spot-checking whether staff applied the right process. A CoC executive can answer "are we consistent across providers" without reconstructing case files to find out. ## Where this is heading: centralized rental assistance administration CoCs that will handle the next rule change well are the ones that stopped administering rental assistance separately in each agency. HOTMA is not an unusual event. It is what the next decade looks like. NSPIRE reaches [CoC and ESG on October 1, 2026](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-18988), and [HOME and HTF in April 2027](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-07176), which puts many communities on [two compliance clocks at once](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards). Income limits and deduction amounts now adjust every January. The CoC competition itself has had three funding notices set aside by a federal court since last November. Each of these lands on the same administrative surface, and each one arrives with a different scope, a different deadline, and, increasingly, different guidance depending on which office at HUD wrote it. A system that absorbs each change agency by agency pays the cost every time. Twelve providers means twelve policy updates, twelve training sessions, twelve interpretations, and twelve documentation practices that a monitoring team will compare against each other. The cost is not just the work. It is that the community cannot answer basic questions about itself without a reconstruction project. Centralizing housing assistance program execution changes the arithmetic. The rule gets interpreted once, by people who read regulations for a living. It gets built into the process once. It reaches every provider on the same day. And when a household moves between programs, from Rapid Rehousing to Permanent Supportive Housing or from an ESG-funded assisted tenancy to a CoC-funded one, the transition is a change in which rules apply, not a change in which system holds the record. This is already the direction we're headed. Communities are [consolidating financial assistance administration at the CoC level](/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa), contracting it to a single fiscal agent, or standing up shared operations across a provider network. What they are buying is operational predictability: the ability to say what will happen when the next rule changes, before it changes. Modern housing systems are designed, not improvised. HOTMA is a good test of which one a community has, because it is complicated enough that improvisation shows. ## Questions practitioners are asking ### Does the HOTMA asset limit apply to CoC programs? No. The $105,574 net asset cap and the real-property ownership bar are in 24 CFR 5.618, which limits itself to Section 8 and public housing, and parts 576 and 578 never cite it. Among CPD programs only HOPWA is subject to it. What does apply to CoC is the asset counting framework: necessary property excluded, non-necessary property counted once its combined value passes $52,787 in 2026, and imputed income at the published passbook rate. ### Do the HOTMA hardship exemptions apply to CoC or ESG? No to both. CoC's regulation borrows paragraph (a) of the deduction rule (the mandatory deductions) and not paragraphs (c) through (e), where the hardship exemptions live. ESG calculates no adjusted income at all, so there is nothing for an exemption to attach to. HOME participating jurisdictions and HOPWA grantees may adopt them at their option. ### Which households qualify for triennial recertification under HOTMA? None, because triennial recertification does not exist. The provision people mean is a shortcut for households whose income is at least 90% fixed: apply the cost-of-living adjustment instead of redetermining everything, with third-party verification of all income every three years. The annual reexamination stays. Among CPD programs only HOPWA has a version of it. ### What is the HOTMA deadline for CoC and ESG programs? January 1, 2027, and that is the outer bound, not a start date. Grantees have been permitted to comply any time since January 1, 2024. Public housing authorities and multifamily owners are on the same 2027 date, with carve-outs for Moving to Work agencies and agencies still using HUD's Family Reporting Software. ### What do we have to do right now, before 2027? Apply the 29 federally mandated income exclusions, which took effect January 31, 2024 and cannot be deferred. Then decide on the [income safe harbor](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-31401), which lets you rely on a determination another means-tested federal program made in the past 12 months. It is optional and available today, but HUD requires you to update your program guidelines and put policies and procedures in writing describing how you will verify income under it before you start using it. ### Does HOTMA apply to SSVF? No. SSVF is a Department of Veterans Affairs program under 38 CFR part 62, not a HUD CPD program. An agency running SSVF alongside CoC or ESG will be operating two income determination frameworks after the compliance date. ### Where do we send a question HUD has not answered? CPD_HOTMA@hud.gov for CPD programs. Public housing authorities and multifamily owners use HOTMAQuestions@hud.gov. Two questions worth sending: how the January 1, 2024 anchor on the phase-in hardship works for a grantee implementing in 2027, and where HUD draws the line between necessary and non-necessary personal property for CPD programs. ## What to do next Start by finding out which rules are actually yours. We published a [provision-by-program applicability matrix](/resources/hotma-matrix) alongside this article, with a citation in every cell and a plain statement of whether each provision applies, is available at your option, or does not reach you. It covers CoC, ESG, HOME, HOME-ARP, HOPWA, HTF, and CDBG, and now the Housing Choice Voucher, project-based voucher, and public housing programs as well, for communities that administer both. Take it to your compliance lead and your provider network and work through the rows that touch your programs. The rows to check first are the ones where a wrong answer affects a household: the asset cap, the real-property bar, the hardship exemptions, and your examination schedule. Then ask the harder question, which is not about HOTMA at all. If a rule changed tomorrow, how long would it take to reach every provider in our system, and how would we know it had? If the honest answer involves a policy memo and hoping, the problem the next rule change will expose is not knowledge. It is structure. If you want to [talk through what coordinated program administration looks like](/contact) across a provider network before January, we are glad to have that conversation. Read next: [centralized rental assistance administration](/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration), the system-level view of running rental assistance consistently across a distributed provider network. See also [NSPIRE compliance for CoC and ESG programs](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards) and [audit readiness in housing programs](/learn/administering-housing-programs). Learn more about [housing assistance program execution in Padmission Journey](/journey). ## A note on sources, and on us Every regulatory statement in this article was verified against the current text of the regulation or the HUD notice it comes from, on August 18 and 19, 2026. Where HUD has not answered a question, we say so rather than inferring an answer. Where a conclusion is our reading rather than HUD's words, the matrix labels it that way. This article is a regulatory summary prepared for planning purposes and is not legal advice. Confirm program-specific questions with your HUD CPD field office. ## Sources **Regulations, current text as of August 2026** - 24 CFR part 5, subpart F: §§ 5.601, 5.603, 5.609, 5.611, 5.618, 5.628, 5.630, 5.657, 5.659 - 24 CFR 578.77 (CoC) · 576.401 (ESG) · 92.203 and 92.252 (HOME) · 93.151 and 93.302 (HTF) · 574.310 (HOPWA) · 570.3 (CDBG) **Federal Register** - 88 FR 9600 (February 14, 2023): HOTMA final rule, sections 102, 103, and 104 - FR-6410-N-01, 89 FR 6126 (January 31, 2024): Federally Mandated Exclusions From Income - FR-6449-N-01, 89 FR 27440 (April 17, 2024): annual inflationary adjustment methodology - 88 FR 85648 (December 8, 2023): first CPD compliance date extension - FR 2024-31401 (December 31, 2024): CPD safe harbor implementation - FR 2025-23989 (December 30, 2025): CPD compliance date extended to January 1, 2027 - FR 2025-18988 (September 30, 2025) and FR 2026-07176 (April 14, 2026): NSPIRE dates for CPD programs **HUD notices and guidance** - Notice PIH 2023-27 / H 2023-10: HOTMA sections 102 and 104 implementation guidance, Attachments A–J - Notice PIH 2024-38 (December 17, 2024) and Notice PIH 2026-15 (May 14, 2026): PHA compliance dates - Notice PIH 2026-09 / H 2026-05 (April 2026): interim reexaminations on household composition change - Notice CPD-21-10: HOME-ARP program requirements - HUD Exchange: CPD Guidance on Income Determinations (February 6, 2024) - HUD CY2026 and CY2027 Inflation-Adjusted Values and Passbook Rate **Context** - National Low Income Housing Coalition: reporting on HUD workforce reductions, 2025 - HUD CoC Program Competition page: FY2025 and FY2026 competition status, renewal award announcements - National Alliance to End Homelessness v. HUD and State of Washington v. HUD (D.R.I. 2026) --- # Unlocked: How RentSelect Brought Centralized Landlord Engagement to Montgomery County — and Helped Cut Family Homelessness by 47% Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-rentselect-centralized-landlord-engagement-montgomery-county --- title: "Unlocked: How RentSelect Brought Centralized Landlord Engagement to Montgomery County — and Helped Cut Family Homelessness by 47%" description: "How Bethesda Cares built RentSelect — centralized landlord engagement on Padmission Connect — and helped cut family homelessness in Montgomery County 47%." dek: "In its first year, RentSelect brought more than 90 landlords and 29,000 units onto one shared platform serving 25+ partner agencies — so when new subsidies arrived, the landlord network was already there." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2026-08-11 hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-rentselect-centralized-landlord-engagement-montgomery-county/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-rentselect-centralized-landlord-engagement-montgomery-county/hero.webp" author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Program Agencies - Housing Navigation - Implementation & Change Management - Incentives - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs - System Performance & Utilization draft: false --- 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](https://bethesdacares.org/rentselect/), operated by [Bethesda Cares](https://bethesdacares.org/), brought [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) 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](https://gcaar.com/) (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](/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search) 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](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hdx/pit-hic/) — 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](https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/coc), 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](/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque), or learn more about [the operational design behind coordinated landlord engagement systems](/learn/administering-housing-programs). RentSelect posts program updates on [its LinkedIn showcase page](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/rentselect-bc/). --- # Homelessness Programs Got the NSPIRE Deadline Without the Guidance Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards --- title: "Homelessness Programs Got the NSPIRE Deadline Without the Guidance" description: "NSPIRE CoC compliance is due October 1, 2026 — and HUD hasn't published the CoC and ESG standards it promised first. What executives can decide anyway." dek: "HUD CoC and ESG programs are eight weeks from a compliance date, preparing against a standard written for the Housing Choice Voucher program. That is a governance problem before it is an inspection problem." category: "Policy, Compliance & HUD Alignment" date: 2026-08-06 hero: "/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/hero.webp" author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" tags: - Inspections - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - Housing Program Administration - Implementation & Change Management - Inspections & Compliance - NSPIRE - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false tldr: - ["The date is set, the standards are not", "NSPIRE compliance for CoC and ESG is October 1, 2026. HUD stated in that same notice that it intended to publish CoC- and ESG-specific standards beforehand. As of early August, it hasn't."] - ["Every other program got theirs first", "HOPWA received tailored standards in August 2025 and complied in February 2026. HOME and HTF received theirs in April 2026 — and a twelve-month extension in the same notice."] - ["This is the fifth deadline, not the first", "CPD programs have been moved from October 2023 to October 2024 to October 2025 to October 2026. Planning as though the date is certain, or as though it will slip, are both reasonable guesses, but the former is the safest bet."] - ["Some decisions don't depend on the answer", "The carbon monoxide and smoke alarm requirements are statutory and already binding. Documenting your chosen compliance date is required regardless. Neither waits on a notice."] - ["HUD is not building the software", "PIH 2026-18 states the NSPIRE-V demonstration application has been decommissioned, HUD is no longer creating an application, and its own development is paused. The fillable checklist or commercial tooling is the operating model."] --- HUD Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grants programs are required to comply with NSPIRE on October 1, 2026, roughly eight weeks from now. HUD set that date in a Federal Register notice published September 30, 2025, and said in the same notice that it intended to publish CoC- and ESG-specific NSPIRE standards before the date arrived. As of the first week of August 2026, those standards have not been published. A sweep of every NSPIRE document in the Federal Register this year returns the HOME and HTF standards notice and a HOME streamlining rule, and nothing addressing CoC or ESG. NSPIRE CoC compliance currently means preparing against the general standards at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G and the voucher-program inspection checklist, used as a proxy for guidance written for PHAs' Housing Choice Voucher programs. For a CoC director, that is a governance problem before it is an inspection problem, because you are being asked to certify readiness against a target that has not been finalized. ## Every comparable program received its standards before its date The pattern across CPD makes the gap easier to see. | Program | Standards published | Compliance date | | --- | --- | --- | | HOPWA | August 5, 2025 | February 2, 2026 (in effect) | | HOME and HTF | April 14, 2026 | Approximately April 14, 2027 | | CoC and ESG | Not published | October 1, 2026 | | HCV, PBV, Mod Rehab | Voucher checklist and PIH 2026-18 | February 1, 2027 | HOPWA got six months between its tailored standards and its date. HOME and HTF got twelve, because HUD published their standards and extended their deadline by a year in the same notice on the same day. When HUD published program-specific standards late, it moved the date in the same document. ## This is the fifth date, not the first CPD programs have been given a NSPIRE compliance date four times before. The final rule set the date at October 1, 2023. A notice in September 2023 moved CPD to October 1, 2024. A notice in July 2024 moved it to October 1, 2025. The notice in September 2025 moved it to October 1, 2026, and moved the voucher programs separately to February 1, 2027. ![CPD NSPIRE compliance dates: October 1 2023 as the initial implementation date, moved by Federal Register notice to October 1 2024, then October 1 2025, then the current October 1 2026 — four extensions in three years](/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/image-1.webp) Two consecutive extensions are a delay. Four is a pattern, and pattern is what a program executive is actually forecasting against. But a pattern is not a commitment, and there is a version of this where the standards notice lands in September and the date holds. Both bets have a cost. Build against the general standards now and you may spend effort against criteria that shift. Wait for the notice and you may have three weeks to retrain inspectors, notify landlords, and start retrofit conversations across every provider in your network. > The uncertainty isn't evenly distributed across the work. What a late standards notice would change is which deficiencies get cited and at what severity, which is field-level detail. What it would not change is that your providers need one inspection vocabulary, that your landlords need a retrofit conversation, and that your record needs to show which standard each inspection ran under. Almost everything a CoC has to organize is stable regardless of what the notice says. The instinct to wait treats the whole project as uncertain when only the last mile is. ## What you can decide now, whatever HUD publishes ![What does not depend on the notice, all available now: document your compliance date; inspect for carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, already statutory; train on the four severity tiers; start the landlord conversation; record which standard each inspection ran under](/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/image-2.webp) **Your compliance date, and the record of it.** CPD grantees adopting NSPIRE before the required date must document the chosen compliance date in program records. That obligation exists now and does not depend on the standards notice. If you have not made this decision explicitly, it is being made by default. **The alarm requirements, which are already law.** Carbon monoxide alarms have been enforceable since December 27, 2022, and hardwired or sealed 10-year-battery smoke alarms since December 29, 2024. Both come from statute, not from NSPIRE, and both bind your programs today regardless of which inspection standard you are running. The HUD-52580 forms most HQS programs still use do not cover either one. If your checklist predates them, your inspections are already behind the law, and this is the single most common category of NSPIRE failure that PHAs report. **One inspection vocabulary across your providers.** Whatever the CoC standards say, they will use the four severity tiers and the correction clocks defined in part 5. Your provider agencies can be trained on that structure now. **The landlord conversation.** The retrofit list is stable: sealed-battery or hardwired alarms in the right locations, CO alarms, GFCI protection near water, water-heater discharge piping. These are the highest-volume failures wherever NSPIRE has already landed. Owners need lead time, which is exactly what a late notice takes away from you. **Which standard each inspection ran under.** In the Housing Choice Voucher program, HUD codified the transition rule: a unit stays subject to the standard in effect when it was inspected until that inspection fully resolves. A unit failed under HQS in May is reinspected under HQS in June. Your records need to carry that distinction, and mixed-portfolio CoCs will be running two standards side by side for months. ## In practice: the mixed-portfolio problem most CoCs are about to have Assume the dates hold. A community running the full range of funding is looking at this: - HOPWA units: already under NSPIRE since February 2026 - CoC and ESG: October 1, 2026 - Housing Choice Vouchers: February 1, 2027 - HOME and HTF: approximately April 2027 ![Mixed portfolio from February 2026 to April 2027: HOPWA under NSPIRE from February 2026, CoC and ESG from October 2026, HCV and PBV from February 2027, HOME and HTF from April 2027 — fourteen months running two standards at once](/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/image-3.webp) That is roughly fourteen months during which adjacent units in the same building, inspected by the same person, are legitimately governed by different standards with different fail criteria. Your inspection records, correction clocks, and landlord communications all must state which standard applied. Reporting that cannot separate them will not survive a monitoring review. ## HUD is not building the software This is still widely assumed to be otherwise. PIH Notice 2026-18, issued July 15, 2026, says the NSPIRE-V demonstration application "has been decommissioned and is no longer available for any PHA," that HUD "is no longer creating an application for PHAs to use," and that it has "paused any development of a software program of its own." ![PIH Notice 2026-18, July 15 2026: the NSPIRE-V demonstration application has been decommissioned and is no longer available for any PHA; HUD is no longer creating an application for PHAs to use; HUD has paused any development of a software program of its own](/images/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards/image-4.webp) The operating model HUD describes is its fillable inspection checklist or commercial tooling, with the explicit caveat that third-party tools do not themselves ensure compliance. That responsibility stays with the agency. For a CoC executive, that removes a wait-and-see option some programs have been holding open. ## What a CoC executive should be tracking Two things, and both will show up in the Federal Register. The first is a CoC and ESG standards notice in the Federal Register. If it appears without an accompanying extension, October 1 is real, and your window is whatever remains. The second is any further extension notice. Given the HOME and HTF precedent, the likeliest shape is both together: standards and a new date in one document. Neither one changes the list above. > "Journey enabled us to respond with confidence because it provides a proven, repeatable framework for centralized rental assistance administration. We were able to commit to an aggressive timeline because Journey already embeds standardized, compliant workflows." > > — Brian Petersen, COO and President, HOM, Inc. (referencing the LAHSA implementation: 2,500+ households at launch, a 90-day implementation from contract to go-live, and a multi-provider network migrating from independent workflows to a centralized operational model.) ## Where this applies This is written for CoC directors, program executives, and the people who sign compliance certifications, particularly in communities administering rental assistance administration across multiple provider agencies, where a compressed timeline has to move through several organizations rather than one. Single-agency programs face the same uncertainty with fewer parties to coordinate. For what actually changes at the unit, including what fails now, what passes now, and where inspectors disagree, see [NSPIRE vs. HQS](/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards). ## What to do next NSPIRE is arriving either way. The open question is whether your providers are standardized before it does or after. The work that survives either outcome is one vocabulary, one severity structure, and one record showing which standard applied and when the clock started. All of that can start against a date that has not been confirmed. [Padmission Inspections](/inspections) runs the four severity tiers and correction windows as the structure of the form, on its own or alongside [Padmission Journey](/journey), so the records built now carry forward whichever way the notice lands. [Book a conversation with Padmission](/contact) to walk through what a CoC-wide NSPIRE transition looks like across a provider network, including running two standards at once. Read next: [Administering housing assistance programs](/learn/administering-housing-programs) — why compliance layers land unevenly across multi-provider systems. For the housing-supply side of the retrofit conversation, [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs). ## Frequently asked questions ### When do CoC and ESG programs have to comply with NSPIRE? October 1, 2026, per the Federal Register notice published September 30, 2025 (Doc. 2025-18988). Until that date, recipients may continue using the standards as they existed prior to October 1, 2023 — pre-2023 HQS for CoC via 24 CFR 578.75(b), and the ESG habitability standards at 24 CFR 576.403. Early adoption is permitted, and grantees who adopt early must document their chosen compliance date in program records. ### Has HUD published NSPIRE standards specific to CoC and ESG? Not as of early August 2026. HUD stated in the September 2025 extension notice that it intended to publish CoC- and ESG-specific standards before the compliance date. A review of NSPIRE documents published in the Federal Register during 2026 returns the HOME and HTF standards notice and a HOME streamlining rule, with nothing addressing CoC or ESG. Programs preparing now are working from the general standards at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G and the voucher inspection checklist. ### Could the October 1, 2026 date be extended again? It is possible and there is precedent, though no notice has been published. CPD programs have received four compliance dates to date, moving from October 2023 to October 2024 to October 2025 to October 2026. When HUD published HOME and HTF standards in April 2026, it extended that compliance date by twelve months in the same notice. No extension should be assumed, and programs remain responsible for the October 1, 2026 date unless HUD publishes otherwise. ### What should a CoC do while waiting for the standards? The work that does not depend on the notice: confirm and document a compliance date; verify that carbon monoxide and smoke alarm requirements are being inspected, since both are statutory and already binding; train provider staff on the four severity tiers and correction clocks defined in part 5; begin landlord conversations about the common retrofit items; and ensure inspection records identify which standard each inspection was conducted under. ### Is HUD providing inspection software for NSPIRE? No. PIH Notice 2026-18, issued July 15, 2026, states that the NSPIRE-V demonstration application has been decommissioned and is no longer available, that HUD is no longer creating an application for PHAs, and that development of its own software program is paused. HUD points agencies to its fillable NSPIRE inspection checklist or commercial tools, noting that third-party tooling does not by itself ensure compliance. ### Do the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide requirements apply before October 1, 2026? Yes. Both are statutory rather than NSPIRE-derived. Carbon monoxide alarm requirements have been enforceable since December 27, 2022 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and the hardwired or sealed 10-year-battery smoke alarm requirement took effect December 29, 2024 under the Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022. They apply regardless of which inspection standard a program is currently using. ## Sources - 90 FR 46912 / Doc. 2025-18988 — CPD compliance date extended to October 1, 2026 (September 30, 2025) - 90 FR 46911 / Doc. 2025-19070 — HCV, PBV, and Mod Rehab extended to February 1, 2027 - 91 FR 19145 / Doc. 2026-07176 — HOME and HTF standards published with a twelve-month extension (April 14, 2026) - 90 FR 37546 — HOPWA NSPIRE standards (August 5, 2025), compliance February 2, 2026 - 88 FR 30442 — NSPIRE final rule - PIH Notice 2026-18 (July 15, 2026) — NSPIRE-V administrative procedures, including HUD's software position - 24 CFR 578.75(b) (CoC) and 24 CFR 576.403 (ESG) — pre-2023 standards currently in effect - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260) § 101 and Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-328, Division AA, Title VI, § 601) — statutory alarm requirements --- # NSPIRE vs. HQS: What Actually Changes on Your Inspections Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards --- title: "NSPIRE vs. HQS: What Actually Changes on Your Inspections" description: "NSPIRE replaces HQS's 13-item judgment checklist with 70 published standards and four severity tiers. What now fails, what now passes, and where inspectors disagree." dek: "Under HQS, whether a unit passed often depended on who inspected it. Under NSPIRE the standard decides — and it decides differently than the HQS checklist did, with more spaces and aspects to check." category: "Policy, Compliance & HUD Alignment" date: 2026-08-04 banner: "inspections-trial" hero: "/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/hero.webp" author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" tags: - Inspections - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - Housing Program Administration - Implementation & Change Management - Inspections & Compliance - Landlord Engagement - NSPIRE - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false