Landlords benefit when their units are occupied and their tenants are supported. Through the network, you’re introduced to applicants who have a steady source of income, such as Social Security, disability, or work, and who have partner organizations behind them for services like case management and recovery support. The Coalition helps tenants and landlords work through issues as they come up. You keep full control: you may use your usual screening and your usual lease, and the decision to accept a tenant is yours. There are no fees to join.

We can’t guarantee how quickly a unit will be filled, but you will have a way to reach people looking for housing and a team to help the tenancy go well.

The network has made its first placement, in a home owned by a local ministry. We’re building from here, and we’re looking for more landlords to join.

Email PutnamHomelessCoalition@gmail.com, or contact Red at Red@RedConrad.me or by call or text at 386-559-4023. We typically respond within the hour, and any call we can’t answer is returned as soon as possible.

Tenants are responsible for paying their own rent, and it’s preferred that tenants pay landlords directly. In some cases, a tenant or landlord may agree the Coalition collects and forwards payment — but any such arrangement must be stated in the lease and agreed to by all parties. If a tenant is eligible for rental assistance through another program, how that program pays the landlord is between the tenant and that program. Ultimately, the tenant is responsible for the rent.

Not at this time. The program is newly established, and tenants submitted to landlords currently have a steady personal income source, such as Social Security or employment. We may offer rent subsidies on behalf of tenants in the future, but that isn’t an option right now.

Landlords are free to set their own rent — the Coalition doesn’t set or approve pricing. That said, here’s what we typically see: listings in the area often run $650–$800 per month per room, and $700–$750 per room has generally been enough to cover landlord expenses while remaining affordable for a tenant on a fixed income. There are also situations where a tenant will need rent as low as $350. How much rent a tenant can afford is determined strictly case by case, and tenants who need lower rent are best suited to a multi-room or shared housing setup.

Many of the people we expect to serve are seniors or individuals with disabilities living on Social Security, so a shared-housing setup (one tenant per room) is often the best fit — it lets rent stay affordable while still covering a landlord’s costs and expected return.

Tenants getting back into the workforce may need a landlord willing to start with shared housing as they stabilize, with the goal of eventually moving into a place of their own.

What’s required at move-in is up to each landlord. We do ask landlords to understand that many tenants are homeless individuals on fixed incomes and may not be able to afford a security deposit up front. For tenants returning to the workforce, we ask landlords to consider payment plans that let a small additional amount be paid monthly to cover deposits over time.

No. There are no fees for landlords to join the program, and no fees for tenants to apply.

Yes — tenants sign a standard lease directly with the property owner. The Coalition provides ongoing case management alongside that lease, and stays available to help resolve issues between landlord and tenant. If a conflict can’t be reasonably resolved between the Coalition, landlord, and tenant, the landlord retains full right to pursue breach of contract and terminate the lease under its terms.

The Coalition keeps internal case notes that our case managers reference when coordinating with network landlords — this isn’t a public or shared blacklist, and tenants are able to review and respond to what’s recorded about their tenancy.

Yes. All the rules you typically apply to your properties may be applied to your property in this program. The Coalition has one additional requirement: tenants must maintain sobriety, with no alcohol or substance use in any housing offered by network landlords.

We don’t foresee this being an issue with the tenants we refer. If damage does occur, it falls under the tenant/landlord laws and regulations that apply to any tenancy. Landlords should write into their lease any damages clause they use with other tenants.

The Coalition may assist with damages on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the Coalition. This is not a guarantee of payment.

Landlords are welcome to use any traditional screening methods they’d normally apply. In addition, the Coalition screens tenants through our own network — including other housing providers and employment partners — and tenants receiving Social Security may be asked to provide verification directly from the Social Security Administration.

We ask landlords to understand that some tenants have experienced long-term homelessness and may need some patience building trust early in the relationship. Tenants also receive the support services they need and qualify for through the Coalition’s partners.

No. Applicants are housed as housing becomes available and the landlord accepts the tenant. The decision is yours.

You do. The Coalition itself does not weigh criminal record heavily, but each landlord retains the right to decide the level of criminal background they are willing to house in their properties.

Tenants are expected to notify both the landlord and the Coalition ahead of any foreseeable payment issue. The landlord stays informed so they’re aware of the situation, and the Coalition works with the tenant on rental assistance options and a plan to get back on track. If rent goes unpaid without any notice, the landlord can reach out to the Coalition to discuss next steps, including whether an eviction may be necessary. We don’t expect this to be common among our tenants, but landlords retain their full legal rights either way.

The Coalition doesn’t impose additional licensing requirements beyond a landlord’s willingness to participate. We may ask to see a property before a placement, simply so everyone — landlord and tenant alike — can feel confident the home is livable and functional, and so neither party can be unfairly accused of misrepresenting the property’s condition later.

We’ll work with any type of housing a landlord is willing to offer — houses, apartments, manufactured homes, and more. Most of what we’re looking for is shared housing, since it keeps rent affordable on fixed incomes while still covering landlord expenses. We’re also seeking a smaller number of single-occupancy units for tenants who do better living alone, provided the rent stays feasible on Social Security income.

Individuals and families experiencing homelessness who have an income source — primarily Social Security or disability income — as well as those getting back into the workforce. A steady income source, even a modest one, is what makes a landlord placement realistic right now.

Individuals and families can apply directly by emailing PutnamHomelessCoalition@gmail.com. You can also be referred by another organization or advocate, speak with a Coalition member in the field, or contact Red at Red@RedConrad.me or by call/text at 386-559-4023.

No. There are no fees for tenants to apply.

Not automatically. This program exists to help people stabilize and get back on their feet, so entry does not heavily weigh prior evictions or poor credit, and the Coalition itself does not heavily weigh criminal record. Each landlord does retain the right to decide the level of criminal background they are willing to house in their properties, so placement depends on a landlord accepting you.

Landlords may apply the rules they typically apply to their properties. The Coalition has one additional requirement: tenants must maintain sobriety, with no alcohol or substance use in any housing offered by network landlords.

Timing varies. Applicants are housed as housing becomes available and a landlord accepts them.

No. The Coalition does not place a time limit on housing through the network.

You’re not on your own. Through our network of partners, tenants receive the services they need and qualify for, for as long as each partner program allows the service to be provided. This isn’t a “housed and forgotten” program that puts the full weight on the landlord. The Coalition provides case management and works with tenants and landlords to resolve issues as they come up. The room is only one piece of the support you receive. Many people experiencing homelessness are in survival mode and can’t fully look beyond today until they feel some stability — once that stability comes, most people move forward toward full independence on their own.

In most cases, yes — shared housing (one tenant per room in a larger home) is the most common setup, since it keeps rent affordable on a fixed income. If you’d do better living alone, let us know — we do place some tenants in single-occupancy housing when it’s the better fit and still financially workable.

There are individuals ready to fill available rooms and families ready to fill available homes right now. The number of people seeking housing through the network shifts regularly as people move, become harder to reach, or find other solutions — but the need is consistent, and it’s growing as the program becomes more widely known.