Program Intake and Orientation

The Why.

The intake process is the foundation for a client’s successful entry into housing assistance. It’s more than an administrative task—it’s a key opportunity to gather information, assess needs, and connect clients with the resources that will best support them.

Most service provider organizations have a standardized intake process. We recommend following those steps first, in accordance with your contracts. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that the intake collects the information needed to support an RLRA or other rental assistance application.

Step-by-Step.

  1. Initial contact/pre-screening

  2. Eligibility Assessment

  3. Intake Interview

  4. Document Collection

  5. Begin barrier identification

  • Population A vs. Population B

    Income

    Common Practices

  • Location. Location. Location.

    Helpful Questions to Ask

    • What is a household’s main form of transportation.

    • How long would it take to travel from the housing to daily activities - map it out to know the exact time!

    • Are there any triggers in the area that could jeopardize the household’s stability.

  • Different unit types may be easier or harder to find.

    Types

    • Single Family Homes

    • Duplexes, Triplexes, etc.

    • Small Apartments

    • Large Apartments

    • Highrise Apartment

    The type of unit can influence

    • # of neighbors

    • Presence of features like laundry, dishwasher, air conditioning and community amenities

    • Presence of on-site management

    Note: If the property owner lives on-site they are exempt from some Fair Housing and Landlord-Tenant laws.

Need to Know.

Program Intake and Orientation

Putting it in Practice

Tools

Resources

Sources

Need support implementing this into your workflow?

We offer in-person and virtual trainings to support best practices in landlord engagement.

Schedule a Training