tldr: - ["The checklist got longer and the decisions are fewer", "HQS was 13 performance requirements with acceptability criteria, often open to inspector interpretation. NSPIRE-V is roughly 70 published standards, each with a defined deficiency, a severity, and a correction clock."] - ["From three up to four tiers, two fail windows, and now one tier that passes", "Life-threatening fails with a 24-hour clock. Severe and moderate fail with 30 days. Low is recorded and passes — it is the successor to 'pass with comments'."] - ["Things now fail that passed for decades", "A 9-volt battery smoke alarm on a hallway ceiling fails twice: wrong power source, wrong placement. No GFCI within six feet of a sink fails. A three-prong outlet that isn't grounded fails, because inspectors now carry testers."] - ["Things now pass that used to fail", "A cracked but functional windowpane is not a recordable deficiency. Litter outside is a low — it passes. Site and neighborhood conditions left unit inspections entirely."] - ["The disagreements moved, they didn't disappear", "Mold severity turns on estimated square inches, spanning not-recordable to a 24-hour clock. A handrail that's missing is a 30-day fail; a stairway that never had one passes."] --- If your team inspects housing units for a HUD-funded housing program, you are moving from a standard written in the 1970s to one written in 2023. Housing program administration under HQS ran on 13 performance requirements at 24 CFR 982.401, a two-page checklist with eight areas to inspect, and inspector guidance last modernized in 2001. NSPIRE, the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate, sits at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G and replaces that with roughly 70 published standards. Each one defines a specific deficiency, its severity, and how long the owner has to fix it. This post covers what changes at the unit for NSPIRE inspection housing programs, in both directions. A criterion-by-criterion table is appended at the end. For where the compliance dates currently stand and what HUD CoC and ESG programs are still waiting on, see [the deadline that arrived without the standards](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards). ![HQS had 13 performance requirements at 24 CFR 982.401; NSPIRE has roughly 70 published standards at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-1.webp) ## How the two standards work, side by side Before the individual criteria, the structural differences — these are what change how your team inspects, independent of any single deficiency. | | HQS | NSPIRE-V | | --- | --- | --- | | Structure | 13 performance requirements with acceptability criteria underneath | Roughly 70 published standards | | Who determines the outcome | The inspector interprets terms like "adequate heat" and "free of hazards" | The published standard defines the deficiency | | Classification | Pass, Fail, or Inconclusive | Location (Unit / Inside / Outside) by severity (life-threatening, severe, moderate, low) | | Correction clocks | 24 hours for life-threatening, otherwise no later than 30 days or a PHA-approved extension | Fixed by severity tier | | How conditions are assessed | Visual | Instrumented: outlet tester, moisture meter, thermometer | | Presence requirements | Does what is installed work? | Some items must be present and functional whether or not they were ever installed | | Scope | Includes site and neighborhood conditions | Unit-focused; site and neighborhood removed from unit inspections | | Field instrument | Form HUD-52580 / 52580-A, inspector guidance last updated 2001 | NSPIRE standards v3.0, published deficiency criteria | | Outcome model (voucher and CPD) | Pass/fail | Pass/fail — no score | ## The core change: your inspector stops deciding what "adequate" means HQS told your inspector the unit needed "adequate heat" and had to be "free of hazards," then left the call to them. Two reasonable inspectors could look at the same unit and file different results, and both could defend it. NSPIRE-V writes the numbers down. Interior temperature below 64°F. GFCI protection within six feet of a water source. Guardrails at drops of 30 inches or more. Handrails at four risers. Smoke alarms within 21 feet of a bedroom door. Mold measured in square inches. Your inspectors now carry instruments (outlet testers, moisture meters, thermometers) because several of these can no longer be assessed by looking. Results get more consistent, and disputes get easier to settle, and conditions that quietly passed for years now fail on the first visit. ## Four deficiency tiers, and three of them fail Every NSPIRE-V deficiency carries a severity. For voucher and CPD programs (Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, Continuum of Care, ESG, HOME, HOPWA) there is no score. The unit passes or fails the same as it did under HQS, and severity determines whether it fails and how fast the fix is due. | Severity | Outcome | Correction clock | | --- | --- | --- | | Life-threatening | Fail | 24 hours from notification | | Severe | Fail | 30 days, or a PHA-approved extension | | Moderate | Fail | 30 days, or a PHA-approved extension | | Low | Pass — recorded only | None | ![NSPIRE severity and correction clock: life-threatening fails the unit with a 24-hour clock, severe and moderate fail with 30 days, low is recorded and passes with no clock — three of four tiers fail the unit](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-2.webp) The 0–100 score you may have read about only applies to Public Housing and HUD Multifamily REAC inspections. It has never applied to vouchers or CPD programs. Low is the closest thing NSPIRE-V has to the HQS "pass with comments." The difference is that HUD publishes what counts as low. Your inspector no longer decides which borderline conditions get written up and waved through. ## What now fails that used to pass These are the items PHAs consistently report as their highest-volume failures in the transition. ![The four retrofit items to notify owners about: sealed-battery or hardwired smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are life-threatening; GFCI protection within six feet of water and water-heater discharge piping are severe](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-3.webp) **Smoke alarms.** HQS wanted one per level and did not care about the power source. NSPIRE-V requires an alarm on each level, inside each bedroom, and within 21 feet of a bedroom door — hardwired or sealed with a 10-year battery. A loose 9-volt alarm on the hallway ceiling was a passing condition for decades, and it now fails twice over: wrong power source and wrong placement. Life-threatening, 24 hours. Units built or substantially rehabilitated after December 29, 2022, must be hardwired; the sealed-battery option is for existing units. Interconnection between alarms is not an inspectable deficiency; the standard says so explicitly, so don't cite owners for it. **Carbon monoxide alarms.** HQS had no CO requirement at all. NSPIRE-V requires them, life-threatening, 24 hours. The trigger is broader than most people assume: not just a fuel-burning appliance in the unit, but a unit within one story of an attached garage, a unit served by a remote forced-air furnace, or a unit in a building that contains a fuel-burning appliance anywhere, so a shared gas boiler in the basement counts. A fully detached all-electric property with no attached garage is the exemption. **GFCI protection.** Not an HQS concept. NSPIRE-V requires it within six feet of a sink, tub, shower, faucet, or toilet, at the outlet or the breaker. Severe, 30 days. An inoperable test or reset button is cited too. **Outlet grounding.** A three-prong outlet with no ground rarely got caught under HQS because nothing required a tester. Your inspectors now test, and an improperly wired three-prong outlet or a dead outlet is severe, 30 days. **Permanently installed heat.** HQS asked whether the unit could maintain a healthy thermal environment. NSPIRE-V names what does not count: cooking appliances, portable space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves cannot be the heating source. During heating season, October 1 through March 31, inoperable heat or an interior below 64°F is life-threatening. Between 64° and 67.9°F is severe, which is still a fail. **Mold.** HQS had no mold standard. NSPIRE-V has thresholds based on surface area. **Address and signage.** Broken, illegible, or not visible from the street is a moderate fail. There is no HQS equivalent, and it catches people. ## What now passes that used to fail This half of the transition gets almost no coverage, and it is real relief for your landlord conversations. **Cracked windowpanes.** There is no cracked-pane criterion in the NSPIRE-V window standard. If the window still closes, latches, and functions, a cracked pane is not a recordable deficiency. Under HQS these failed units routinely. **Litter outside.** Ten or more small items in a ten-by-ten-foot area, or any large, discarded item, is a defined deficiency, but outside it is low and passes. The same litter inside a building is a moderate fail. **Cosmetics.** Surface cracks, stains, and worn finishes are low, so they pass. **Site and neighborhood.** HQS had a performance requirement covering noise, air pollution, traffic, and drainage. NSPIRE-V removed it from unit inspections entirely. (It still applies to Project-Based Voucher site selection, which is a different process.) **Window presence.** HQS required at least one window in the living room and each sleeping room. NSPIRE-V regulates the operability, security, and egress function of windows that exist; there is no affirmative requirement that a room has one. Experienced inspectors get this one wrong, so cover it in training. The net effect on owners is a shift in what you ask them for: less painting and grounds work, more one-time electrical, alarm, and plumbing-detail retrofits. ![The transition moves in both directions. Now fails: smoke alarm placement and power source, carbon monoxide alarms, GFCI protection, outlet grounding, portable heat as sole source, address signage. Now passes: cracked but functional panes, litter outside, cosmetic conditions, site and neighborhood, window presence](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-4.webp) ## Where two good inspectors will still disagree NSPIRE-V narrowed the judgment without eliminating it. Three places your team will still disagree: **Mold, by area.** Four square inches or less is not a recordable deficiency, so your inspector writes nothing. Above four square inches and below one square foot is moderate; a 30-day fail. One to nine square feet is severe. Above nine square feet is life-threatening, 24 hours. Which means your inspector is standing in a bathroom estimating an irregular patch by eye, and that estimate decides whether the condition goes unwritten, becomes a 30-day fail, or becomes a 24-hour emergency. Two inspectors can look at the same wall and file it differently, and both are following the standard. ![Mold area severity thresholds: 4 square inches or less is not recorded, 4 square inches to 1 square foot is moderate at 30 days, 1 to 9 square feet is severe at 30 days, more than 9 square feet is life-threatening at 24 hours — 29 days of difference between two defensible calls](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-5.webp) **Handrails, missing versus never installed.** A handrail that is missing, meaning one was there, is a moderate fail at 30 days. A stairway that never had a handrail where the standard requires one is low, which passes. Same empty wall, and the outcome turns on whether your inspector concludes something was removed. **Egress obstruction.** Everything under the egress standard is life-threatening: blocked exit paths, double-key deadbolts, fixed security bars on rescue openings at or below the third floor, and a permanently installed window air conditioner blocking a rescue opening in a sleeping room. You will need a shared answer for the unit with a heavy window unit and no other cooling, because "permanently installed" is not defined tightly enough to settle that in the field. ## In practice: what your team should iron out before the first NSPIRE cycle - A shared method for estimating mold area, whether that is a reference card, a tape measure, or a photo protocol, so the four-square-inch and one-square-foot lines get measured rather than eyeballed. - A written position on handrails: what evidence of prior installation your inspectors treat as sufficient. - A written position on window air conditioners in sleeping room rescue openings. - Two reinspection lanes, not one. Life-threatening items generate a 24-hour clock and a near-immediate verification visit. Severe and moderate items queue at 30 days. Under HQS most programs ran a single lane. - A landlord notice covering the four retrofit items (sealed-battery or hardwired alarms, CO alarms, GFCI, and water-heater discharge piping), sent before the first inspection cycle rather than after the first failure. ## The enforcement endgame tightened, separately from NSPIRE-V Under the HQS text, an owner who missed the cure deadline triggered abatement, and when the tenancy actually ended was administrative-plan policy. Under the HOTMA-amended enforcement rules at 24 CFR 982.404, abatement is required when the owner misses the deadline, and the housing agency must terminate the HAP contract if the unit still does not comply within 60 days of the noncompliance determination. The household gets at least 90 days to lease somewhere else. This applies to HAP contracts executed or renewed on or after June 6, 2024. That change came from [HOTMA](/learn/hotma) rather than NSPIRE, but the practical effect is that the NSPIRE-V correction clocks now have a mandatory consequence at the end of them. ## Inspection frequency does not change NSPIRE governs what is inspected, not how often. Your cadence still comes from program rules: CoC annual, ESG annual, HOME TBRA annual, HCV at least biennial, Mod Rehab annual. If someone tells you NSPIRE changes your inspection schedule, they are conflating it with HOTMA. ## Where the standards apply, as of August 2026 | Program | Standard now | NSPIRE required | | --- | --- | --- | | Public Housing | NSPIRE (scored) | In effect since July 2023 | | Multifamily | NSPIRE (scored) | In effect since October 2023 | | HOPWA | NSPIRE | In effect since February 2, 2026 | | CoC and ESG | Pre-2023 standards unless early-adopted | October 1, 2026 | | HCV, PBV, Mod Rehab | Pre-2023 HQS unless early-adopted | February 1, 2027 | | HOME and HTF | Pre-2023 standards | Approximately April 14, 2027 | Two requirements bind right now regardless of which standard your program still inspects under, because they come from statute rather than from NSPIRE: carbon monoxide alarms, enforceable since December 27, 2022, and hardwired or sealed 10-year-battery smoke alarms, effective December 29, 2024. If your HQS checklist does not cover them, your checklist is behind the law — the HUD-52580 forms predate both. ## What this means for how you run inspections Every observed condition now maps to a published deficiency with a severity and a clock, or it does not get recorded. That is a better inspection than HQS produced. It also means your record has to carry more than an outcome: which standard the inspection was conducted under, what severity was assigned, when the clock started, and what closed it. [Padmission Journey](/journey)'s inspections administration is built around that structure — the four tiers are the shape of the form rather than a reference your inspector consults, the correction window attaches to the classification, photos attach to the room and element they document, and the result syncs to the tenancy record when the device is back in cellular or WiFi coverage. [Padmission Inspections](/inspections) also runs on its own for teams doing HQS and NSPIRE-V work without full rental assistance administration. ![An inspector classifying a damaged outlet in the field on a phone — the four severity tiers are the form itself, and selecting life-threatening attaches a 24-hour correction window to the record](/images/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards/image-6.webp) ## What to do next If your program has not set its NSPIRE-V date, that is the first decision, and CPD grantees must document the chosen date in program records either way. [Book a conversation with Padmission](/contact) to walk through how severity classification, correction clocks, and reinspection run from one record across a provider network. Read next: [The deadline that arrived without the standards](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards) — what CoC and ESG programs are still waiting on, eight weeks out. For the wider system view, [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) covers what NSPIRE-V retrofit conversations do to landlord retention. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between HQS and NSPIRE-V? HQS is a 13-requirement, room-by-room checklist at 24 CFR 982.401, dating to the 1970s Section 8 program, where the inspector interpreted terms like "adequate heat" and "free of hazards." NSPIRE-V, at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G, replaces it with roughly 70 published standards. Each defines a specific deficiency, classifies it by location and by severity — life-threatening, severe, moderate, or low — and attaches a fixed correction timeframe. NSPIRE-V also adds affirmative requirements: things that must be present and working, such as smoke alarms in bedrooms and GFCI protection near water, rather than merely undamaged if they happen to exist. ### Does NSPIRE-V score units for CoC, ESG, and voucher programs? No. The 0–100 scoring model applies only to Public Housing and HUD Multifamily REAC inspections. For Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, and CPD programs including CoC and ESG, inspections remain pass/fail at the unit level. Severity determines whether a deficiency fails the unit and how long the owner has to correct it, not a score. ### What are the NSPIRE-V correction timeframes? Life-threatening deficiencies must be corrected within 24 hours of notification. Severe and moderate deficiencies carry 30 days, or a longer period the housing agency approves. Low deficiencies are recorded but do not fail the unit and carry no required correction timeframe in voucher and CPD programs. ### What fails under NSPIRE-V that passed under HQS? The highest-volume items are smoke alarms in the wrong location or with the wrong power source, missing carbon monoxide alarms, missing GFCI protection within six feet of a water source, ungrounded three-prong outlets, water-heater discharge-piping defects, and units heated only by portable space heaters. Address and signage that is broken or illegible is also a new moderate fail with no HQS equivalent. ### What passes under NSPIRE-V that failed under HQS? A cracked windowpane that still functions is not a recordable deficiency. Litter outside a building is classified low and passes. Cosmetic conditions — surface cracks, stains, worn finishes — are low. The HQS site-and-neighborhood performance requirement was removed from unit inspections entirely. And NSPIRE-V contains no affirmative requirement that a living room or bedroom have a window, which HQS did require. ### Do carbon monoxide and smoke alarm rules apply before my program adopts NSPIRE-V? Yes. Both come from statute rather than from NSPIRE. Carbon monoxide alarm requirements have been enforceable since December 27, 2022, and the hardwired or sealed 10-year-battery smoke alarm requirement took effect December 29, 2024. They apply regardless of which inspection standard your program is currently using, and the HUD-52580 and 52580-A forms do not cover them. ### Does NSPIRE-V change how often units are inspected? No. Inspection frequency comes from program regulations and from HOTMA, not from NSPIRE. CoC and ESG remain annual, HOME TBRA annual, HCV at least biennial with a triennial option for qualifying small rural PHAs, and Mod Rehab annual. NSPIRE-V changes what is inspected and how deficiencies are classified, not the cadence. ## Sources - 24 CFR part 5 subpart G — NSPIRE standards, inspections, and corrections - 88 FR 30442 — NSPIRE final rule (May 11, 2023) - 88 FR 40832 — NSPIRE Standards Notice (June 22, 2023), revised August 11, 2023 - HUD — NSPIRE standards and notices - PIH Notice 2026-18 (July 15, 2026) — NSPIRE-V administrative procedures; supersedes PIH 2023-28 and PIH 2024-26 REV-1 - 24 CFR 982.404 as amended by the HOTMA HCV/PBV final rule, 89 FR 38224 — enforcement and termination - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260) § 101 — carbon monoxide alarms; implemented via PIH 2022-01 - Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-328, Division AA, Title VI, § 601) — smoke alarms ## Appendix: Criterion by criterion, as of August 4, 2026 **What this table is, and what it isn't.** HUD has not published NSPIRE standards specific to CPD programs — Continuum of Care and ESG. Until it does, the determinations below are drawn from the general standards at 24 CFR part 5 subpart G and the voucher-program (NSPIRE-V) checklist, which is the closest published guidance to how CoC and ESG inspections are likely to run. Severity assignments and correction clocks are current as of August 4, 2026, against NSPIRE standards version 3.0. Where CPD-specific guidance differs once it publishes, that guidance governs and this table does not. On why that guidance is missing eight weeks out, see [the deadline that arrived without the standards](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards). Severity determinations shown are the voucher and CPD determinations. Public Housing and HUD Multifamily inspections are scored and some timeframes differ. | Criterion | Under HQS | Under NSPIRE | Severity | Outcome | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Smoke alarms | One per level, any battery type, no bedroom placement rule | Each level, inside each bedroom, within 21 ft of a bedroom door; hardwired or sealed 10-yr battery | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Carbon monoxide alarms | No requirement | Required where a fuel-burning appliance or fireplace exists, within one story of an attached garage, served by a remote forced-air furnace, or in a building containing a fuel-burning appliance | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | GFCI protection | No requirement | Required within 6 ft of sink, tub, shower, faucet, toilet; inoperable test/reset also cited | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Exposed conductors | General "free from electrical hazards" | Exposed conductor; water contacting conductor | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Ungrounded or dead outlets | Rarely caught, no tester required | Instrument-tested; improperly wired 3-prong or dead outlet | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Damaged outlet or switch | Inspector judgment | Visibly damaged with function impacted | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Mold-like substance | No standard | Defined by cumulative area per room: ≤4 sq in not recordable; >4 sq in to <1 sq ft; 1–9 sq ft; >9 sq ft | Moderate / Severe / Life-threatening by area | Fail above 4 sq in — 30 days or 24 hr | | Elevated moisture | No standard | Moisture-meter verified | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Infestation | "Free of vermin and rodent infestation" | Evidence of pests; extensive roach, bedbug, mouse, or rat activity | Moderate / Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Lead-based paint | Defers to 24 CFR part 35 | Same, with two-tier severity by de minimis threshold; visual assessment scope differs HCV vs PBV | Severe / Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Heating, in season (Oct 1–Mar 31) | "Capable of maintaining a healthy thermal environment" | Inoperable or below 64°F; 64–67.9°F is a separate tier | Life-threatening / Severe | Fail — 24 hr / 30 days | | Heating source | Not specified | Permanently installed source required; cooking appliances, portable heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves do not count | Life-threatening / Severe | Fail | | Unvented fuel-burning space heaters | Prohibited | Prohibited; prior HQS variations rescinded effective Jan 1, 2024 | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Water heater TPR valve and discharge | "Pressure relief valve and discharge line" | Enumerated: valve function, pipe material, slope, termination height 2–6 in from receptor | Severe / Moderate by defect | Fail — 30 days | | No hot water | Fail | Defined | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Blocked flue or chimney; damaged gas shutoff | Inspector judgment | Defined | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Egress | "Alternate means of exit in case of fire" | Obstructed egress; double-key deadbolts; fixed security bars on rescue openings at or below 3rd floor; keyed or tool-operated locks on movable bars | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Guardrails | Field convention, roughly 30 in | Required at drops ≥30 in; missing or not functionally adequate | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Handrails — missing | Field convention, 4 risers | Required at ≥4 risers; 28–42 in height; 200-lb load. "Missing" means one was previously installed | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Handrails — never installed | Same convention | "Not installed where required," never previously present | Low | Pass | | Entry door security | Lockable required | Cannot be secured; will not open or close | Severe / Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Windows — operation and security | Lockable if accessible; presence required in living room and bedrooms | Operability, security, and egress function of windows that exist | Moderate / Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Windows — presence | At least one required in living room and each sleeping room | No affirmative presence requirement in 5.703 | — | No longer inspected | | Cracked but intact pane | Often failed | No cracked-pane criterion; not recordable if the window remains functionally adequate | — | Pass | | Cooking appliance | Required, with microwave substitution rules | Missing, or will not ignite or heat | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Refrigerator | Required, appropriate size | Missing or inoperable | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Food preparation surface | Not evaluated | Absent prep area, ≥10% exposed substrate, or unsanitizable surface | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Sole toilet — damaged | Private flush toilet required | Damaged or inoperable | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Sole toilet — missing | Same | Missing entirely | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Sole tub or shower | Required | Inoperable | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Bathroom ventilation | Openable window or vent | Same; missing | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Structural failure | "Structurally sound," judgment | Signs of serious structural failure | Life-threatening | Fail — 24 hr | | Roof hole or ponding | Judgment | Unintentional roof hole of any size; ponding roughly ≥25 sq ft | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Trip hazards | Undefined judgment | Unintended vertical difference ≥¾ in, or horizontal separation ≥2 in, perpendicular to path of travel | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Sharp edges | Judgment | Separate defined standard | Severe | Fail — 30 days | | Site and neighborhood | Performance requirement covering noise, pollution, traffic, drainage | Removed from unit inspections entirely (still applies to PBV site selection) | — | No longer inspected | | Litter — outside | Could fail | 10+ small items in a 10×10-ft area, or any large discarded item | Low | Pass | | Litter — inside | Could fail | Same definition, inside the building | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Address and unit signage | Not required | Broken, illegible, or not visible | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Outlets per room | 2 outlets, or 1 plus a fixture, in living room and bedrooms | Same rule generalized to all habitable rooms | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Kitchen and bathroom light fixture | Permanent fixture required | Same | Moderate | Fail — 30 days | | Occupancy | Two persons per sleeping room | Carried over at 5.703(d)(5) | — | — | ### Not established as of this date Three determinations could not be confirmed against a published HUD standard and are marked here rather than guessed: - **Microwave as the sole cooking appliance.** HQS explicitly allowed substitution in defined cases. The NSPIRE Cooking Appliance and Food Preparation Area standards do not address it, and PIH 2026-18 is silent. Treat as PHA-policy territory until HUD says otherwise. - **Missing outlet cover or panel knockout.** Life-threatening where conductors are exposed. Where they are not, the severity follows the Service Panel standard, which was not directly available for verification. - **Environmental water intrusion and minor surface damage.** Sometimes cited as moderate and low respectively. Neither appears in the Structural System, Roof Assembly, or Ceiling standards. If the classifications exist, they sit in another component standard. Compiled from 24 CFR part 5 subpart G, the NSPIRE Standards Notice (88 FR 40832, as revised August 11, 2023), the individual HUD NSPIRE standard PDFs, the NSPIRE-V inspection checklist, PIH Notice 2026-18, and the pre-2023 text of 24 CFR 982.401. Verified August 4, 2026 against standards version 3.0. --- # Unlocked: How NMCEH Centralized Landlord Engagement in Albuquerque — and Cut Housing Search Time Nearly in Half Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque --- title: "Unlocked: How NMCEH Centralized Landlord Engagement in Albuquerque — and Cut Housing Search Time Nearly in Half" description: "How the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness built Albuquerque's first dedicated Landlord Engagement Program on Padmission Connect — and reduced average time to housing from 90 to 46 days." dek: "Starting from zero in August 2024, NMCEH built a vetted landlord network serving 15 agencies and more than 100 case managers — and cut average housing search time nearly in half." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2026-05-18 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- Padmission's *Unlocked* series documents what changes when a community builds a structured, coordinated approach to housing access. These are accounts of operational change — what the system looked like before, what was built, and what became possible when the structure held. This entry covers how [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) took shape in Albuquerque, New Mexico, through the work of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness (NMCEH). ## A Program That Didn't Exist Before 2024 When NMCEH launched its Landlord Engagement Program (LEP) in August 2024, it was starting from zero. There was no dedicated landlord engagement function in Albuquerque's homelessness response system before the LEP — no vetted network of housing providers, no shared platform for case managers, and no team positioned to bridge the gap between the 15 agencies administering [Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing (RRH) vouchers](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/) and the landlords those agencies needed to reach. Before the LEP, agencies defaulted to public listing platforms like Zillow and Trulia. There was no way to know whether a listed landlord accepted housing vouchers, and no shared inventory of vetted housing options across the system. Agencies operated on personal contact lists and informal relationships — which meant the system's reach was only as wide as any individual case manager's existing network. Clients navigating background checks, prior evictions, or other barriers were largely confined to wherever existing landlord relationships already existed in the city. The problem wasn't concentrated in one place — it was distributed across every part of the system. ![Building a landlord engagement program from the ground up in Albuquerque](/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/inpost-1.webp) ## Building the Program with Connect from Day One NMCEH launched the LEP with Padmission Connect integrated from the start. Because the program was still building its operational framework at launch, the team could design its structure around Connect rather than retrofitting the platform to an existing workflow. Tenisha Erni, NMCEH's Lead Landlord Liaison, oversees the program alongside two additional liaisons, Juan Olave and Kendel Thrush. More than 100 case managers, housing specialists, and partner staff now operate within the Connect network. The platform also addressed a trust problem that predated the LEP. On public listing sites, there was no way to verify whether a landlord actually worked with voucher holders, or what experience agencies would have if they brought clients to that landlord. Connect operates as a closed network: only agencies and vetted landlords participate. Every landlord in Albuquerque's system has been reviewed by the LEP team before being listed. > "As a private platform exclusive to case managers and landlords, agencies have expressed being more comfortable with the housing search process as all landlords accessing Connect have been vetted by the LEP team. Connect serves as a one-stop shop for housing and has helped to streamline the process of locating housing for agencies." > > — Tenisha Erni, Lead Landlord Liaison, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness ![One shared system for housing search across 15 agencies in Albuquerque](/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/inpost-2.webp) ## How Housing Search Changed for Case Managers and Clients Before Connect, clients were often handed a list of landlords and expected to make contact on their own — a process that created compounding barriers. Not all clients had consistent phone access. Transportation was limited. And many landlords were more responsive to case managers than to voucher holders reaching out directly. Connect shifted those dynamics. Case managers now take an active role in the [housing search workflows](/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search) — identifying units that match a client's specific needs, neighborhood preferences, and voucher parameters. The platform enables case managers and landlords to develop working relationships through shared activity within a closed system, rather than starting each placement from scratch. The platform also surfaces real-time inventory data: rent fluctuations across the market, available unit sizes, and gaps by neighborhood. For a coordinating body working across 15 agencies, that visibility is operationally significant. Capacity decisions and outreach prioritization can be informed by what the system actually shows rather than what any single agency reports. ![Shifting landlords from gatekeepers to partners through consistent engagement](/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/inpost-3.webp) ## From Gatekeepers to Partners: A Shift in How Landlords Are Understood One of the more significant shifts for Erni has been in how she thinks about landlords. When the LEP launched, she held a view she now describes as common in the field — that landlords were primarily self-interested, and were effectively gatekeeping access to housing. Sustained engagement changed that framing. This kind of shift reflects a broader challenge visible across [homelessness response systems](/learn/administering-housing-programs): when landlord relationships are built person-by-person without a shared structure, the system can't accumulate the trust that makes engagement sustainable. > "I have found that most landlords want to obviously be successful in their business, but also greatly care about the community. They are allies, and I recognize the fact that it can be very challenging being a landlord." > > — Tenisha Erni, Lead Landlord Liaison, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness The perception shift runs both ways. Landlords in Albuquerque have experienced the program as a genuine collaboration — with a dedicated team available to support tenancy, a vetted network of agencies they recognize, and a platform that doesn't require them to field inquiries from unknown callers. > "With Connect, I have found that many landlords are willing to be more flexible than they have been in the past. I think landlords view us more as partners and consider what we are doing with Connect as a collaboration." > > — Tenisha Erni, Lead Landlord Liaison, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness ## What the Data Shows The outcomes in Albuquerque are measurable. According to [HMIS data](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hmis/), the average time it takes for clients to locate housing has decreased from 90 days to 46 days since the LEP and Connect came online — a reduction of more than 48 percent. > "According to HMIS data, the time it takes for clients to locate housing has decreased from 90 days to 46 days on average." > > — Tenisha Erni, Lead Landlord Liaison, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Geographic access has also expanded significantly. Previously, available landlord relationships were concentrated in specific areas of the city, limiting where clients could realistically search. Through sustained outreach by the LEP team, the vetted landlord network now includes willing partners in all four quadrants of Albuquerque. What had been a geography-limited housing search has become citywide. For clients who previously had one viable part of the city available to them — because that was where voucher-accepting landlords were concentrated — the expansion matters for more than speed. It matters for stability. Research consistently shows that housing choice improves long-term housing retention. Connect offers tenant choice in a way that the prior system did not. ## One Placement, in Practice One exchange captures what the system looks like when it works as designed. An independent landlord with several Albuquerque properties reached out to Erni, frustrated that a complex in a less sought-after part of the city wasn't filling. He was weighing whether to sell. Erni gathered information about the property, collected photos, and listed the complex on Connect. Within a couple of weeks, two of the units had been rented to families experiencing homelessness. The landlord remained in the network. His properties are now accessible to all 100-plus case managers across the system. And two families who needed housing found it — in a part of the city that, under the prior model, might not have been on any client's list at all. ![Two units rented in weeks through Padmission Connect in Albuquerque](/images/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque/inpost-4.webp) ## Building Something Sustainable When asked what she'd tell another organization considering Connect, Erni is direct about both the opportunity and the investment required. > "I think the more you put into Padmission Connect, the more you will get out of it." > > — Tenisha Erni, Lead Landlord Liaison, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Building a vetted landlord database, conducting outreach, and keeping listings current takes dedicated staff capacity. The LEP team of three handles this alongside the ongoing work of supporting landlords, managing relationships, and responding to inquiries across 15 partner agencies. Organizations need to account for that before launching a program. But the result — a coordinated housing access model serving more than 100 case managers and housing workers across a major city — is something that didn't exist in New Mexico before August 2024. ## What Changes When the Structure Holds NMCEH's model illustrates what happens operationally when landlord engagement moves from personal contacts and agency silos to a shared, vetted system: the housing search becomes more coordinated, landlords become recognized participants rather than unknown contacts, and the geographic constraints that define where clients can realistically look begin to expand. Explore how [similar programs have operated across other communities](/learn/unlocked-partnership-home), or learn more about the operational design behind coordinated landlord engagement systems. --- # Introducing Journey's Property Owner & Manager Portal — Here's What It Enables for Your Program Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/property-owner-manager-portal --- title: "Introducing Journey's Property Owner & Manager Portal — Here's What It Enables for Your Program" description: "Journey's Property Owner & Manager Portal redirects routine landlord inquiries to self-service, accelerates hold resolution, and creates a compliance trail without exposing household data." dek: "Property owners without payment visibility call your staff. The Journey Property Owner & Manager Portal changes where that inquiry goes first." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2026-04-21 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Property Owners & Operators - Feature Updates - Housing Program Administration - Inspections & Compliance - Landlord Engagement - Property Owners & Managers draft: false tldr: - ["Staff inquiry burden", "When property owners can't see their own payment status, they call your staff. The Property Owner & Manager Portal redirects that contact to self-service — without compromising household privacy."] - ["Faster hold resolution", "Owners can see exactly what document is missing and upload it directly. The communication loop shortens from days to hours."] - ["Compliance trail by design", "Every portal action is logged and reviewable. Audit trail created through normal workflow execution — not retroactive reconstruction."] - ["Privacy is structural", "Household data (SSNs, income, family composition, case notes) is never accessible in the portal, regardless of the owner's role. Architectural constraints, not configurable permissions."] - ["Built for this context", "Designed for housing assistance programs specifically — feature set and limitations reflect HUD and other funder compliance requirements."] --- Most programs administering rental assistance have no formal mechanism for property owners to check payment status, understand why a hold was placed on a payment, or submit a required document without emailing or calling a staff member and waiting. The result is predictable: staff fielding routine status inquiries week after week, payment holds delayed by back-and-forth communication, and landlord relationships strained by opacity the program never intended. The Journey Property Owner & Manager Portal addresses this directly. Property owners and managers get secure, self-service access to the information they need — payment history, hold status, required documents, inspection results, and limited tenancy information — without routing every question through your team. ## The inquiry burden is a system design problem, not a staffing problem Housing program teams spend significant time answering questions property owners could answer themselves, if they had a place to look. This isn't a failure of communication. It's the predictable result of a system that has never given owners anywhere to go except a staff inbox. The problem compounds when a payment hold is placed. Without visibility into what triggered the hold or what document is needed to resolve it, owners call and email until someone responds. Staff identify the issue, communicate the requirement, and wait for the document to arrive. Days and weeks can pass between hold placement and resolution — not because the solution is complex, but because the information isn't structured for direct access. ![Property Owner & Manager Portal — payment status](/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/pom-screenshot-2.webp) ## What the portal gives owners — and what it protects The portal is deliberately scoped. It provides operational visibility without exposing household personal data, and it allows document submission without giving owners the ability to modify program records. ### Payment transparency Owners can view payment history, download transaction details, see which payments are on hold, understand why a hold was placed, and upload the documents needed to resolve it. This directly addresses the most frequent source of inbound staff inquiries and creates a self-directed path from hold placement to resolution. ### Document management ![Download POM Portal guide](/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/download-pom-guide.webp) Required documents — W-9s, leases, insurance certificates, payment account information — can be uploaded directly into the system. Owners track document status: pending, approved, or rejected. Agency review is required before any document takes effect. Owners cannot approve, delete, or modify submitted documents. ### Tenancy information, within privacy limits The portal shows limited tenancy data: unit and program enrollment, document status, and high-level assistance details. It does not show SSNs, income, family composition, or case notes. These protections are structural — the data is not accessible to portal users regardless of role or access level. ### Inspection results Owners can view upcoming inspection dates, results, photos, and reports. Failed items and required follow-ups are visible in read-only format. Owners cannot schedule, modify, or annotate inspections. For communities operating under NSPIRE, this provides a documented, accessible record of inspections administration without staff intermediation. ### Organization-level access management Property management companies can add or remove staff, assign properties to specific team members, and manage Administrator versus Member permissions without requiring agency involvement. Administrators have full access across the organization's properties; Members are restricted to assigned properties only. ![Property Owner & Manager Portal — organization access](/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/pom-screenshot-1.webp) ## What changes for your staff Staff currently spending time on routine status inquiries redirect that time to housing program administration and customer service. Hold resolution time decreases when owners can act directly — they see the requirement, upload the document, and staff review rather than chase. Every action taken in the portal is logged. Document submissions, status changes, and hold events are recorded and reviewable. When a monitoring visit arrives, the trail is there — not reconstructed from email threads. For CoC leadership focused on landlord engagement and retention at the system level, the portal operationalizes something that is difficult to create through communication alone: a program experience that treats property owners as meaningful partners rather than passive recipients of payment and sporadic outreach. Property owners who can see their payment status and resolve holds without waiting on a staff response are less likely to disengage from the program. ## The compliance logic is architectural Household privacy protections in the portal are not dependent on staff vigilance or configuration choices. The data that cannot be shared with owners — personal identifiers, income details, case notes, family composition — is not accessible in the portal environment, regardless of the owner's role. The boundaries of what owners can and cannot do are also fixed by design. Owners cannot modify tenancy records, approve their own documents, remove payment holds, or access properties they do not own or manage. These are architectural constraints, not configurable permissions. This matters for communities where housing program administration operates under HUD compliance requirements that govern data sharing, participant privacy, and documentation integrity. The portal was designed with those requirements as a starting condition, not adapted from software built for different purposes. ## In practice: what changes when the POM Portal is active - Routine landlord inquiries about payment status and holds route to the portal rather than staff - Hold resolution accelerates: owners upload required documents directly; staff review rather than coordinate - Document compliance is tracked in a central record — status visible to both agency and owner - Inspection results are accessible to owners without staff intermediation - All portal actions are logged, supporting a reviewable compliance trail without retroactive reconstruction - Access management stays current as property management organizations add or rotate staff ![Property Owner & Manager Portal — inspection results](/images/learn/property-owner-manager-portal/pom-screenshot-3.webp) ## Practitioner POV: what this looks like in daily operations For a housing program director, the portal changes where landlord questions land. Instead of arriving as calls and emails that interrupt staff workflow, routine status inquiries resolve through self-service. Staff attention shifts toward the decisions and exceptions that require it. For the staff member handling compliance and documentation, the portal creates a cleaner record. Every document submission, status change, and hold event is tracked. When a monitoring visit arrives, the trail is organized and time-stamped — not dependent on how well someone maintained their inbox. For a CoC executive, the portal reflects something important about how the program is positioned in its landlord market. Communities that deliver a professional, responsive experience to property owners — one where owners don't have to wait for a staff email to know where their payment stands — are more attractive partners and more competitive when landlords are deciding which programs to work with. ## Ready to strengthen landlord partnerships in your community? Journey was built to help communities administer rental assistance programs consistently, compliantly, and at a scale that doesn't depend on heroic individual effort. The Property Owner & Manager Portal is part of that system — designed to give owners visibility while keeping program administration firmly in agency hands. [Schedule a walkthrough of Journey](/contact). Or explore how Journey structures rental assistance program execution: [centralized rental assistance administration](/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration). --- # How Padmission Journey Helped HOM, Inc. Transform Rental Assistance Administration in Los Angeles Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa --- title: "How Padmission Journey Helped HOM, Inc. Transform Rental Assistance Administration in Los Angeles" description: "How LAHSA and HOM, Inc. centralized rental assistance for over 2,500 households on Padmission Journey — turning provider-by-provider variability into a single operational standard." dek: "Unlocked covers what changes when housing assistance programs are built on a consistent operational standard — not what communities intend, but what the work actually looks like once the structure is in place." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2026-03-25 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa/hero.webp" tags: - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Administration - Implementation & Change Management - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- When the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority decided to move its Time-Limited Subsidy program to a centralized fiscal agent model, the problem it was solving wasn't primarily about speed or cost. It was about the fact that rental assistance administration looked different at every provider. The TLS program — what most practitioners in other communities know as rapid rehousing — supported over 5,000 households across multiple service provider organizations. Each provider managed its own landlord relationships, processed its own payments, and applied its own workflows. Some used ACH; most didn't. No two providers generated tenancy and payment data in formats the other could reconcile against. When LAHSA needed program-level visibility — for utilization, reconciliation, compliance reporting, audit readiness — there was no single record to go to. ![How Padmission Journey Helped HOM, Inc. Transform Rental Assistance Administration in Los Angeles](/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa/image-1.webp) That's the structural problem centralized rental assistance administration solves. But centralizing rental assistance across a multi-provider network doesn't happen by simply appointing a fiscal agent. It requires a technology layer that can hold the operational standard every provider is now expected to meet. ## What the Program Actually Looked Like LAHSA's TLS program means thousands of active leases, ongoing step-down subsidy management, landlord payment execution, and participant subsidy redeterminations — distributed across service provider organizations with varying administrative capacity and few shared operational standards. Providers weren't doing this wrong. They were doing it the only way the prior model allowed: independently. Each organization owned its piece of the program — landlord relationships, payment processing, compliance tracking. The result was a program that functioned differently depending on which provider a household was enrolled with, and gave LAHSA no reliable way to see across all of it.
From HOM, Inc.’s case study
Use of New Technology: Key to the delivery was the use of Padmission’s Journey software. This proven solution was specifically built to support homeless housing program administration and has been deployed in many communities. Specific LAHSA custom capabilities were created to support integration into their Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) system and unique workflows and processes.
## What Was Broken Structurally The inconsistency wasn't a training problem or a staffing problem. It was an architectural one. When rental assistance administration spreads across individual providers without a shared operational layer, compliance obligations are distributed too. Every payment, every subsidy adjustment, every step-down calculation happened in a separate workflow. LAHSA's ability to reconcile, audit, or assess program performance depended on collecting and comparing data from organizations that weren't generating it in compatible formats. With 2,500 households in scope for the centralized launch alone, the scale made informal coordination untenable. The program needed a single operational standard — and that standard had to live somewhere other than a policy document. ## The Structural Change LAHSA procured HOM, Inc., as a centralized fiscal agent for the TLS program for opt-in providers. The model shifted payment execution, landlord management, and compliance workflows from individual providers to a centralized administrative function. But the model only works if the technology running it can carry the operational complexity of a multi-provider, multi-program rental assistance system. ![How Padmission Journey Helped HOM, Inc. Transform Rental Assistance Administration in Los Angeles](/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration-hom-lahsa/image-3.webp) HOM built the centralized operation on Padmission Journey. Brian Petersen, COO and President at HOM, Inc., reflected on the implementation: > "Journey enabled us to respond to the LAHSA RFP with confidence because it provides a proven, repeatable framework for centralized rental assistance administration." The pre-launch work was substantial. The team reviewed, normalized, and migrated tenancy and payment data from each participating service provider — households, properties, units, leases, rental assistance amounts — into Journey in a consistent format. HOM designed and tested a two-way integration with LAHSA's HMIS. HOM assigned accounting codes and expense categories across the program, collected and configured landlord payment preferences, and trained and validated support team workflows against the new operational model. This is what technology-enabled system design looks like in practice: not a software deployment in isolation, but the deliberate encoding of an operational standard into a technology layer that every role in the new model runs on. The policy didn't change how providers operated. The system did. The July 1st launch — a hard deadline tied to the LAHSA fiscal year — required all of this to happen within 90 days of contract execution. Carlos Gonzalez, Senior VP of Housing for HOM, knew it was ambitious: > "Journey helped us execute on our commitments to landlords by receiving payments faster and with clearer communication early." ## How Work Changed Across Roles **For LAHSA's finance team:** Program-level financial visibility became accessible in a single record. Payment status, subsidy amounts, participant contributions, and reconciliation data — all previously requiring coordination across multiple organizations — now lived in one place. Audit readiness shifted from periodic, labor-intensive exercises to near-continuous operational conditions. **For service providers:** The shift removed payment processing and landlord management from providers' administrative workload. Providers no longer managed rent payments; they managed participants. Gonzalez notes: > "Journey helped us bring consistency to provider workflows without disrupting day-to-day service delivery." Sarah Hoppmeyer from Union Station Homeless Services described the shift: > "We're best when we focus on our client needs. HOM's solution allows us more time to serve our clients and landlord partners." **For landlords:** Payment execution moved from provider-by-provider timelines to a single centralized process. ACH participation increased from under 20% before launch to over 60% within three months. Thomas Harrison, Associate Director of Leasing at SOLA Impact: > "The difference with HOM, Inc has been night and day...payments are timely and transparent. This is a monumental improvement." **For HOM's administrative team:** Journey provided a single system for managing the full operational complexity of the TLS program: payment execution, subsidy adjustments, step-down management, new move-ins, unit changes, and program expansion.
From HOM, Inc.’s case study
Landlord Satisfaction – Immediate landlord feedback highlighted improved cash flow based upon the faster delivery of payments. ACH participation usage increased from under 20% pre-launch to over 60% within the first 3 months, improving delivery and reducing administrative costs. Many landlords indicated a willingness to increase their property participation based upon the change.
## What This Demonstrates The LAHSA TLS centralization worked because HOM and LAHSA designed the operational model and the technology together, not in sequence. Most efforts to standardize rental assistance across a provider network stall at the same point: the policy exists, the intent is clear, but there's no shared system that translates the standard into daily workflows. Data stays inconsistent. Compliance remains distributed. What HOM and LAHSA built demonstrates what centralized rental assistance administration requires: data in one place, workflows that are standard by design, and a technology layer built specifically for how rental assistance programs operate — not adapted from something built for a different purpose. --- # Unlocked: How Syracuse Designed Centralized Landlord Engagement For System-Level Coordination Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement --- title: "Unlocked: How Syracuse Designed Centralized Landlord Engagement For System-Level Coordination" description: "Inside CNY CHANCE: how the Syracuse CoC designed centralized landlord engagement on Padmission Connect — and surpassed its first-year housing placement goal in nine months." dek: "The CNY CHANCE program, powered by Padmission Connect, surpassed its first-year housing placement goal in just nine months through structured system-level coordination." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2026-03-24 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- The *Unlocked Series* highlights how Continuums of Care are structuring centralized landlord engagement and housing search as coordinated system functions—moving beyond fragmented workflows toward shared infrastructure that supports consistent housing access. In Central New York, that shift is already producing measurable results. The CNY CHANCE program (Centralized Housing Assistance and Network for Community Engagement), powered by Padmission Connect, has surpassed its first-year housing placement goal in just nine months. We sat down with **Muris Avdic, Housing Services Coordinator at the Housing & Homeless Coalition of Central New York (HHCCNY)**—the Collaborative Applicant, HMIS Lead, Coordinated Entry Lead, and Lead Agency for CoC NY-505—to understand how the system was designed, how it operates in practice, and what changes when landlord engagement and housing navigation are structured at the CoC level. ## System Before: Fragmentation Was the Operating System In Central New York, housing access did not break down because of a lack of effort. It broke down because coordination was not structurally supported. > "The system was heavily siloed." This fragmentation was not limited to agency boundaries. It existed within organizations, across programs, and throughout the housing search process. > "Through listening sessions with funded and non-funded partners, it became clear the system was heavily siloed. Even projects within the same organization were operating independently. Case managers relied on small personal lists of somewhat trusted landlords, and once those options were exhausted, they had to start from scratch for every new client with traditional listing platforms." Housing access depended on relationships that were informal and difficult to scale. Those relationships functioned as isolated access points rather than shared system resources. The constraints that followed were consistent across the system: > "The pain points were consistent: limited landlord partners, limited units that could pass inspection, limited stock at or near FMR, and application processes that were often inaccessible to applicants with real or perceived barriers." The system was not lacking effort. It was lacking shared structure. ## Trigger for Change: Designing Coordination as Infrastructure The shift toward centralized landlord engagement in Syracuse did not emerge from incremental process improvement. It was a deliberate decision to redesign how the system functions. After exposure to centralized engagement models, leadership chose not to optimize fragmented workflows. Instead, it introduced a coordinated model at the system level through the creation of the CNY CHANCE program. This decision established a different starting point. ![HHCCNY Team Meeting](/images/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-1.webp) Rather than asking how individual agencies could improve housing search, the system defined housing access as a shared function. Landlord engagement, inventory visibility, and placement workflows were designed to operate across agencies from the outset. This reframing matters. Coordination is often treated as an outcome of better communication. In this case, it was treated as infrastructure—something that must be built, not assumed. ## Structural Intervention: Separating Functions and Centralizing Access Padmission Connect was implemented alongside the CHANCE program, allowing coordination to be embedded directly into system operations. > "Padmission Connect plays a critical role in this effort." The most important change was the separation of responsibilities between landlord engagement and housing navigation. > "My team with the CHANCE program within our CoC operates much like a nonprofit broker, helping eligible families experiencing homelessness secure permanent housing. Since many case managers represent households who are not CHANCE-eligible, our role as Housing Locators is to expand access to landlords and available units across the system while also utilizing some of those same vacancies for our program clients." This model introduces role clarity that is often absent in housing systems. Housing Locators focus on landlord relationships as a system-level function—building, maintaining, and prioritizing partnerships over time. Case managers continue to support households, but they are no longer required to independently source housing opportunities. Instead, they operate within a shared inventory. This shift is reinforced by how the platform is used: > "The platform allows our team to focus on building and maintaining strong landlord relationships." At the same time, shared visibility becomes a central coordination mechanism: > "The Map Search is the most frequently used feature of Padmission… it provides a clean, user friendly interface to gain insight into available vacancies at any given point in time." This is not simply a feature preference. It is what allows multiple roles to operate from the same understanding of available housing. ## Operational Reality: From Communication to Coordination As implementation progressed, coordination began to move out of informal channels and into a shared system. > "We launched our Padmission Connect instance just one month before the CHANCE program began… About 40 case managers currently have access to the platform, with a goal over the next year to expand access to all coalition agencies and create a more coordinated, self-sustaining ecosystem. … Padmission Connect has begun shifting coordination from siloed communication between individual agencies to a shared platform where available units and housing opportunities can be seen across the system." This shift changes how work happens day to day. Before, coordination relied on communication: - Emails - Phone calls - Internal referrals - Individual updates Now, coordination is anchored in shared visibility: > "Available units and housing opportunities can be seen across the system" This changes both behavior and decision-making. Case managers no longer operate in isolation. They can evaluate housing options in the context of system-wide availability, rather than relying on partial information. To support this, the team applies a structured intake framework: > "Our focus remains on the matchmaking side of the housing search process, which is the more familiar side of the housing coin, with landlord engagement representing the other. I refer to our intake framework as the 4Bs: Background, Barriers, Borders, and Budget. These four factors help determine where clients want to live and where they realistically can live, which are not always mutually exclusive. This helps avoid competition for units as much as possible." ![Muris quote](/images/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-2.webp) This framework aligns housing search with both participant preference and program constraints, reducing unnecessary competition for units and improving placement fit. The key shift is not just access to data. It is alignment around how that data is used. ## Outcomes: Early Evidence of System Alignment Within the first nine months of operation, the CHANCE program reached a significant milestone: > "Over 100 families have been leased into permanent housing." This reflects improved throughput, but also reduced friction across the housing placement process. At the same time, landlord engagement has become more stable and predictable. > "Landlords have noted how surprisingly user-friendly the platform is… there is no fluff, no ads, and no fees" These characteristics matter because landlord participation depends on ease of use and consistency. When engagement is simple and supported, participation becomes repeatable. The system is also producing outcomes related to housing choice: > "Every family housed in a home of their choice is the ultimate success story." This reflects a shift in how placements are made. When housing options are visible and accessible across the system, participants can make decisions based on both preference and feasibility. Finally, the broader system impact is articulated directly: > "Invest in Padmission Connect, as it is a powerful catalyst for transforming the housing landscape in your community. The platform provides a seamless software-as-a-service solution that moves landlord engagement and housing searches from siloed approaches to a coordinated system… and the return on investment in the form of improved performance metrics can be tenfold." This frames the shift not as a tool adoption, but as a structural change in how housing systems operate. ![HHCCNY Team Photo](/images/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-3.webp) ## System-Level Takeaways for CoCs and Funders The Syracuse implementation offers several replicable insights: ### 1. Centralization Must Be Intentional Coordination cannot be layered onto fragmented workflows. It must be designed into the system from the outset. ### 2. Landlord Engagement Is a Distinct Function Treating landlord relationships as a dedicated, managed function improves retention and supply stability. ### 3. Shared Inventory Unlocks Existing Capacity The system did not create housing units—it made them visible and accessible across agencies. ### 4. Role Clarity Reduces System Friction Separating engagement from placement allows both functions to operate consistently. ### 5. Coordination Requires Shared Decision Logic Housing search workflows like the "4Bs" align how placement decisions are made across the system. ### 6. Simplicity Drives Adoption Low-friction participation is critical for landlord engagement at scale. ### 7. Early Outcomes Can Indicate Structural Success Reaching 100 lease-ups in under nine months signals that system alignment is already improving performance. --- # Centralized Landlord Engagement for Continuums of Care (CoCs) Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs --- title: "Centralized Landlord Engagement for Continuums of Care (CoCs)" description: "A structural guide for CoCs on building centralized landlord engagement — turning fragmented outreach into shared housing access infrastructure that expands supply and stabilizes lease-ups." dek: "A structural guide to building scalable housing access — how CoCs can consolidate fragmented outreach into unified landlord engagement infrastructure." category: "Landlord Engagement & Partnerships" date: 2026-03-12 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- Landlord engagement represents one of the most underappreciated yet critical functions within homelessness response infrastructure. For Continuums of Care (CoCs)—the regional coordinators of federal homelessness funding—the capacity to cultivate and manage property owner relationships fundamentally determines whether rental assistance transforms into actual housing placements. Fragmented landlord engagement across multiple agencies severely constrains housing access. Implementing centralized landlord engagement strategies expands available housing stock, improves search effectiveness, and boosts lease-up conversion rates throughout the system. This guide demonstrates how systemwide landlord engagement coordination can consolidate fragmented outreach into unified housing access infrastructure for homelessness response. ## Why Centralized Landlord Engagement Determines System Success Housing First programs achieve the strongest outcomes in homelessness intervention, converting public resources into "leases and sustained tenancies." However, most CoCs encounter a different bottleneck: reliable unit access and consistent landlord relationships. Housing supply represents the foundation upon which everything else depends. When supply becomes unstable, consequences cascade rapidly. Search timelines extend. Program utilization declines. Shelter beds turn over slower. The system stalls. After Maricopa County implemented centralized engagement, TJ Reed, Human Services Assistant Director, observed: "Once there were more properties and units available for our provider partners to use, we knew we could start to dream bigger and fund with more confidence." ## What Centralization Actually Means Centralization does not mean control—it means shared system assets. When coordinated, property relationships transcend individual agencies, becoming visible across all providers. This reduces duplicated outreach and internal competition. Institutional knowledge persists beyond staff transitions. Smaller providers access opportunities they could not independently develop. ## Landlord Engagement vs. Housing Search These represent distinct but complementary functions: - **Landlord engagement** creates housing opportunities - **Housing search** connects participants to those opportunities Centralizing search without strengthening landlord engagement simply redistributes limited units. Conversely, centralizing engagement without coordinated search leaves new opportunities unevenly distributed. ## When Housing Supply Remains Limited Communities where landlord engagement developed organically within individual programs face predictable challenges: - Housing navigators maintain personal networks - Programs guard landlord information - Relationships become informally protected - Competition emerges among providers for identical units - Systems develop "pocket landlords" known to select agencies This fragmentation creates counterproductive dynamics. When housing scarcity forces providers to compete against themselves, they withhold information and avoid introducing landlords to broader networks. ## Housing Supply Constraints Shape Geographic Placement Limited recruitment concentrates placements in identical neighborhoods. Participants repeatedly access the same properties, returning to familiar areas because those represent reliable availability within their agency. Over time, scattered-site programs resemble de facto project-based models. Participant choice narrows. Geographic diversity declines. Properties become oversaturated. Without deliberate network expansion, systems recycle rather than increase supply. ![RentConnect Celebrates Property Partner](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-1.webp) ## Why Landlord Engagement Becomes System-Level Necessity As housing programs expand, property partners disengage—not from opposition but from navigation difficulty. Tiffany Gehrlich, RentConnect Manager at Strategies to End Homelessness, described Cincinnati's pre-centralization reality: "If a property provider had open units and their limited contacts couldn't use them, they went to market renters when we know there were other agencies that could have used them." Centralization represents a structural response. Rather than parallel outreach across dozens of providers, communities establish coordinated functions responsible for developing sustained property partnerships system-wide. ## Evaluating Landlord Engagement Strategies Practical evaluation considers one essential question: **Does this approach encourage compounding property owner engagement or does it rely on individual provider recruitment?** High-performing systems consistently demonstrate these characteristics: - They increase performance by adding expertise and capacity - They tailor resources to actual business needs - They make limited resources work harder - They reduce complexity rather than shifting it - They amplify human judgment - They support consistent housing access over time ## Property Owners as System Stakeholders Sustainable engagement treats property partners as participants in system design, not recruitment targets. Breya Birdsong, Vice President of Rental Assistance Programs at RDOOR Housing: "Landlords round out the rehousing team—they are not external to the process." High-performing systems gather feedback from participating and disengaged partners through surveys and listening sessions. These conversations surface operational friction around timelines, communication, documentation, and unresolved issues. ![HomeNow Indy Onboards Property Partners](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-2.webp) ## Partnering With Real Estate Associations Local real estate and apartment associations represent substantial portions of professional rental housing markets. Organizations affiliated with the National Apartment Association provide direct access to property owners, portfolio operators, and leasing professionals managing thousands of units collectively. Association partnerships enable CoCs to reach housing providers through trusted professional networks rather than property-by-property approaches. Association meetings and educational sessions explain program operations, address misconceptions, and establish contact points. These relationships signal credible, organized system-level engagement. They create channels for ongoing communication about policy changes and success stories. They normalize program participation within the broader rental ecosystem and facilitate dialogue about inspections, payment timelines, and risk mitigation. ## How Centralization Changes Daily Work When engagement becomes coordinated, impacts appear in routine operations. Property owners experience predictable communication and clear participation expectations. For housing navigators, search shifts from information-chasing to helping participants evaluate real options supported by shared inventory. Kimberly Doty, Director of Housing at Partnership Home: "We can pick up where someone else has left off in connecting with a property." This structure reduces rework and enables programs to operate from shared information. ![Kimberly Quote](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-3.webp) ## Professionalizing Landlord Engagement Property owners operate businesses. Sustainable engagement responds with consistent business solutions rather than informality. Many communities strengthen teams by hiring staff with property management or real estate experience. Professionals understanding property management practices, owner priorities, and market dynamics engage more effectively. Property partners understand onboarding processes, realistic timelines, and problem-resolution approaches. Consistent communication allows trust to compound rather than reset with each interaction. ## Understanding Property Partner Diversity Property owners represent diverse audiences. Independent owner-operators prioritize simplicity and responsiveness. Mid-size companies value efficiency. Large portfolios emphasize compliance and consistent processes. When systems fail recognizing these differences, supply concentrates among small property groups. Intentional segmentation enables broader market participation. ## Identifying and Sustaining Housing Supply Centralized strategies only succeed as effectively as their housing supply recruitment and retention. This requires understanding which outreach sources produce active opportunities and sustained participation. Different markets produce different recruitment patterns. Urban markets generate high lead volume but varying conversion rates. Rural markets produce fewer leads but potentially more stable relationships once established. Common recruitment sources include: - Online rental listings and platforms - Property management companies - Real estate brokers - Apartment associations - Existing partner referrals - Community information sessions Effective programs track which sources convert to lease-ups, produce long-term partners, and consume staff time without results. This enables focused effort allocation rather than anecdotal impressions. ![Lead Sources & Yields](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-4.webp) ## Identifying Decision Makers Effective engagement depends less on outreach volume than on reaching appropriate decision-makers. Many efforts stall because staff connect with contacts lacking participation authority. Decision authority varies significantly. Independent owners decide directly. Larger portfolios distribute authority across regional managers, asset managers, or compliance teams. Leasing agents may lack approval power. High-performing teams invest early in identifying actual decision-makers through direct questions, ownership research, or management hierarchy tracing. This information becomes institutional knowledge, allowing future outreach to begin at appropriate authority levels. Identifying decision-makers signals respect for property business operations. Conversations focus on timelines, expectations, and partnerships rather than repeatedly explaining program details to unauthorized contacts. ## Implementing Centralized Landlord Engagement Implementation succeeds when providers, system leadership, and housing market partners understand how coordination tangibly changes work. Since centralization reshapes established practices, stakeholder engagement proves essential. ### Developing Provider Buy-In Provider participation represents the most critical implementation factor. Housing navigators and program teams have invested years building relationships and navigating markets. Centralization can feel threatening to those relationships. Successful systems demonstrate how centralization strengthens relationships through shared visibility and reduced competition. Provider buy-in grows when staff observe reduced daily friction. Shared visibility means less verification time. Smaller organizations access opportunities previously unavailable. Work shifts from lead-chasing to preparing participants for informed evaluation. Three communities have written up how that went in practice. [RentSelect brought more than 90 landlords and 29,000 units onto one platform across 25+ partner agencies in Montgomery County](/learn/unlocked-rentselect-centralized-landlord-engagement-montgomery-county), [NMCEH cut housing search time from 90 days to 46 in Albuquerque](/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque), and [the CNY CHANCE program in Syracuse designed theirs for system-level coordination from the start](/learn/unlocked-syracuse-cny-chance-centralized-landlord-engagement). Implementation often begins with early-adopter providers who refine workflows before broader rollout, demonstrating practical improvements. ### Securing Executive Support Centralized landlord engagement requires visible system leadership support. CoC leadership, provider executives, public officials, housing coalitions, and housing authorities establish conditions enabling coordination. Executive support matters because landlord engagement intersects multiple systems: housing programs, inspections, payments, and compliance. Cross-sector alignment ensures property partners experience consistent expectations. Private sector engagement proves equally important. Property associations, large portfolio owners, and regional housing organizations influence property owner participation decisions. When these partners understand centralization goals and observe system investment in predictable communication and clear processes, they view participation as credible partnership rather than temporary initiative. ### Leveraging Trusted Brands Landlord engagement efforts gain traction operating under recognizable identities representing entire systems rather than disconnected program outreach. Shared brands enable property partners understanding they interact with coordinated initiatives rather than multiple programs. They reinforce consistent communication, messaging, and expectations across agencies. Some communities establish new initiatives; others leverage existing partnerships with property owner credibility. Branding clarifies rather than markets—helping property owners understand system operations and partnership identity. Recognizable initiatives enable public progress communication, property partner celebration, and momentum building around landlord engagement. When launching separate brands, administering organizations boost visibility through their channels. In Wichita, NEXTenant gained momentum after United Way of the Plains amplified its brand across social media, generating news coverage and 15 new property operator participants within one week. Implementation succeeds when these elements reinforce one another. Provider alignment ensures effective supply utilization. Executive leadership creates consistency and accountability conditions. Public initiatives make participation understandable to housing markets. ## Measuring System Strengthening Effective systems measure outcomes rather than activity. Activity metrics—calls made, events attended—can appear productive while supply stagnates. Outcome metrics reveal actual access expansion, faster placement timelines, and broader housing market reach. Threshold, Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service, recruited 611 new property owners and operators, adding 1,648 available units across 118 ZIP codes—enabling 3,313 households to move from streets into housing. Lease-up conversion rose from 67.3% to 84.3%, and move-in timelines improved 27 days from 2021 baseline. ![Threshold Stats](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-5.webp) Geographic diversification represents critical measurement often overlooked. Neighborhood conditions—transportation access, employment, food availability, community services—powerfully predict long-term stability. Maricopa County identified expanding available property geographic footprint as core outcome. Threshold now connects participants to properties across 117 ZIP codes in 26 cities/municipalities compared to 73 ZIP codes across 4 cities in 2021. Newly added ZIP codes carried 34% higher social determinant health scores—making landlord recruitment a health intervention. ![TJ Quote](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-6.webp) Useful measurement frameworks track six indicators: - Active property partners over time - Lead source and recruitment yield - Reasons operators accept/decline participation - Housing search duration - Lease-up success rates against households enrolled - Geographic placement diversification ## Building Landlord Engagement as Permanent Function Implementation establishes operational conditions. Over time, centralized practices should become stable, ongoing housing system functions—not campaigns. Centralized landlord engagement represents the permanent entry point where property owners participate in housing programs. Systems investing in predictable processes, shared records, and consistent communication shift from reactive scrambling to stable capacity building. Housing access grows evenly. Staff burnout decreases. Property partners experience professionalism rather than chaos. These structural changes enable housing systems sustaining operations as expectations increase and markets tighten. Landlord engagement strengthens provider environments without replacing provider work. When housing supply becomes coordinated and relationships sustained, programs focus on intended outcomes: moving people into housing and maintaining stability rather than navigating fragmented access. The same argument applies on the assistance side of the house: see [centralized rental assistance administration](/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration) for how communities consolidate the program administration that follows a placement, and [administering housing programs](/learn/administering-housing-programs) for what that work involves day to day. ![Threshold Launch Event](/images/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs/image-7.webp) ## How Padmission Connect Supports Centralized Landlord Engagement Padmission Connect operationalizes centralized landlord engagement by providing landlord engagement teams shared records of property outreach, participation history, available units, and housing search activity across providers. This structure supports coordinated property engagement, broader housing access, and stronger continuity despite staff changes—without shifting local placement decisions or relationship ownership. ## Key Principles & Takeaways 1. **Landlord engagement functions as housing infrastructure, not program activity.** Treating engagement as a system function with shared records and coordinated outreach converts it from variable into stable foundation. 2. **Centralization expands access without shifting local decision-making.** The goal ensures housing opportunity visibility, relationship persistence beyond staff tenure, and smaller provider access to independent development-level supply. 3. **Property owners represent system stakeholders, not recruitment targets.** Their operational feedback on timelines, communication, inspection, and payment reliability directly shapes whether programs remain viable rental market partners. 4. **Housing supply quality matters equally to volume.** Expanding networks preserves participant choice, maintains geographic diversity, and prevents placement concentration undermining scattered-site models. 5. **Effective engagement requires reaching appropriate decision-makers.** Outreach volume does not determine supply building—decision-maker access does. 6. **Measurement tracks outcomes, not activity.** Useful indicators reveal which strategies produce durable access versus those consuming capacity without outcome improvement. --- # Why Administering Housing Programs Has Become So Difficult — and What Needs to Change Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/administering-housing-programs --- title: "Why Administering Housing Programs Has Become So Difficult — and What Needs to Change" description: "Why administering housing assistance has become one of the most fragile, high-risk functions in the homeless response system — and what purpose-built infrastructure looks like." dek: "Permanent housing assistance is the most effective tool we have to end homelessness. The challenge today isn't commitment or expertise — it's the absence of systems built to carry the work as it actually exists." category: "Program Administration & System Design" date: 2026-02-18 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/administering-housing-programs/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/administering-housing-programs/hero.webp" tags: - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - Company Updates - Housing Program Administration - Inspections & Compliance draft: false --- > Author's Note: This article is written from my personal perspective as someone who has spent more than three decades administering housing programs and building systems to support them. My views expressed here reflect my experience and my conviction that the infrastructure supporting housing assistance programs must evolve. This is not a product announcement. It is an invitation to examine how we organize and sustain this work. Permanent housing assistance programs—Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, and other rental and leasing assistance models—are the most effective tools communities have to end homelessness. When they work, people stabilize. Landlords stay engaged. Public dollars translate into real outcomes. I've spent over three decades inside these programs—building them, administering them, scaling them, fixing them when they break. I've watched communities make extraordinary progress when the operational foundation is strong. I've also watched that foundation quietly erode. What failed wasn't commitment or expertise—it was the absence of systems and tools designed to carry increasing complexity. ![Why Administering Housing Programs Has Become So Difficult](/images/learn/administering-housing-programs/image-1.webp) Today, administering housing assistance has become one of the most complex, fragile, and high-risk functions in the homeless response system. Not because people aren't committed or capable—but because the infrastructure supporting it never caught up with what the work became. This is not a story about failure. It's a story about growth without support and purpose-built tools that solve day-to-day challenges. This article examines why administering housing programs has become so difficult, why these challenges persist, and why meaningful change requires purpose-built systems, like Journey — not more heroic effort. ## The Work Got Bigger. The Systems Did Not. Housing programs didn't become complex overnight. They grew gradually: - More households served - More property owner and management company partners - More models for rental and leasing assistance - More funding sources braided together - More compliance requirements layered on top - More accountability expected, often retroactively But the tools used to administer these programs largely stayed the same. And it's the story that ultimately led us to build Journey. In most communities, housing program administration still happens across a patchwork of apps and tools that were never designed to work together: - Spreadsheets tracking households, units, landlords, inspections, payments—and often spreadsheets tracking the spreadsheets - Separate worksheets for rent calculations and subsidy determinations - Shared drives full of PDFs and naming conventions only a few staff truly understand - Paper files passed from desk to desk - Email inboxes functioning as workflow engines for Requests for Tenancy Approval - HMIS reports and case management systems that stop at the edges of housing operations - Accounting systems disconnected from household-level context There is rarely a true system of record for a household or tenancy. Instead, information is scattered—each system holding a partial truth. So people become the system. Staff enter and re-enter data. They reconcile discrepancies. They reconstruct timelines during audits. And when something goes wrong, the solution often depends on finding the one person who "knows how this works." We need to stop demanding more from our people and accepting limitations from our tools and systems. We should have tools and systems that actually support our people. ## The Hidden Human Cost of Fragmentation Administering housing programs is deeply technical work. Staff must correctly apply: - Program-specific eligibility criteria - Rent and subsidy calculations - Income, asset, and expense rules - Inspection standards - Rent reasonableness determinations - Documentation requirements tied to multiple funders This is not clerical work. It requires training, judgment, and experience. Yet the workforce carrying this responsibility operates under chronic constraints: - Understaffing - Limited funding for competitive wages - High turnover driven by burnout - Increased scrutiny as homelessness becomes more visible Housing navigators and case managers—people who entered this field to help others exit homelessness—are routinely asked to function as compliance specialists, accountants, policy interpreters, and auditors. ![The hidden human cost of fragmentation](/images/learn/administering-housing-programs/image-2.webp) These activities require specialized knowledge and expertise. Asking case managers to determine rent reasonableness is like asking an accountant to perform street outreach using motivational interviewing techniques. When institutional knowledge lives in people instead of systems, turnover doesn't just slow programs down—it erases memory. Each departure takes logic, context, and hard-won understanding with it. When staff get to burnout levels, the impact is not just on the individual team member, but the entire system. ## Policy Volatility Without Guardrails Housing programs operate in a constantly shifting policy environment. Federal rules change. Guidance arrives late—or not at all. Implementation timelines move. HOTMA and NSPIRE are only the most recent reminders that operational change often precedes clarity. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) operate the Housing Choice Voucher program within a structured ecosystem that provides: - Regular HUD notices and guidance - HUD prescribed forms and templates - Standardized implementation frameworks and tools - Professional development and training partners HUD CoC Program-funded providers do not have the same level of support. Instead, interpretation happens at the agency—or even staff—level: - Which rules apply to which funding source? - How should new guidance be applied to existing households? - What documentation is now required? Retroactively? Over time, this produces inconsistency, overdocumentation driven by fear, and unnecessary compliance risk. Interpretation risk is the failure mode for housing program teams. Different staff interpret the same rule differently, changes get applied inconsistently across households and programs, and compliance becomes defensive rather than operational. Without guardrails, compliance becomes something people worry about after the fact instead of something systems support by design. ## Data Exists, but Visibility is Limited Most housing programs have data. What they lack is operational visibility. Leadership is routinely asked questions like: - How many households are actively assisted right now? - How many are searching for housing? - How long does lease-up take in each program? - What are the housing program's lease-up success rates? - What are the average per household subsidy amounts? - How much funding has been spent—and how much remains? Answering these questions often requires days of reconciliation across multiple systems and departments with the agency. The result is reactive management instead of informed leadership. The desire to be data-driven is widespread. The infrastructure to support it is not. ## Complexity Isn't New — Unsupported Complexity Is Housing assistance has never been simple. What is new is the scale, the layering of funding, and the expectations placed on programs—without corresponding investment in operational tools and systems. For decades, providers succeeded despite the tools they used, not because of them. That success came at a real cost to staff, households, landlords, and communities. Eventually, effort alone stops being enough. ## Why Journey Exists ![Converging workflows](/images/learn/administering-housing-programs/image-3.webp) We built Padmission Journey because we reached a point where we could no longer accept that this is "just how it works," or "we have to make these tools work for our housing programs." Journey is my love letter to the field—but it's written in workflows, guardrails, and systems, not sentiment. It is built around a simple principle: **Encode complexity into the system—not into people.** Housing assistance will always involve nuance. Journey doesn't eliminate complexity; it supports it. Instead of asking staff to remember, calculate, interpret, and reconcile, Journey provides structured workflows that reflect how housing programs actually operate—end to end. The goal is not speed at the expense of accuracy. It is sustainability without fragility. ## From Failure Points to Guardrails Journey replaces common failure modes with intentional design: - **Referrals and eligibility decisions** are centralized, consistent, and traceable - **RFTAs** move through clear, visible approval paths instead of inboxes - **Tenancy Actions** are tracked across the full tenancy lifecycle, not managed by memory - **Inspections** are mobile, standardized, and connected to tenancy records - **Rent Reasonableness** builds on retained comparables and custom scoring, not constant reinvention - **Rent Calculations** are embedded, verifiable, and defensible - **Payments** are tracked by household, tenancy, landlord, project, and funding source Just as importantly, Journey supports the other half of the system: property owners and managers. Secure portals reduce friction, increase transparency, and reinforce partnership. ## What This Unlocks When complexity is supported rather than ignored, programs unlock real gains: - Reduced burnout - Lower error rates - Faster lease-ups - Higher housing success rates - Institutional knowledge that survives turnover - Consistent execution across agencies and programs - Visibility and transparency of outcomes - Confidence during review, monitoring, or public scrutiny The work becomes sustainable. Rental assistance will never be simple. But it does not have to be fragile. Journey represents a shift away from heroic individual effort and toward reliable systems built for the work as it actually exists today. If administering housing assistance is this complex at the program level, the next question is unavoidable: **Why are we asking multiple agencies in a single community to solve it independently?** --- # Why Continuums of Care Should Centralize Rental Assistance Administration Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration --- title: "Why Continuums of Care Should Centralize Rental Assistance Administration" description: "Why fragmented rental assistance administration is a system design problem — and how centralized infrastructure helps CoCs deliver consistent, equitable, and scalable housing programs." dek: "When dozens of providers each solve the same compliance-heavy problems independently, fragmentation surfaces at the system level. Centralized rental assistance administration is the structural response." category: "Program Administration & System Design" date: 2026-02-18 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration/hero.webp" tags: - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Fair Housing - Housing Program Administration draft: false --- ## A Note on Continuity In the previous article, [*Why Administering Housing Programs Has Become So Difficult — and What Needs to Change*](/learn/administering-housing-programs), I examined the growing complexity of rental assistance administration at the **program level**. Fragmented infrastructure, workforce strain, policy volatility, and unsupported complexity have turned one of the most effective homelessness interventions into one of the hardest to operate sustainably. Those challenges are real inside individual agencies—but they do not stop there. When dozens of providers across a community are each forced to solve the same highly technical, compliance-heavy problems independently, the consequences surface at the **system level**: inconsistent experiences for households and landlords, limited visibility for funders and CoCs, and unnecessary risk embedded into the very programs designed to create stability. This article picks up where the last one left off. If program-level administration has become this difficult, the next question is unavoidable: **why are we still organizing rental assistance as if each provider should solve these challenges alone?** For many Continuums of Care, the answer points toward a strategic, system-level response: **Centralized rental assistance administration.** ## Fragmentation Is a System Design Problem, Not a Provider Failure The fragmentation we see in homeless response systems did not emerge from poor leadership or lack of coordination. It emerged from history. Long before Continuums of Care were formalized, communities relied on diverse networks of providers—faith-based organizations, nonprofits, healthcare institutions—each responding to homelessness with the tools and resources available at the time. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and later the HEARTH Act brought structure, planning, and accountability to this landscape, formalizing CoCs as system stewards. ![Stewart McKinney (Left) and Bruce Vento (Right)](/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration/image-1.webp) What *did not* happen alongside that evolution was the creation of shared administrative infrastructure. Oversight and performance accountability centralized. **Housing program administration remained distributed**. As rental assistance programs expanded, funding sources multiplied, and urgency demanded speed, agencies built processes to meet immediate needs. Fragmentation emerged organically—not from a lack of commitment, but from systems growing faster than the infrastructure designed to support them. The result is a familiar pattern: - Multiple agencies administering similar rental assistance programs in the same communities - Each developing its own workflows, interpretations, and documentation practices - Landlords encountering different rules depending on which agency holds assistance - CoCs lacking real-time visibility into utilization, performance, and risk This is not a failure of providers. It is a predictable outcome of decentralized system design. ## Centralization Is About Shared Infrastructure — Not Centralized Control Centralizing rental assistance administration does **not** mean stripping providers of autonomy or flattening program diversity. At its core, centralization is about **shared infrastructure**, not centralized authority. It means: - A single source of truth for housing program administration - Consistent application of rules and workflows - Shared data visibility - Reduced duplication of highly technical administrative labor Programs can remain distinct. Funding sources can remain separate. Providers can retain client relationships and service delivery roles. What changes is that the most complex, compliance-heavy work is handled **once**, consistently, instead of being rebuilt repeatedly across agencies. ## Why Rental Assistance Is Especially Suited to Centralization Not every function benefits equally from centralization. Rental assistance stands out because of its technical and compliance-driven nature. Some examples: ### Program Rules and Rent Logic Rent calculations and eligibility rules are difficult to administer consistently across agencies. Centralizing the logic ensures households are treated equitably regardless of which provider is involved. ### Inspections and Habitability Standards As standards evolve—NSPIRE being a clear example—centralized inspections reduce interpretation risk and training burden while ensuring consistent application. ### Landlord Onboarding and Payments Landlords benefit from a single, predictable experience rather than navigating multiple processes across agencies. ### Compliance Artifacts and Reporting Standardized certifications, documentation, and reports reduce audit risk and simplify funder reporting. ### Data Governance Centralization enables real-time visibility into utilization, spend-down, and outcomes—supporting proactive system management instead of reactive crisis response. ## Landlord Experience Is a System Responsibility Landlords do not experience rental assistance at the agency level. They experience it at the **system** level. ![Landlord experience is a system responsibility](/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration/image-2.webp) From their perspective: - The rent comes from "the CoC" - The inspection is "the housing program" - The delay is "the system" When processes vary by agency, landlords are forced to learn multiple sets of rules, timelines, and portals. Even highly mission-driven property owners eventually disengage when administrative friction outweighs benefit. Centralization creates: - Predictability - Consistency - Faster resolution - A sense of partnership rather than friction For CoCs struggling to expand landlord participation, this shift is often transformational. ## Data Visibility Enables Better System Decisions Decentralized administration limits what CoCs can see. When data lives across multiple agencies and tools, answering basic system-level questions becomes slow and fragile: - How many households are actively assisted right now? - How quickly are programs leasing up? - Where are funds at risk of under- or over-spending? Centralized administration enables: - Live, system-wide visibility - Early identification of bottlenecks - Proactive reallocations and adjustments - Clear reporting to funders and stakeholders This visibility supports better decisions—not just better reports. ## Why Centralization Has Historically Fallen Short Many CoCs understand the value of centralization but struggle to implement it effectively. Historically, centralization failed because: - HMIS was never designed to administer rental assistance - Spreadsheets and shared files do not scale and compound error - Custom systems rarely encode program logic and require constant re-customization - Centralization shifted work without reducing complexity Without purpose-built infrastructure, centralization simply moves administrative burden from providers to CoC staff—creating a new bottleneck rather than eliminating inefficiency. ## Journey Is the Enabler — Not the Point Journey does not force centralization. It makes centralization **operationally possible**. ![Converging workflows](/images/learn/centralized-rental-assistance-administration/image-3.webp) By encoding program rules, rent logic, inspection workflows, landlord processes, and compliance requirements into a single system, Journey provides the shared infrastructure centralization requires. Crucially: - Programs remain distinct - Funding sources remain separate - Providers retain their support roles and relationships What changes is that complexity is supported once, consistently, instead of repeatedly and differently across agencies. Journey acts as connective tissue—supporting coordinated systems without erasing nuance. ## What Centralization Unlocks at the System Level When rental assistance administration is centralized with the right tools and infrastructure, CoCs unlock outcomes that are otherwise difficult to achieve: - Faster lease-ups across programs - More consistent household experiences - Reduced compliance risk - Stronger landlord participation - Better use of limited funds - Less burnout across the system Most importantly, centralization allows CoCs to shift from managing administrative chaos to focusing on outcomes. ## Centralization Is About Equity, Not Control When rental assistance administration varies widely across agencies, households experience different rules, timelines, and outcomes depending on where they enter the system. Centralization promotes equity by ensuring: - Consistent application of rules - Transparent processes - Fair treatment across programs It is not about control. It is about responsibility. ## From Fragmentation to Function Rental assistance will always be complex. That complexity does not disappear at the CoC level—it compounds. As systems mature, the question is no longer whether decentralization is inefficient. It is whether continuing it is responsible. Centralizing rental assistance administration is not a rejection of provider expertise. It is a recognition that some work is better supported collectively. Journey exists to make that shift possible—providing the infrastructure CoCs need to coordinate, govern, and scale rental assistance without sacrificing nuance or humanity. --- # Enhanced Unit Reservation and Case Manager Inquiry Process Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search --- title: "Enhanced Unit Reservation and Case Manager Inquiry Process" description: "Padmission Connect now supports unit reservations as a first-class part of coordinated housing search — sharing reserved inventory with case managers without creating collisions." dek: "Reserved units are often the most actionable housing options available to case managers — and one of the easiest places for coordination to break down. Connect now treats reservations as shared, first-class inventory." category: "Housing Search & Client Choice" date: 2026-02-10 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - CRM & Property Engagement Data - Feature Updates - Housing Navigation - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs - Service Providers & Case Managers - System Performance & Utilization draft: false --- In many homelessness response systems, housing locators identify and hold units before a household is ready to submit an application. These unit reservations—sometimes called unit holds, or master contracted units—sit at a critical junction between landlord engagement and case manager action. They are time-bound, relationship-sensitive, and often governed by informal norms rather than shared records. Because of that, reserved units are frequently the most actionable housing options available to case managers. They represent real coordination with a property owner, a defined availability window, and local expectations about timing. At the same time, they are also one of the easiest places for coordination to break down. Padmission Connect now supports unit reservations as a first-class part of coordinated housing search, allowing communities to determine whether and how reserved units are visible to case managers as part of shared housing inventory. ![Map Search showing properties with general availability alongside units being held as Reservations](/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/image-1.webp) *Reservations Map Search — Map Search can now show properties with general availability (light blue) alongside units being held as Reservations (purple).* ## The Approach — Make Reservations Shareable Without Creating Collisions Most systems face the same underlying condition: reserved units need to be shared early enough to be useful, but not so loosely that multiple staff unknowingly pursue the same opportunity. When reservations live only in side conversations, spreadsheets, or institutional memory, systems rely on staff effort to prevent collisions—and that effort does not scale well under turnover, workload pressure, or scrutiny. The design approach is straightforward: - **Community-controlled visibility:** the community can enable or disable reservation visibility to match local practice and governance. - **Reservations treated as a coordinated inventory:** reservations can be reviewed directly by case managers as part of their work. - **Single-inquiry locking:** the moment an inquiry is submitted, the reservation is no longer available for competing inquiries from other case managers. This capability allows communities to control whether reservations are visible to case managers, aligning the system with local governance and practice rather than imposing a single operating model. When enabled, reservations appear as a distinct type of housing inventory, separate from general availability, so they can be worked intentionally and consistently. Crucially, the system enforces a single-inquiry rule. The moment a case manager submits an inquiry on a reserved unit, that reservation is no longer available for other case managers to pursue. This establishes a clear, authoritative state for the reservation without changing who makes placement decisions or how prioritization occurs. ![Units reservations table from the Housing Locator's perspective](/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/image-2.webp) ## Cleaner Coordination Across Roles When reservations are visible, case managers incorporate them into the same planning they already do: weighing options, matching household needs, and sequencing next steps. The difference is not in decision-making, but in coordination. Reserved opportunities can be worked with shared expectations about who is acting on them and what stage the process is in. The single-inquiry behavior removes a common source of day-to-day friction: duplicate outreach to the same reserved unit, conflicting updates to housing locators, and uncertainty about whether an opportunity is still viable. Instead of resolving those issues through follow-up calls or internal messages, the reservation itself reflects the current state of work. Once an inquiry is submitted, housing locators continue to move that inquiry through the community's configured workflow. As the inquiry progresses, the system updates the reservation's status accordingly, keeping reservation tracking aligned with local process without requiring parallel tools or reconciliation work. This supports the human reality of housing search: multiple roles contributing to one outcome, with shared responsibility and limited time to untangle ambiguity. ![Tablet displaying reserved housing units within a coordinated housing search](/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/image-3.webp) Case managers can view and act on reserved units in the field, with reservation status reflecting real-time inquiry activity so coordination remains clear regardless of where the work happens. After an inquiry is submitted, the housing locator can move that inquiry through the **community's configurable workflow**. As the inquiry progresses, the system updates reservation status to reflect the inquiry's status—so the reservation remains aligned to the community's local process without requiring a separate tracking method. This supports the human reality of housing work: multiple roles contributing to one outcome, with shared responsibility—and limited time for reconciliation work. ![Unit reservations table with summary widgets at the top](/images/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search/image-4.webp) *Case Manager View Of Reservations — Summary widgets make understanding the current inventory easily accessible on the reservations table.* ## Why This Approach Works at a System Level Homelessness response systems depend on coordination across roles, agencies, and external partners who do not share the same day-to-day tools. Small breakdowns—such as two people unknowingly working the same reserved unit—create avoidable confusion for providers and property partners and introduce unnecessary administrative strain. By capturing reservation state as part of shared housing access infrastructure, the system provides a durable source of truth about "who is working what" at any moment. The single-inquiry rule functions as a governance mechanism as much as a coordination safeguard: it establishes clarity without requiring oversight, escalation, or cleanup after the fact. This is an example of the systems design maturity in Padmission Connect. The platform reflects real workflow states, makes them shareable when communities deem it appropriate, and reduces coordination friction without shifting authority or decision ownership. The result is more predictable execution under everyday conditions—and under review—without asking staff to carry that burden themselves. ## Learning From Reservation Visibility in Practice For communities formalizing how reserved units move from housing locator work into case manager action, this capability provides a useful reference point for clarifying local expectations—particularly around handoffs, visibility, and when a reserved opportunity should return to the broader pool. If you're assessing whether reservation visibility aligns with your system's governance model, we can walk through common operating patterns and the workflow implications of each. In helping communities around the country implement these programs, we have also gained insight on implementation and change-management, should your community choose to move forward with unit reservations. *Explore guidance on coordinated housing search workflows and how HUD defines reservation governance and handoff expectations.* --- # Native Mobile App for Inspections in Padmission Journey Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch --- title: "Native Mobile App for Inspections in Padmission Journey" description: "Padmission Journey now includes a native mobile inspections app for iOS and Android, letting field teams complete HQS and NSPIRE inspections offline and sync back to Journey." dek: "Inspection teams can complete required unit inspections in the field, sync results back to Journey, capture photos, and schedule reinspections — without leaving the platform." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2026-01-30 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/hero.webp" tags: - Inspections - Journey - Housing Program Agencies - Feature Updates - Housing Program Administration - Inspections & Compliance draft: false --- Inspections for rental assistance programs — Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and, increasingly, [NSPIRE](/learn/nspire-vs-hqs-inspection-standards) — are a core program requirement. NSPIRE has since replaced HQS across the housing programs on a published schedule; our piece on [the NSPIRE deadline CoC and ESG received without standards](/learn/nspire-coc-deadline-without-standards) covers what that means operationally. They help confirm that rental units are safe, sanitary, and suitable for occupancy, while also creating a shared record of a unit's condition and amenities that protects participants, landlords, and administering agencies. Padmission Journey now includes a **native mobile inspections application**, available through both the Apple App Store and Google Play, designed to support this work within existing housing assistance program administration. Inspection teams can complete required unit inspections in the field as part of established program workflows, then sync results back to Journey, upload photos, schedule reinspections when needed, and communicate outcomes to relevant contacts. Inspections are assigned through Journey and made available on mobile devices for field completion. This capability sits alongside eligibility, payments, and compliance work already managed in Journey, without changing who conducts inspections or how inspection determinations are made. ## How the System Responds to Field Conditions The only thing predictable about performing inspections is that they are unpredictable. Inspectors move between units, buildings, and neighborhoods with time constraints, varying levels of connectivity, and documentation requirements. A native mobile inspections app responds to these conditions by allowing inspection assignments to be pulled onto a device in advance and completed without relying on a live data connection. During a visit, inspectors document unit conditions using an intuitive sequence of inspection items, add notes through voice-to-text, and capture photos tied directly to rooms and inspection elements — all in a single app. The ability to take consecutive photos within the inspection workflow reduces interruptions during the visit and limits the need to reconcile and associate images after the fact. When a device reconnects, completed inspections can be uploaded to Journey and the next step in tenancy is initiated. ## Supporting Day-to-Day Inspection Work In daily practice, inspection teams are responsible for accurate documentation, clear records, and alignment with program requirements. Mobile inspections support this work by consolidating inspection activity into a single system used throughout housing program administration. Inspectors document what they observe as they move through a unit, with notes, photos, and inspection outcomes remaining connected to the correct household and program record. This reduces follow-up questions, limits clarification between teams, and avoids re-entering information later. Decisions about inspection outcomes remain agency-led while the system maintains a consistent and reviewable record of what was documented in the field. By keeping inspection work connected to the broader administrative workflow, teams spend less time managing artifacts of the process and more time completing the inspection itself. ### App Features Inspectors can pull inspections that have been assigned to them. ![Inspectors can pull inspections assigned to them](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-1.webp) Easily sort through inspections in the scheduled order, by result type, or inspection type. ![Sort inspections by various criteria](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-2.webp) Quickly navigate between rooms and items. ![Navigate between rooms and items](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-3.webp) Schedule and assign reinspections as needed inline with ending the inspection. ![Schedule and assign reinspections](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-4.webp) See the summary of the inspection visit including how many items passed and failed, by severity. ![Inspection visit summary](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-5.webp) Push inspection results, photos, and emails when a data connection is available. ![Push inspection results and photos](/images/learn/padmission-inspections-native-mobile-app-launch/image-6.webp) ## Simplifying and Enhancing Rental Assistance Administration Mobile inspections extend Journey's shared administrative infrastructure into the field, aligning on-site work with the same standards of consistency, visibility, and accountability used elsewhere in the platform. The capability reflects an existing system condition: administrative work does not stop at the office, and tools must support staff wherever the work occurs. Rather than changing how inspections are governed or reviewed, mobile inspections keep field documentation connected to program administration in a way that supports collaborative partnership and oversight without adding complexity. *Explore related resources to learn how inspections, compliance tracking, and program administration work together within [Padmission Journey](/journey). [Schedule a walkthrough](/contact) to see the mobile inspections app in action.* --- # Unlocked: How Indianapolis Centralized Rehousing Through HomeNow Indy Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement --- title: "Unlocked: How Indianapolis Centralized Rehousing Through HomeNow Indy" description: "Indianapolis built citywide rehousing infrastructure through HomeNow Indy — centralizing landlord engagement, reducing duplication, and accelerating placements across the CoC." dek: "Building trust, system capacity, and faster rehousing through shared infrastructure." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2026-01-28 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- In our **Unlocked** series, we highlight communities that have rethought how housing systems operate — moving away from fragmented, provider-by-provider approaches toward coordinated models that support people faster and more consistently. In Indianapolis, that shift took shape through [**HomeNow Indy**](https://www.rdoor.org/homenowindy), a citywide rehousing initiative designed to reduce the length of time people experience homelessness by [centralizing landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs), strengthening coordination, and expanding permanent housing choice. We spoke with **Breya Birdsong**, Vice President of Rental Assistance Programs at RDOOR Housing Corporation, about how HomeNow Indy operationalized this vision — and the role Padmission Connect plays as shared system infrastructure. ![HomeNow Indy team in the field](/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-1.webp) ## From Vision to Infrastructure: Why HomeNow Indy Was Created In 2020, the City of Indianapolis partnered with RDOOR Housing Corporation and the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention to launch HomeNow Indy. The goal was ambitious but clear: **build a coordinated, system-wide approach to rehousing individuals and families experiencing homelessness**. > "HomeNow Indy is a coordinated, system-wide approach to rehousing individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis." — Breya Birdsong Like many Continuums of Care, Indianapolis already had committed providers, strong programs, and engaged funders. What it lacked was **shared infrastructure** — the connective tissue that allows dozens of agencies and hundreds of landlords to operate as a single system. ## The Problem: When Every Provider Has to Solve the Same Challenge Before HomeNow Indy, landlord engagement and housing navigation were largely decentralized. > "The Indianapolis CoC did not have a centralized infrastructure to handle all landlord engagement needs or housing navigation. Efforts were siloed, and many service providers were left to handle all tasks related to the rehousing process separately." Efforts reflected [system fragmentation](/learn/administering-housing-programs) across the homelessness response system. This fragmentation created predictable system strain: - Multiple providers contacting the same landlords independently - Inconsistent messaging to property owners - Housing knowledge tied to individual staff rather than the system - Case managers spending disproportionate time on housing search - Capacity constraints slowing placements across programs > "There were capacity challenges, and the goal was to create a centralized team to lift the burden on our CoC service providers to create a more efficient rehousing process." HomeNow Indy was designed to address this at the **system level**, not by asking providers to work harder — but by changing how the work was organized. ![The people behind the impact: HomeNow Indy staff](/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-2.webp) ## Centralizing Landlord Engagement as a System Function RDOOR was introduced to Padmission Connect during the development of HomeNow Indy and saw it as a way to operationalize centralization. > "Padmission Connect has allowed our CoC to modernize the way we work collectively." Instead of each provider building and maintaining their own landlord lists, HomeNow Indy established a **Housing Acquisition team** responsible for cultivating, onboarding, and supporting landlord relationships on behalf of the entire CoC. > "Centralizing landlord engagement and providing service providers with a platform that stores the units and landlord contacts that are cultivated by our Housing Acquisition team lifts the burden of doing this work alone." This shift created immediate value across the system: - Providers could focus on client support rather than cold outreach - Landlord relationships became system assets, not individual ones - Knowledge persisted through staff turnover - Engagement strategies could be tracked and refined over time ## Trust as Infrastructure: Why Centralization Worked Centralization alone isn't enough — it has to be trusted. > "There is a level of trust maintained in the rehousing process in utilizing Padmission Connect." For providers, trust came from knowing that landlords visible in the system were already onboarded and supported. > "Our community partners know that landlords are onboarded, supported and understanding of the needs required to rehouse vulnerable clients." For landlords, trust came from consistency: - Clear expectations - A single point of coordination - Reduced duplication - Ongoing support beyond the initial lease-up ![CHIP award recognizing HomeNow Indy](/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-3.webp) ## Reframing the Role of Landlords One of the most important mindset shifts for HomeNow Indy was how landlords were positioned within the system. > "Landlords round out the rehousing team, they are not external to the process." Rather than treating landlords as transactional endpoints, HomeNow Indy intentionally brought them into the rehousing ecosystem. > "They should feel empowered, supported and a part of the team. Good landlord engagement helps with retention of units and more opportunities to house people." This approach improved: - Unit retention over time - Responsiveness during placements - Willingness to lease again - Stability across programs and populations ## Scaling Participation Without Scaling Burden As HomeNow Indy grew, the challenge shifted from *finding landlords* to *supporting participation at scale*. > "There has been a lot of growth in how landlords use the system." The Housing Acquisition team invested in **intentional landlord training**, helping property partners feel confident updating availability and information directly. This created multiple downstream benefits: - Reduced administrative workload for staff - More accurate, real-time housing data - Faster matching and fewer dead ends - Stronger landlord buy-in to the system ![HomeNow Indy unit map across the city](/images/learn/unlocked-indianapolis-homenow-centralized-landlord-engagement/image-4.webp) ## Data Visibility for System Leadership For CoC and program leadership, visibility matters as much as volume. > "I personally use the report features to best understand trends and ensure we are meeting the needs of the CoC." System-level reporting supports: - Identifying gaps in unit availability - Understanding which engagement strategies work - Aligning housing acquisition with program needs - Supporting data-informed planning and funding decisions Rather than relying on anecdotal updates, leadership can see how the system is performing as a whole. ## Supporting Client-Centered Housing Search Centralization did not remove choice from the process — it supported it. > "Clients have access through their case managers. We encourage them to walk through the system with their clients as it helps with the logistics of their rehousing." Case managers and participants can explore housing options together, enabling more intentional placement decisions. > "Supportive Service providers are encouraged to help households find units that are close to essential connections and services, in the area that they want and are affordable." This approach: - Respects client preference - Supports long-term stability - Reduces avoidable returns to homelessness - Aligns housing with healthcare, employment, and family supports ## A Time-Sensitive Use Case: Housing During Pregnancy [One example](https://www.wthr.com/article/news/health/indiana-university-pilot-program-provides-housing-for-pregnant-women-aims-to-improve-birth-outcomes/531-fceafe7d-cade-4279-a146-29786ba50336) connected to HomeNow Indy's centralized housing navigation is its support for placements tied to the **Healthy Beginnings at Home** pilot, led by the Indiana University School of Medicine. The initiative focuses on addressing housing instability during pregnancy — a period where delays can have significant downstream consequences. Through HomeNow Indy's coordinated approach, participants were able to: - Access housing search support quickly - Leverage existing landlord relationships - Participate in housing choice - Move into stable housing within weeks of enrollment This illustrates how **[shared housing infrastructure](/learn/administering-housing-programs) enables speed when timing matters**, without creating parallel systems or additional provider burden. ## Learning Beyond the Platform When asked what advice she would give other communities considering Padmission Connect, Birdsong emphasized connection — not technology. > "We find it very helpful to connect to the community of other states and teams doing the same work, and utilizing Padmission Connect!" > "There have been several meetings where we were able to engage with people experiencing the same challenges and successes, and brainstorm ways to make our process better." Peer learning helped HomeNow Indy: - Avoid common pitfalls - Share engagement strategies - Adapt ideas across markets - Strengthen practice beyond local boundaries ## What Other Communities Can Learn HomeNow Indy's experience highlights several system-level takeaways: - [Centralized landlord engagement](/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance) reduces duplication and burnout - Shared platforms build trust across providers - Landlords are more effective when treated as partners - Data visibility supports better leadership decisions - Client choice and system efficiency are not opposites - Infrastructure enables speed without sacrificing care ## Final Takeaway HomeNow Indy demonstrates that ending homelessness at scale requires more than programs — it requires **infrastructure that allows people to work together**. Padmission Connect did not replace the people doing the work. It supported them — by creating a trusted, centralized foundation that allowed Indianapolis to move faster, work smarter, and expand housing access across the system. [Talk with our team](/contact) about bringing centralized landlord engagement to your community. --- # Building Shared Understanding in Housing Search: New Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides --- title: "Building Shared Understanding in Housing Search: New Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect" description: "New role-based Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect provide participants, case managers, and property managers with role-specific guidance — embedded where work happens." dek: "When guidance is fragmented, systems slow down. New role-based Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect put role-specific support inside the workflow itself." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2026-01-14 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Feature Updates - Housing Navigation - Implementation & Change Management - Landlord Engagement draft: false --- Housing search and landlord engagement workflows rely on shared understanding across roles. When guidance lives in disconnected documents, inboxes, or institutional memory, systems become vulnerable to staff turnover and inconsistent practice. Padmission Connect includes built-in Help Center Guides that sit alongside landlord engagement and housing search workflows, providing role-specific guidance without removing local ownership over process or policy. ## When Guidance Is Fragmented, Systems Slow Down Housing search is inherently multi-party work. Participants, case managers, and property managers all engage with the same process — but from very different perspectives, with different responsibilities and constraints. When guidance is unclear or inconsistent, the burden shows up quickly. Participants may not know what information to share or how to prepare for outreach. Case managers spend time re-explaining basic steps or correcting misunderstandings. Property managers disengage when expectations feel opaque or misaligned. Over time, these small points of friction compound into delays, repeated follow-up, and avoidable Fair Housing risk. ### Why Shared Infrastructure Needs Shared Understanding Most communities invest in platforms to coordinate housing search. But technology alone doesn't create alignment. Systems work best when everyone involved has access to guidance that reflects: - Their role in the process - Their responsibilities and boundaries - How their actions connect to others Without role-specific support, staff end up acting as translators — bridging gaps that should be handled by shared infrastructure. ## A Role-Centered Approach to New Help Guides ### For Participants Participant guides use trauma-informed, strengths-based language and are designed to be easy to understand and apply. They help participants understand how to engage in housing search without needing to interpret complex system rules on their own. Resources include: - A step-by-step participant guide for Connect use - A housing search checklist - A simple call script for contacting property managers - Plain-language explanations of Fair Housing and screening - Tips for staying housed and understanding leases ![Participant Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect](/images/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides/image-1.webp) ### For Case Managers Case manager resources focus on consistency and coordination. They cover: - Supporting housing search using shared tools - Working with participants inside the platform - Communicating with property managers - Applying Fair Housing boundaries - Documentation and coordination best practices These guides are designed to support shared standards across teams while respecting local policy and program design. ![Case Manager Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect](/images/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides/image-2.webp) ### For Property Managers Updated property manager guides provide: - Clear onboarding instructions - Step-by-step help for adding and managing properties - Guidance on working with housing programs and referrals - Simple explanations of how Connect supports lease-ups The intent is to reduce confusion and make participation more straightforward without requiring deep system knowledge. ![Property Manager Help Center Guides in Padmission Connect](/images/learn/padmission-connect-help-center-guides/image-3.webp) When guidance is embedded where work happens, staff don't need to pause to interpret separate manuals or rely on informal training. This structure supports continuity across agencies and roles, ensuring that expectations remain clear even as personnel change. ### How This Supports Day-to-Day Work Systems function best when knowledge persists beyond individuals. By keeping guidance connected to workflow, communities reduce ambiguity while amplifying human decision-making. [Talk with our team](/contact) about how Padmission Connect supports coordinated housing search across your community. --- # Unlocked: How Cincinnati's CoC Centralized Housing Navigation and Opened More Doors for Households in Need Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect --- title: "Unlocked: How Cincinnati's CoC Centralized Housing Navigation and Opened More Doors for Households in Need" description: "Strategies to End Homelessness centralized landlord engagement across the Cincinnati/Hamilton County CoC through RentConnect — expanding housing options and shortening time to placement." dek: "How RentConnect uses Padmission Connect to coordinate landlord relationships, unit access, and housing search across 30 partner agencies." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2025-12-04 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- In communities across the country, decentralized landlord engagement has long created bottlenecks: duplicated cold calls, missed unit opportunities, siloed relationships, and clients stuck with too few options. The alternative — [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) at the CoC level — requires a structural commitment and a shared system that all providers can trust and use. Cincinnati and Hamilton County decided to build exactly that. In this second installment of [**Unlocked**](/learn/unlocked-partnership-home), our series highlighting communities that are expanding housing access by centralizing landlord engagement, we spoke with [**Strategies to End Homelessness (STEH)**](https://strategiestoendhomelessness.org/) and their RentConnect Manager, [**Tiffany Gehrlich**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-gehrlich-3159b719/), about how Padmission Connect is helping them unlock a coordinated, efficient system for housing navigation across their entire CoC. ![RentConnect](/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/image-1.webp) ## Unlocking a Smarter, Shared Approach to Housing Navigation As the lead agency for the Hamilton County/Cincinnati CoC, **STEH partners with 30 local organizations**, 10 of which operate rental assistance programs including RRH, PSH, Shelter Diversion, and SSVF. Before RentConnect, housing search efforts varied significantly by provider. Units were often known to one team but invisible to others, resulting in duplicated outreach and uneven access for participants depending on entry point. Prior to adopting a centralized approach, [landlord engagement](/learn/tags/landlord-engagement) in Cincinnati looked like it does in most communities: [fragmented housing processes](/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance) within the homelessness response system. Housing program staff each maintained their own small network of landlord contacts; landlords had to guess which agency to call; and hundreds of opportunities were missed because information stayed siloed. > "**Decentralization** — Property providers had some housing program staff contacts and housing program staff had some property provider contacts and they were trying to find the right fit at the right time, with these limited connections. If a property provider had open units and their limited contacts couldn't use them, they went to market renters when we know there were other agencies that could have used them. Not only is this process exhausting for both parties, but ultimately it is inefficient and provides very limited access to housing options for the people we are serving." > > — **Tiffany Gehrlich, RentConnect Manager, Strategies to End Homelessness, Cincinnati** This decentralization meant clients often had access to only a handful of unit options — pushing them toward "take what you can get" placements instead of being able to choose where they wanted to live. > "Agencies were hoarding and very protective of their property partner contacts which resulted in many missed opportunities for the individuals and families participating in programs." ![Decentralized landlord engagement creates duplication](/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/image-2.webp) ## Unlocking Efficiency: A Coordinated System That Works for Everyone When STEH launched [**RentConnect**](https://rentconnect.org/) in 2023 as their [centralized landlord engagement program](/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance), they adopted Padmission Connect to give every partner agency access to the same unit opportunities, property partners, and housing search tools. [The results](https://strategiestoendhomelessness.org/2025/03/25/meet-rentconnect/) have been transformative. ### A Centralized Marketplace for Housing Opportunities Instead of dozens of staff cold-calling landlords or scrambling across online listings, RentConnect now manages relationships and unit listings for the entire CoC. Housing program staff simply search, filter, and match clients to viable units — saving hours each week. > "Day to day, RentConnect is taking on the role of locating housing options and building relationships with property partners, and the program staff can focus on getting their clients into that housing." For case managers, day-to-day work shifted from searching for information to evaluating options. Staff could see which units were available, which were already in process, and where coordination was needed — without removing discretion over participant matching. > "The search process is streamlined by having all the details about the unit available, along with photos… program staff and clients can make informed decisions before going out to view the unit." ### Better Experience for Landlords Landlords now reach *all* agencies in the CoC at once instead of trying to guess who needs a unit. > "They love the ease with which they can market their units to multiple agencies!" The [CRM](/connect) has also been a powerful tool, enabling RentConnect to build and maintain strong relationships at scale. ![RentConnect celebrates a property partner](/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/image-3.webp) ### Better Experience for Clients Centralization has opened more doors — literally and figuratively. > "Centralizing [housing navigation](/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect) has opened many more options so households can **choose** where they want to live. Often times, without centralization, the clients were made to essentially 'take what they can get' because there were so few options. What we know about housing stability is that it **increases dramatically** when people get to make their own decisions about where they live." And holding more options in one place has meaningfully reduced the time it takes to house people. > "We have also seen a decrease in the number of days it takes to house someone when the unit is found in Padmission." ## Unlocked Stability Through Choice Tiffany emphasizes that **client choice is deeply tied to housing stability**. When clients can select units based on proximity to supports, accessibility needs, school districts, or neighborhood preference, long-term outcomes improve. Padmission Connect's map search and filtering tools have been especially helpful: - Programs accepted by the Property Manager - Tenant selection criteria - Accessibility features - Specific neighborhoods - Desired unit types ![RentConnect in action](/images/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect/image-4.webp) ## Unlocked Insight: What Cincinnati Wants Other Communities to Know When asked what advice she'd give to communities considering Padmission Connect, Tiffany's answer was simple and clear: > "Padmission has been an integral component to building our centralized housing navigation program." And her biggest lesson in [landlord engagement](/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance)? > "Relationships, relationships, relationships! I always know we are doing something right when a property partner calls me to discuss a negative situation they encountered with a tenant they got from us, and still ends the call with 'I will have a new unit to add to Padmission next week.' I have also learned that connecting property partners to the mission is a great way to keep them engaged. People like to feel like they are doing something good for others." The ability to nurture those relationships — while making the housing search easier for both landlords and staff — is at the core of STEH's success. ## Cincinnati's Takeaway: Centralization Isn't Just More Efficient — It's More Equitable RentConnect demonstrates how shared and centralized housing access can improve coordination without centralizing decision-making. The system creates clarity around availability while preserving local judgment and program requirements. By centralizing housing navigation, the Cincinnati/Hamilton County CoC has created a system where: - landlords reach more tenants - staff spend less time searching and more time supporting - participants have real options - the entire community captures opportunities that once slipped through the cracks This is what *Unlocked* looks like in practice: communities reshaping their systems to increase access, reduce friction, and create more housing opportunities for the people they serve. Stay tuned for the next installment of **Unlocked**, where we'll continue highlighting communities transforming landlord engagement and expanding housing access across the country. Explore how other communities have built [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs) at the system level — including how [Partnership Home in Tarrant County restructured shared housing access](/learn/unlocked-partnership-home) across their CoC and how [NMCEH in Albuquerque launched a Landlord Engagement Program](/learn/unlocked-nmceh-centralized-landlord-engagement-albuquerque) that cut housing search time by nearly half. For communities working through how [unit reservation coordination supports placement pipelines](/learn/unit-reservation-coordination-housing-search) across agencies, that operational detail is covered separately. And for the broader context of how [system fragmentation in homelessness response](/learn/administering-housing-programs) shapes what communities can accomplish, that framing is worth reading alongside any centralization effort. --- # Empowering Client Choice with Padmission Connect Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect --- title: "Empowering Client Choice with Padmission Connect" description: "Padmission Connect's interactive housing search and Map Search tools expand client choice — helping participants find homes that fit their lives, not just available units." dek: "In communities across the country, Padmission Connect is helping housing programs put choice back into the hands of the people they serve." category: "Housing Search & Client Choice" date: 2025-11-24 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Housing Stability - Participants & Tenants - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- In communities across the country, Padmission Connect is helping housing programs put **choice** back into the hands of the people they serve. With **interactive housing search tools**, participants and their case managers can work together — within one secure system — to identify housing that truly fits a participant's needs, supports, and daily life. This isn't simply about locating an available unit. It is about helping people find the **right home in the right place** — without relying on fragmented listings, spreadsheets, or disconnected communication. Housing search works best when participants can see real options and evaluate them alongside the people supporting their housing journey. ## Why Client Choice Matters for Housing Stability Limiting client choice can unintentionally undermine long-term housing stability. When participants can explore housing options across neighborhoods, they are more likely to find homes that support the realities of their lives. Location shapes access to social supports such as family, faith communities, and personal networks. It affects proximity to employment or existing jobs, the availability of healthcare and education, and the practical transportation routes that allow someone to maintain daily responsibilities. It also influences broader quality-of-life conditions — including access to healthy food, cleaner environments, and other social determinants of health that shape long-term well-being. Expanding visibility into housing opportunities allows participants and staff to prioritize homes that support stability rather than settling for the first available option. ## Search by What Matters Most Client choice depends on access to real options. In fragmented housing systems, choice is often constrained not by policy, but by limited visibility into what housing is actually available. Coordinated housing search expands the set of options participants can consider while preserving the role of staff in guiding the process. ![RentConnect — coordinated housing search](/images/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect/image-1.webp) With [Map Search](/learn/map-search), participants and case managers can explore housing opportunities near the people, services, and opportunities that matter most. Using the interactive map, participants and staff can: - **Search by location** to identify homes near social and community supports. - **Stay connected to work, schools, and healthcare providers** that support stability. - **Explore neighborhoods** that offer safer environments, quality food access, and community amenities. By expanding client choice in housing search to more zip codes and neighborhoods, communities can support more informed housing decisions that align with a participant's daily life. ### Relevant Listings, Every Time Housing search often becomes frustrating when participants spend time exploring units that are not actually eligible for their program or subsidy. Map Search reduces that confusion by aligning housing listings with program requirements and participant eligibility. Properties are automatically filtered based on program and funding parameters so that participants and staff see listings that are truly viable. Listings can be filtered by: - **Voucher or subsidy compatibility** and appropriate unit size - **Program enrollment**, such as PSH, RRH, SSVF, or other housing initiatives - **Funding boundaries** associated with specific projects - **Budget parameters** established by the housing provider Participants see only the units that are realistic matches, making every search result meaningful and reducing time spent navigating unavailable options. ### Collaborative Housing Search Housing search works best when participants and staff can coordinate easily throughout the process. Map Search turns housing navigation into a shared workflow rather than a series of disconnected communications. Participants can explore listings independently while remaining connected to their support team. Participants can: - Save and share listings with their case manager - Communicate with property managers when enabled by the program - Search for housing anytime from their phone or computer Each community can configure communication settings to match their local workflow — whether inquiries are routed through housing locator staff, coordinated with case managers, or opened for direct communication with property managers. This flexibility allows communities to balance participant empowerment with appropriate oversight and coordination. ![Map Search in Padmission Connect](/images/learn/enabling-client-choice-with-padmission-connect/image-2.webp) ## A Reflection of Housing First Principles At its core, Map Search supports the principles of Housing First by removing unnecessary barriers and centering participant choice within the housing search process. When participants can explore real housing options, coordinate with their support team, and act quickly on opportunities that fit their lives, the housing process becomes more stable and less disruptive. Communities often see: - **More efficient housing navigation** - **Less stress during the housing search process** - **Greater long-term stability** as participants move into homes that align with their lives Client choice is strongest when supported by systems that expand options without prescribing outcomes. ## Technology That Supports Coordinated Housing Search Map Search connects people, programs, and properties within one coordinated housing search experience. By combining housing visibility, participant engagement, and configurable communication, communities can make housing navigation clearer and more collaborative. Every search becomes an opportunity for participants and staff to identify housing that supports stability — not just availability. Learn more about [housing search coordination best practices](/learn/tags/housing-navigation) or [talk with us](/contact) about how communities are supporting participant choice. See how [RentConnect in Cincinnati](/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect) put these principles into practice. **Ready to expand housing choice in your community?** Learn more about [Padmission Connect](/connect). --- # Partnering with Padmission Communities: A Smarter Way for Property Owners to Fill Vacancies and Make an Impact Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/owners-and-operators --- title: "Partnering with Padmission Communities: A Smarter Way for Property Owners to Fill Vacancies and Make an Impact" description: "Property owners don't partner with Padmission directly — they partner with the local agencies that use Padmission Connect to recruit, manage, and support property partners." dek: "Padmission Connect is the software local agencies use to enable owners and operators to offer their units to rental assistance program tenants — here's how those partnerships work." category: "Landlord Engagement & Partnerships" date: 2025-11-12 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/owners-and-operators/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/owners-and-operators/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Property Owners & Operators - CRM & Property Engagement Data - Housing Program Administration - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Property Owners & Managers - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- If you're a property owner or operator looking to keep your units filled, reduce turnover, and make a difference in your community, you've likely come across software solutions built by **Padmission**. You may have even wondered: *"Can I partner directly with Padmission to list my units?"* Here's the short answer: **You don't partner with Padmission itself — you partner with the communities using Padmission software**. But we play a key role in connecting property owners like you with **local agencies** that operate housing programs — using **Padmission's property listing software [Connect](/connect)** to manage listings, match tenants, and fill vacancies faster. In other words, **Padmission Connect is the software communities use to enable owners and operators to offer their units to rental assistance program tenants**. And those partnerships can be an incredibly valuable part of your leasing strategy. ## How Padmission Connect Works Padmission Connect is a **centralized property engagement and housing search platform** used by communities nationwide to help people exiting homelessness find housing ([click here to see which communities use Connect](/customers)). Our software helps **local housing agencies**: - Recruit and manage property owner partnerships - Share unit listings securely within a trusted network - Match households to units that fit their voucher or subsidy - Track housing outcomes and streamline communication Through this system, **your property listing can reach pre-screened, supported tenants who are ready to lease — often backed by rental assistance programs that reduce risk for owners**. ![Padmission Connect for property managers](/images/learn/owners-and-operators/image-1.webp) ## Why Property Owners Benefit from Connect Communities Even though you're not partnering with Padmission directly, the benefits of joining a **Connect-powered community** are clear: ### 1. Fill Vacancies Faster Property managers often struggle to keep units filled between tenants. Local agencies using Padmission have **households actively searching for housing** every day. When your property is listed in their system, it's visible to **case managers and participants** who are ready to move — meaning less downtime and fewer marketing costs. *Read how [Cincinnati has fully integrated property owners and operators](/learn/unlocked-cincinnati-rentconnect) into their homelessness rental assistance programs.* ### 2. Reliable Rent Payments Most programs that use Padmission are tied to **HUD-funded rental assistance** or **local subsidy programs**, ensuring that a portion — sometimes the majority — of rent is **guaranteed and paid on time** each month. ### 3. Reduced Risk and Added Support Many local agencies provide different solutions to turn rental assistance programs into business solutions for your portfolio: - **Tenant support services** to help residents maintain stability - **Dedicated staff contacts** for any concerns - **Risk mitigation funds** for damages or unpaid rent These layers of support help landlords feel confident renting to tenants referred through these programs. ### 4. Be Part of the Solution Housing is a critical part of ending homelessness — and property owners are the linchpin. By partnering with a Padmission community, you're not just filling a vacancy. You're **helping a family, veteran, youth, or individual exit homelessness and rebuild stability**. ## A Note on How Partnerships Work Each community using Padmission operates independently, following their **own local guidelines and funding structures**. That means: - Rental amounts, security deposit coverage, and utility payment processes vary. - Some programs offer **bonus incentives** to try out the program or offset risk associated with tenant selection criteria. - Each agency customizes its approach to meet the needs of local landlords and tenants alike. Padmission provides the **technology platform — Connect —** while these **local agencies handle the program operations and partnerships**. So, when you're ready to list your property or learn more, you'll connect directly with the **agency managing Padmission in your area**. ## How to Get Connected If you're interested in joining a Padmission-powered community, here's what to do: 1. **Send us the cities where you own or manage properties.** This helps us identify which Padmission community operates in your area. 2. **We'll connect you directly to the local agency** so you can learn more about their program details, incentives, and partnership process. 3. **They'll work with you** to get your property listed and ready for tenant matching through their Padmission portal. **To get started, [fill out the Contact Us form](/contact)** to provide your company and contact information, along with the location(s) of your properties. ![Get connected with Padmission communities](/images/learn/owners-and-operators/image-2.webp) ## Real Impact, Local Results Communities using Padmission have already helped **thousands of people find safe, stable homes** — and they've done it by partnering with landlords just like you. Whether your goal is to **reduce vacancy loss, expand your tenant pool, or give back to your community**, partnering through a Padmission community is a practical and rewarding way to do it. Every property that joins makes a difference — not just in occupancy rates, but in lives changed. ## Ready to Get Involved? Join the growing network of property owners helping to expand housing opportunities in their communities. Together, we can make vacancy losses smaller — and housing opportunities bigger. Learn more about [how Padmission Connect helps local agencies recruit, manage, and support property partners](/connect). --- # Unlocked: How Partnership Home Uses Padmission Connect to Strengthen Landlord Engagement Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/unlocked-partnership-home --- title: "Unlocked: How Partnership Home Uses Padmission Connect to Strengthen Landlord Engagement" description: "How Partnership Home in Tarrant County moved from siloed, navigator-held landlord lists to a centralized property engagement model powered by Padmission Connect." dek: "In most communities, landlord engagement starts and ends with whoever picked up the phone last. Partnership Home recognized this as a system design problem — and built a centralized model where property relationships became system assets instead of individual ones." category: "Unlocked Series (Community Success Stories)" date: 2025-10-16 author: name: "Daniel Davis" role: "Director · Product & Customer Experience" bio: "Daniel leads product and customer experience at Padmission. He came from four years leading Landlord Relations at HOM, Inc., where he built Threshold — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service spanning three CoCs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldaviss/" hero: "/images/learn/unlocked-partnership-home/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/unlocked-partnership-home/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Implementation & Change Management - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- ## Spotlight on Partnership Home Partnership Home serves as the collaborative applicant, HMIS, and Coordinated Entry lead for the TX-601 Continuum of Care. Their mission: build strong partnerships, lead with innovation, and act as a catalyst for community transformation. We spoke with their Director of Housing and landlord engagement expert, Kimberly Doty, about how Padmission Connect has changed the way their team collaborates, engages landlords, and helps clients find a place to call home. ## Centralizing Landlord Engagement With centralized property engagement in place, landlords were no longer tied to a single program or navigator. At the same time, staff retained discretion over placements, eligibility, and participant support — decisions remained human-led, while access to information became system-owned. Before using Padmission Connect, landlord engagement and housing navigation at Partnership Home was siloed. Staff often held onto "secret landlords" they had developed relationships with, which limited collaboration. That's changed dramatically. > "After about 6 months of showing up for our Case Management staff and showing them how we can ADD value to their already formed landlord relationships, our frontline staff now even bring us landlords they have found for the entire community to access." By shifting to a **centralized property engagement model**, Partnership Home has created a culture where landlord relationships are shared, not siloed. This ensures more equitable access to housing opportunities for all participants. The team uses Padmission Connect daily to keep track of properties, landlord communication, and available units. > "Padmission has given our team a way to centralize our knowledge. We can pick up where someone else has left off in connecting with a property. Padmission's different features help us ensure we are engaging with all our partners and have easy access to our unit inventory." Their most frequently used features for coordinated housing search include: - **Map-Based Search** – to help clients quickly identify properties near work, school, or other important locations. - **Unit Reservations** – to hold units for participants with substantial housing barriers. - **Lease-Up Tracking** – to connect high-impact programs to successful placements. > "Recently, our most used have been the reservations that allow us to keep inventory of the units that are allocated to our client demographic, even if the property isn't partnered. We are also able to connect our specific high-impact program to our lease-ups and keep track of our leased units." ![Map Search Upload](/images/learn/unlocked-partnership-home/image-1.webp) ### Connect's Map Search Functionality An interactive map search with filtering specifically designed for homeless rental assistance programs enables Partnership Home's service provider partners to move households into permanent housing quickly. ## Lessons in Building Landlord Trust Partnership Home's success has come from more than just technology — it's also about people. > "It is crucial to stay front facing with landlords to build a strong foundation of trust. This helps prevent eviction for the clients and builds trust with the landlord to come to you in times of need." By using Padmission Connect alongside personal landlord relationships, Partnership Home has built a reliable system for both property owners and participants. ## Bringing it Home One client story stands out. > "Through the map feature, (a client completely new to the area) found a place that wasn't far from her future employer. She was able to call them and schedule her tour right in front of me which ultimately ended with her living at that property. We've had so many clients find a place to call home via Padmission." Stories like this showcase how Padmission Connect not only supports case managers and landlords, but also empowers clients to make housing choices that fit their lives. ## Advice for Other Communities When asked what advice they'd share with others considering Padmission Connect, Partnership Home emphasized landlord excitement and data insights: > "My advice would be to really get your landlord partners excited about using Padmission. From what we've seen, those who are invested in updating consistently and posting specials on their pages have seen increased interest from both clients who are excited about their program and case managers who are looking to house someone. Also, keep an eye on the data you get from it. I like being able to see which of our partner agencies have high utilization and which agencies might need some more help navigating the system." Partnership Home's experience reflects a pattern visible across communities that have made this structural shift. For the operational design behind centralized landlord engagement for CoCs — including how communities structure shared access before launching — that guide covers the architecture in full. For a closer look at how unit reservation coordination supports housing placement pipelines across agencies, that detail is covered separately. And for the broader picture of how system fragmentation in homelessness response shapes what communities can accomplish, that framing connects directly to what Partnership Home set out to solve. [Talk with us about centralized landlord engagement in your community](/contact). --- # We're Growing Our Team To Help Connect Customers Implement Landlord Engagement Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/introducing-daniel-davis --- title: "We're Growing Our Team To Help Connect Customers Implement Landlord Engagement" description: "Daniel Davis joins Padmission as our first Director of Product & Customer Experience, bringing deep landlord engagement and housing program leadership to the Connect platform." dek: "A new role at Padmission, created to strengthen how we support our partners, listen to feedback, and continually improve the Padmission Connect platform." category: "Company & Team News" date: 2025-08-01 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/introducing-daniel-davis/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/introducing-daniel-davis/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Company Updates - Landlord Engagement draft: false --- We're excited to share some big news: **Daniel Davis has joined Padmission as our first-ever Director of Product and Customer Experience!** This is a brand-new role at Padmission, created to strengthen how we support our partners, listen to feedback, and continually improve the Padmission Connect platform. Daniel's experience in landlord engagement and housing programs makes him uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between technology and real-world housing solutions. ![Daniel Davis joins Padmission as Director of Product & Customer Experience](/images/learn/introducing-daniel-davis/image-1.webp) ## A Proven Leader in Housing and Landlord Engagement Daniel is passionate about ending homelessness in his local community and brings deep expertise to this role. For the past four years, he served as **Director of Landlord Relations at [HOM, Inc.](http://www.hominc.com)**, where he spearheaded *[Threshold](http://www.thresholdaz.com)* — Arizona's centralized landlord engagement service. In this role, he led the implementation of landlord recruitment and support services while overseeing the state-wide centralization of Padmission Connect across three Continuums of Care (CoCs). Before HOM, Daniel was **Director of Housing at [UMOM New Day Centers](http://www.umom.org)**, where he led Maricopa County's largest family Rapid Rehousing (RRH), Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs. His leadership has consistently focused on building partnerships, scaling Housing First programs, and finding innovative ways to connect households with stable housing. ## What a Director of Product & Customer Experience Will Bring to Padmission In this new capacity, Daniel will focus on: - **Robust Onboarding & Training:** Ensuring communities are able to achieve high results quickly, so Connect is enabling homeless systems to efficiently and effectively centralize landlord engagement. - **Partner Support:** Strengthening the ways Padmission supports communities, CoCs, and property partners. - **Product Development:** Working closely with our development team to enhance Connect based on real-time feedback from users. - **Collaboration & Learning:** Building opportunities for peer learning, shared best practices, and stronger connections across the Padmission network. ## Strengthening Our Support This new role reflects Padmission's commitment to listening to our partners and growing in response to your needs. By combining technology with landlord engagement and housing system experience, Daniel will help ensure Padmission continues to evolve as the trusted platform for landlord engagement and housing connection. Please join us in welcoming Daniel to the Padmission team — we're excited for the impact this role will have on expanding housing opportunities together. [Meet the rest of the Padmission team](/team), or [get in touch](/contact) to talk about landlord engagement in your community. --- # Introducing Journey, the industry's first homeless housing program administration platform Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/introducing-journey-the-industrys-first-homeless-housing-program-administration-platform --- title: "Introducing Journey, the industry's first homeless housing program administration platform" description: "Padmission announces Journey — end-to-end housing program administration built specifically for the permanent housing interventions homeless services systems run every day." dek: "Built on three decades of housing program administration experience, Journey delivers end-to-end program execution and the analytics to improve outcomes." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2024-07-04 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/introducing-journey-the-industrys-first-homeless-housing-program-administration-platform/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/introducing-journey-the-industrys-first-homeless-housing-program-administration-platform/hero.webp" tags: - Journey - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Program Agencies - Feature Updates - Housing Program Administration draft: false --- **Washington, DC, (July 8, 2024) –** Padmission, the leading innovator in landlord engagement and housing search assistance software for homeless services systems, announces the availability of *Journey*, the industry's first homeless housing program administration platform. Journey provides homeless services organizations with end-to-end housing program administration and the analytics to improve housing program performance and outcomes. With over three decades of expertise managing housing programs within one of the largest U.S. homeless housing program administrators, Padmission's seasoned team has designed Journey to deliver immediate, tangible benefits. "Deploying Journey has been a game-changer for us," said Breya Birdsong, Vice President of Rental Assistance Programs for RDOOR in Indianapolis, Indiana. "The streamlined workflow frees up our housing specialists and case managers to focus on more meaningful client interactions resulting in improved housing stability and retention." Padmission's extensive collaboration with over 30 homeless services systems utilizing their *Connect* property engagement and housing search solution highlighted the urgent need for more efficient housing program administration nationwide. "Journey is built specifically for the permanent housing program interventions administered in the homeless services sector. We're excited to bring a tailored solution to homeless services organizations that ensures compliance, ease-of-use, and insight into complex housing program operations," said Mike Shore, CEO of Padmission. "A proven, scalable, and compliant solution will dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of administering homeless housing programs for our partners." A critical concern for most homeless housing program administrators is providing real-time visibility into the financial utilization and performance metrics for their funders. "We support multiple service organizations across the State of Arizona with a myriad of grantors and funding sources," said Brian Petersen, President of HOM, Inc. "Journey has provided our numerous non-profit and public partners with full visibility and transparency into our administration of their housing programs." Padmission will showcase the transformative capabilities of Journey at the National Alliance to End Homelessness 2024 Conference in Washington D.C. from July 8th through the 10th. ## About Padmission Padmission combines decades of housing program administration experience with software solutions to increase housing availability, streamline operations and improve program outcomes for non-profit and public homeless housing partners. For more information on Padmission's solutions, [visit Padmission.com](/). [Learn more about Padmission Journey](/journey), or [schedule a walkthrough](/contact). --- # Property Engagement in the 2022 Special NOFO Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/landlord-engagement-2022-special-nofo --- title: "Property Engagement in the 2022 Special NOFO" description: "How CoCs can use Padmission to operationalize centralized landlord engagement in response to HUD's Special NOFO to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness." dek: "HUD's Special NOFO calls for centralized, system-level landlord engagement. Here's how Padmission helps CoCs build it." category: "Landlord Engagement & Partnerships" date: 2022-09-14 author: name: "Kevin McKee" role: "CIO · Co-Founder" bio: "Kevin leads engineering and platform architecture at Padmission. Before Padmission, he founded Intellow LLC and has spent over a decade building software for housing and rental assistance programs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckeekevin" hero: "/images/learn/landlord-engagement-2022-special-nofo/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/landlord-engagement-2022-special-nofo/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Continuum of Care Leadership - Housing Locators - Implementation & Change Management - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- As your community is preparing your submission for the HUD CoC Program [Special NOFO to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/e-snaps/coc-supplemental-nofo-to-address-unsheltered-rural-homelessness/), it is important to note that effective Landlord Engagement is essential to providing housing opportunities for our most vulnerable community members. We all know that housing is the solution to homelessness. Taking this one step further, this means that landlords and property managers have the solution to homelessness. A truly effective approach to ending homelessness must include a successful Landlord Engagement program. ## HUD Email About Landlord Engagement HUD sent an [email on September 13th](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/e-snaps/coc-supplemental-nofo-to-address-unsheltered-rural-homelessness/coc-program-special-nofo-digest-landlord-engagement/) to the SNAPS-COMPETITIONS-L@HUDLIST.HUD.GOV list focused on Landlord Engagement. Let's review some of the content in this email and see how Padmission can be an integral part of an effective Landlord Engagement program. > In responding to the Special NOFO, CoCs are expected to demonstrate how they recruit landlords, and their units, in which to use tenant-based assistance. and > CoCs should also evaluate their existing landlord recruitment efforts to determine what has and has not worked well. This analysis should inform new approaches and renewed efforts. If you do not currently have centralized landlord engagement at the CoC level, now is a great time to consider moving in that direction. More and more communities are moving to this approach because it ensures there is dedicated staff working on this critical aspect of ending homelessness and it frees up case managers to focus on supportive services. > **Develop a centralized, system-level tracking tool**. If your CoC does not already [have] a centralized repository of all available units and landlord contact information, they should consider creating one to store new landlord information. If possible, the tool should indicate whether the landlord has any available units in real time. *This is the core functionality of Padmission* and has been since we launched in 2019. In fact, this is not the first time HUD made this recommendation. Back in 2020, they sent out a [Landlord Engagement document](https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/COVID-19-Landlord-Engagement-Reset-Your-Communitys-Critical-Partnerships-During-COVID-Response.pdf) where they recommended the same thing and even included a link to Padmission at the bottom of page 3 / top of page 4. > During outreach, CoCs should present landlords with [a simple ask](https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/COVID-19-Landlord-Engagement-Reset-Your-Communitys-Critical-Partnerships-During-COVID-Response.pdf): > > - How many units are available? > - What bedroom and bathroom size? > - Are you willing to accept tenants without photo ID or other traditional requirements for renting to someone (e.g., rental/credit history, etc.)? > - What can we do to provide you assurance that it is beneficial to rent to our clients? For instance, would you participate if you had access to a landlord risk mitigation fund, etc.? Unit and bed/bath information has been a part of Padmission for years, but we recently launched a full suite of CRM functionality that help you better recruit landlords. Specifically, Padmission tracks and provides reporting on why landlords choose to market their properties on Padmission, or why they choose not to. It's important to gather this information, but it's even better to have built-in reporting that turns that data into actionable information. For example, if you learn that 60% of property managers would participate if a risk mitigation fund were launched then you can use that data to find funding to make that happen and increase options for our participants. Here's an example of what your reporting might look like after your community implements Padmission: ![declined reasons chart showing reasons property managers decline participation](/images/learn/landlord-engagement-2022-special-nofo/image-1.webp) ## Track Landlord Engagement as a Sales Process One of the ways Padmission helps your community maximize the number of property managers, properties, and units available to housing program participants is by operationalizing the sales process of landlord engagement. There aren't a lot of people working on solving homelessness with a background in sales, but having a salesperson **mindset** and **system/process** will result in recruiting the most property managers. Padmission lays out the process easily for anyone (*no sales experience necessary*) to be effective in "selling" rental assistance programs to property managers. Here's an example of the property manager statuses in Padmission and how housing locators are guided through this sales process. ![landlord engagement sales statuses workflow in Padmission](/images/learn/landlord-engagement-2022-special-nofo/image-2.webp) ## Collaborate With Other Communities Communities are having success using Padmission for their Landlord Engagement efforts, but we know that software is just one piece of this puzzle. Padmission doesn't provide marketing materials or develop a retention strategy. The software doesn't come up with new incentive programs or outreach strategies. However, we bring together some of the most passionate people across the country and share ideas in our Discord channel. When you become a customer of Padmission, you also join this group of incredible people where you can have direct conversations with others and find out what's working for them. ## Application Due Date and Next Steps The application for this Special NOFO is [due by October 20th, 2022](https://www.hudexchange.info/news/coc-program-supplemental-nofo-address-unsheltered-and-rural-homelessness/). Communities across the country are using Padmission as the software that drives their Landlord Engagement efforts. If you would like a demo and/or pricing to include in the response to this NOFO, please fill out our [contact form](/contact) or [schedule a demo](/contact). --- # New Map Search for Desktop and Mobile Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/map-search --- title: "New Map Search for Desktop and Mobile" description: "Padmission Connect integrates map-based housing visibility directly into housing search workflows, so navigators can see available units, status, and access in one place." dek: "Spatial visibility is a core requirement of effective coordinated housing search. Map Search puts it in the workflow, not in a separate tool." category: "Housing Search & Client Choice" date: 2022-04-06 author: name: "Kevin McKee" role: "CIO · Co-Founder" bio: "Kevin leads engineering and platform architecture at Padmission. Before Padmission, he founded Intellow LLC and has spent over a decade building software for housing and rental assistance programs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckeekevin" hero: "/images/learn/map-search/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/map-search/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Feature Updates - Housing Navigation - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- Location, location, location. Spatial visibility is a core requirement of effective and coordinated housing search. Understanding where units are located, how they relate to services and social supports, and which are actively available supports informed housing decisions and enables client choice. In many systems, location data exists but is disconnected from housing workflows, limiting its usefulness for navigation and coordination. Padmission Connect integrates map-based housing visibility directly into housing search workflows, allowing staff to view available units alongside status and access constraints. ![Map Search visualization](/images/learn/map-search/image-1.webp) In practice, navigators use spatial context to evaluate options, coordinate inquiries, and support participant choice without relying on separate tools or exports. By embedding spatial visibility into coordinated housing search, systems improve clarity without introducing new handoffs. Learn more about [Padmission Connect](/connect), or [talk with us about how technology-enabled visibility supports coordinated housing access](/contact). --- # Manage Units, Inspections, Reservations and Signing Bonuses Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/manage-units-inspections-reservations-and-signing-bonuses --- title: "Manage Units, Inspections, Reservations and Signing Bonuses" description: "Padmission adds unit-level management, inspection tracking, reservations, and signing bonus support — giving housing locators new flexibility for surge lease-ups." dek: "New unit-level functionality lets housing locators track inspections, hold units, and align with HUD guidance on ESG-CV landlord incentives." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2020-11-01 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/manage-units-inspections-reservations-and-signing-bonuses/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/manage-units-inspections-reservations-and-signing-bonuses/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Feature Updates - Housing Program Administration - Inspections & Compliance - Landlord Engagement draft: false --- Housing search through strong landlord relationships is the core of the Padmission platform, but as promising approaches and practices emerge in the field, we want to give you added flexibility and functionality to enhance your efforts. We're excited to launch this latest feature that provides new functionality to manage units, inspections, reservations and signing bonuses. #### Manage Units Housing Locators can now add and manage individual units on floor plans for properties in Padmission. Here, you can track inspections and upload inspection reports and associated documents at the unit level. You can also add move-in and move-out dates to track the status of units as available, leased or vacated. This feature will be further enhanced with our next update where we will allow you to link housing program participants to units so that you can track housing search times by programs, providers, household sizes and more. #### Unit Reservations and Signing Bonuses We've also added the ability to reserve or hold a unit at a property in Padmission. This is a strategy that is particularly useful in housing surges and mass lease-up efforts and ties in nicely with the recent guidance from HUD to use ESG-CV funds for financial incentives for landlords. We wrote earlier in the month about the HOM's landlord survey that they conducted to inform their practice in this area. This feature is configurable in the app, so if your community is not employing a reservation strategy, you can leave the setting off. Below is a video walking through these new features in the app. Please take a look and reach out if you have any questions or need additional support. We're here for you! --- # Landlord Incentives: HOM Survey Results Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/landlord-incentives-hom-survey-results --- title: "Landlord Incentives: HOM Survey Results" description: "Financial landlord incentives are a critical strategy for pandemic rehousing. HOM, Inc. surveyed landlords directly to inform ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing practice." dek: "How HOM, Inc. surveyed landlords on signing bonuses, risk mitigation, screening flexibility, and unit reservations — and what the results mean for ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing." category: "Landlord Engagement & Partnerships" date: 2020-10-16 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/landlord-incentives-hom-survey-results/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/landlord-incentives-hom-survey-results/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Incentives - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- We're seeing some amazing work around the country by leaders in homeless services systems around landlord engagement in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, HUD Notice CPD-20-08, *Waivers and Alternative Requirements for the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program Under the CARES Act*, provides the field with alternative requirements and flexibilities under the CARES Act, including for **landlord incentives**. Incentivizing landlords to participate in housing programs, and particularly Rapid Rehousing programs, is [an important strategy](/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance) for achieving rehousing objectives related to the pandemic and into the future. The question for many communities has been how to determine the proper amount and structure of financial landlord incentives. There are budgetary, programmatic, and other elements to consider and lots of stakeholders with opinions. One voice that is critical to the conversation is **landlords themselves**. ##### **Ask Landlords What They Need** [HOM, Inc.](https://www.hominc.com/), together with their Rapid Rehousing program service partners, conducted a survey of landlords to get their input on concepts like "signing bonuses," risk mitigation funding, reduced screening requirements and unit reservation strategies. The results helped to inform their policy and practice recommendations for ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing and have sparked discussion about long-term, sustainable incentive offerings for other programs and funding sources. They've generously shared [their survey results](https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=EK0SeBbQUkGj487Vp-ZE4Ncubuj2iVJKurkv-GJP6PNUMEczNjM1OERZRExQSlVJSklZM09BV0ZIRy4u&AnalyzerToken=i4ig1bUs5n75Z5FuQRbc8E45ORkry4OP) and a [template to duplicate](https://forms.office.com/Pages/ShareFormPage.aspx?id=EK0SeBbQUkGj487Vp-ZE4Ncubuj2iVJKurkv-GJP6PNUMEczNjM1OERZRExQSlVJSklZM09BV0ZIRy4u&sharetoken=1Z9jQ2ZuUR5sdMHgTbdQ) is available. ##### **Tracking Signing Bonuses and Unit Reservations** We're working on some new tracking and reporting features in Padmission to help communities operationalize some of these landlord incentives features. ![Padmission Manage Units](/images/learn/landlord-incentives-hom-survey-results/image-1.webp) Stay tuned for an update soon! If you're interested in discussing the survey results or seeing a demo of the landlord incentives tracking options, give us a shout. [Contact Padmission](/contact) --- # Document Upload and Management Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/document-upload-and-management --- title: "Document Upload and Management" description: "You can now upload and manage documents related to landlord engagement, housing search and the lease-up process in Padmission." dek: "Tenancy applications, landlord screening criteria, W-9s, MOUs — exchange and manage every housing search and lease-up document directly in the app." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2020-05-22 author: name: "Kevin McKee" role: "CIO · Co-Founder" bio: "Kevin leads engineering and platform architecture at Padmission. Before Padmission, he founded Intellow LLC and has spent over a decade building software for housing and rental assistance programs." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckeekevin" hero: "/images/learn/document-upload-and-management/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/document-upload-and-management/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Feature Updates - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement draft: false --- Document upload and management is here! We're really excited to roll out this latest feature to support your efforts to get people housed faster in your communities. You can now **upload and manage documents** related to landlord engagement, housing search and the lease-up process in Padmission. **Tenancy applications** and **landlord screening criteria** are two of the most commonly needed documents for housing program participants and case managers as part of their search and application process. Some Housing Locators are collecting **W-9**'s from property owners and others are executing **MOU**'s or **landlord liaison agreements** with landlords. Any housing program-related documents may now be easily exchanged and managed between property managers and Housing Locators right in the app. We've added some default document types and as always, we provide you the flexibility to customize additional types to meet your needs in your community. Check out the video below for a thorough walk-through of the documents feature. We look forward to speaking with you soon to hear your thoughts on this exciting new feature! --- # Re-Order and Delete Images Update Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/re-order-and-delete-images-update --- title: "Re-Order and Delete Images Update" description: "New functionality gives property managers and housing locators more control over organizing property images in Padmission." dek: "A short update on a new image management feature — and a note of admiration for the housing professionals navigating the early pandemic." category: "Product Updates & New Features" date: 2020-03-31 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/re-order-and-delete-images-update/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/re-order-and-delete-images-update/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - CRM & Property Engagement Data - Feature Updates - Property Owners & Managers draft: false --- #### **Admiration and Gratitude** We just wanted to send a quick note to express our genuine admiration and sincere gratitude for the work that you and your colleagues are doing – always, but especially now. Please be safe and stay well. #### **Feature Update** We've rolled out some new functionality that gives property managers and housing locators more control in organizing images for properties. Click on the image below to launch a quick YouTube video of how to use this new feature. --- # Property Engagement and Housing Search Assistance Source: https://www.padmission.com/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance --- title: "Property Engagement and Housing Search Assistance" description: "Padmission is a web-based platform built for homeless services systems to centralize their landlord engagement and housing search assistance efforts." dek: "As communities scale Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing, there's a clear opportunity to align landlord engagement and housing search at the system level." category: "Landlord Engagement & Partnerships" date: 2020-03-08 author: name: "Michael Shore" role: "CEO · Co-Founder" bio: "Mike is a 30+ year practitioner of ending homelessness through permanent housing solutions. As CEO of HOM, Inc., he oversees rental assistance programs spanning permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, housing choice vouchers, and HUD-VASH." linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshore" hero: "/images/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance/hero.webp" image: "/images/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance/hero.webp" tags: - Connect - Housing Locators - Housing Navigation - Landlord Engagement - Permanent Supportive Housing Programs - Rapid Rehousing Programs - SSVF Programs draft: false --- > **Editor's note — March 2026:** *This post was written in May 2020, shortly after HUD issued guidance encouraging Continuums of Care to develop proactive, affirmative landlord engagement systems at the community level. The concepts introduced here — centralization, shared landlord databases, coordinated housing search — have only grown more relevant in the years since. For a deeper treatment of what centralized landlord engagement looks like in practice today, including how CoCs are structuring the function, building landlord partnerships at scale, and measuring results, read our cornerstone post: [Centralized Landlord Engagement for Continuums of Care (CoCs)](/learn/centralized-landlord-engagement-a-guide-for-cocs). For what it looks like once built, [RentSelect in Montgomery County](/learn/unlocked-rentselect-centralized-landlord-engagement-montgomery-county) is the fullest example we have written up.* As homeless services systems scale permanent housing interventions like Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing (RRH) in communities, there is a tremendous opportunity and need to ***strengthen and align efforts in landlord engagement and housing search assistance.*** On May 15, 2020, [HUD issued guidance](https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/COVID-19-Landlord-Engagement-Reset-Your-Communitys-Critical-Partnerships-During-COVID-Response.pdf) on the HUD Exchange to Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) recipients and Continuums of Care (CoCs) on developing a "proactive, affirmative landlord engagement system" in communities. We were pleased to be highlighted by HUD in this guidance where they encourage CoCs to "***develop a system-level tool or database to collect and maintain available units and landlord contact information.***" Padmission provides CoCs and homeless services organizations with the tools and technology to do just that. Let's first look at how we define each of the key concepts. **Landlord engagement** is the cumulative efforts of rental market research, outreach and education, recruitment, incentivization, and retention of landlords to expand housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. **Housing search assistance** includes the support provided to individuals and families to identify and secure safe, affordable, and accessible housing that meets their needs. Elements of support might include transportation, information sharing about available rental opportunities in the community, accompaniment in viewing rental units, assistance with applications for tenancy, advocacy for reducing tenant screening criteria, and ultimately successful lease execution and move-in. ##### **Evolution and The Case for Centralization** What these efforts look like from community to community varies a lot. Some communities have just a few providers operating rental assistance programs. Others have several providers and multiple programs operating in the same rental market, *often in competition with each other*! Where there are multiple provider agencies recruiting and managing landlord relationships exclusively for their own programs' benefit, we see disjointed experiences for landlord partners and uneven outcomes among agencies and the individuals and families served. Like our friends at HUD, we believe every community should work towards a ***centralized approach to landlord engagement and housing search assistance***. The expertise and skill sets required to perform this function is distinctly different from traditional social work that is the foundation of most homeless services organizations. There is also efficiency to be gained through centralization that benefits all stakeholders. Minimally, standardization of core elements like marketing of housing program interventions and maintenance of a common list of participating landlords and available rental units in the community is achievable. ##### **Community and Client Centered Technology** Recognizing that all homeless services systems are unique in their local context and journey towards [centralized landlord engagement](/learn/unlocked-partnership-home), we've designed Padmission Connect to meet communities where they are at. Padmission Connect is highly configurable for use in a centralized or de-centralized approach to landlord engagement and housing search assistance. ##### **Our Approach to the Solution** Padmission Connect is a web-based CRM and housing search platform that is custom built for homeless services systems to coordinate and enhance their landlord engagement and housing search assistance efforts. The platform facilitates collaboration, coordination and information sharing among multiple stakeholders in the community. Housing Locators are the administrators of the platform, which is a closed system, accessible only to users approved by the Housing Locator; including property managers, case managers and housing program participants who are searching for housing. ![Padmission Property Information Detail Screen](/images/learn/property-engagement-and-housing-search-assistance/image-1.webp) Padmission Connect enables landlords to market their properties and available units to prospective tenants. Additionally, Housing Locators retain full control of the database and work alongside their landlord partners to add and update property profile listings so that availability information is updated and accurate. Case managers and housing program participants use simple or advanced search criteria to identify units available for lease and participation in the community's housing programs. Housing Locators also have a host of reports and analytics in the platform to assist them in measuring their performance in landlord engagement, unit availability and housing search and lease-up tracking. We are also working closely with our customers and end users to identify features, integrations and analytics that further enhance our collective efforts to help people move from homelessness to housing in communities. We would love to learn about your community's efforts to expedite the housing process and discuss how we can help. [Contact us](/contact)