Eviction Diversion Maturity Model: A Prototype for Emergency Rental Assistance

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This is a document titled Eviction Diversion Maturity Model: A Prototype for Emergency Rental Assistance. It says a maturity model is a tool that helps organize strategy, practices, and process into a framework that can act as a blueprint for building stronger capabilities and shows programs at the evolving stages of their development. It states that the model will help people understand where they are at, shape strategy, and implement actionable steps, and creates goal posts for grantees to move towards. A disclaimer says the practices referenced may contemplate leveraging ERA funding with other resources, should not be construed as confirming eligibility for any funding, and that grantees should consult the governing federal program authorities.

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Eviction Diversion
Maturity Model

A Prototype for Emergency Rental
Assistance

What is the Eviction Diversion Maturity Model?

What is a maturity model
A maturity model is a tool that helps organize strategy, practices, and process into a framework that can act as a blueprint for
building stronger capabilities. It shows programs at the evolving stages of their development.

Purpose

The Eviction Diversion maturity model will help people understand where they are at, shape strategy, and implement actionable
steps. The model also creates goal posts for grantees to move towards, motivating the types of improvements that lead to robust,
comprehensive, and effective programs.

Medium-term Vision

This maturity model can become the skeleton for layering promising practices, case studies, and change mechanisms. As Treasury
and its partners gather greater understanding of implementation challenges, the model and content can evolve to ensure the
provided knowledge is always timely and relevant.

Disclaimer: The practices referenced in this model may contemplate the leveraging of ERA funding with other federal, state, and local resources. The model’s reference to an example practice should not be
construed as confirming such practice’s eligibility for any particular type or category of federal funding. Grantees should consult the governing federal program authorities for additional guidance before
expending funds for such purposes to confirm eligibility.

Treasury recognizes that programs vary according to local circumstances; these examples are intended to help programs identify opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of their own programs but
may not be universally applicable to all grantees. The program information provided herein is intended solely to illuminate “promising practices” and “guidelines” that grantees might consider when
developing their jurisdiction’s program policies and infrastructure. All such policy development must proceed in accordance with the governing legal authorities and published policy guidance.
Nothing herein should be construed as (i) altering these requirements or (ii) confirming that any specific grantee’s program policies or administrative practices have been fully reviewed and found
compliant.
Intervention Type

Resource
and shape
programs

Tenant
-based

Landlord
and
property
manager-
based

Relationship
-based

Prioritizing
evictions

Starting

Leverage existing system assets

Utilize existing system resources, programs,
staff, and community organizations to help
manage and shape the program.

Do community-based outreach

Work closely with trusted community
sources and people to get the word out
about rental assistance.

Accept ERA applications from
landlords
Encourage and give tools or processes to

landlords that helps them be a proactive
applicant.

Advocate for early communication

Create messaging and outreach that
encourages early and transparent
communication between parties.

Flag tenants in imminent danger of
eviction

Prioritize tenants for emergency rental
assistance who face immediate evictions.

(> Build with the community

Listen to local residents to understand
needs; leverage partners outside the
traditional housing system; and determine
how to best use funding sources.

|) Use aimed outreach

Increase awareness and accessibility
through a portfolio of partners and
approaches to connect with specific high
risk populations.

() Use aimed outreach

Increase awareness through partnerships
with real estate, homeowners and property
managers groups.

(_) Create connected applications

Create an application process that connects
tenants and landlords easily and makes
transparent each parties part.

| Collaborate courts around evictions

Connect ERA grantees with courts
processing evictions so they can collaborate
to assist eligible tenants.

Adapting

© Prepare for volume of evictions

Automate and optimize processes with tech
and data; Connect directly with tenants
before court; Expedited rental payments.

© Connect to options
Provide information and pathways to

services that can help stabilize tenants and
their housing while in crisis.

(Engage and educate

Encourage landlords to honor eviction
moratorium and provide information that
can help proceed.

(Build bridges between parties

Provide mediation services between
tenants, landlords, and property managers.

Partner to expedite

Work with multiple partners to optimize
collaboration to connect with tenants
missing documentation and on the eviction
court docket.

© sustain for the future

Plan and prepare for the systemic housing
challenges after evictions.

@ Advocate for and empower

Provide education, guidance and legal
representation on housing rights before and
during eviction process.

©@ Incentivize and support

Provide immediate financial assistance to
reduce the burden on landlords and offer
recognition for service provided to the
community.

@ Incentivize resolutions

Change property management and eviction
courts incentives in order to reward
dismissal of evictions.

@ Proactively address

Share data across the system to create
shared understanding and automated
processes that allows grantees to better
prioritize and connect with tenants.

Intervention Deep Dive

Leverage existing system assets

Utilize existing system resources, programs,
staff, and community organizations to help
manage and shape the program

Practices might include:

e Listen to community organizations and
advocates and host conversations

e Utilize existing system resources,
programs, staff, and contract vehicles to
help manage the program
Use fact-specific proxy and categorical
eligibility to expedite processing
assistance

e Apply for HUD grants to support legal aid
for tenants at risk of eviction

Resource and shape programs

Emerging

Build with the community

Listen to local residents to understand
needs; leverage partners outside the
traditional housing system; and determine
how to best use funding sources.

Practices might include:

e Listen to local residents to understand
needs
Leverage partners outside the traditional
housing system to help deliver services
and outreach, e.g. Libraries and
faith-based organizations
Determine how to best use funding
sources
Establish living experience groups for
continuous feedback

Prepare for volume of evictions

Automate and optimize processes with tech
and data; Connect directly with tenants
before court; Expedited rental payments

Practices might include:
Hire data scientists and technologist to
manage processing systems
Use ERA funds to staff up legal assistance
for housing court programs
Develop capacity and means to
immediately connect with tenants who
are on the docket for eviction to
facilitate pre-eviction interventions
Create a payment vehicle that can
quickly send out rental assistance to
prevent eviction, even if ERA application
is still being processed

Sustain for the future

Plan and prepare for the systemic housing
challenges after evictions

Practices might include:

e Create a sustainability plan for longevity
of the eviction diversion program
beyond ERA
Set up displacement resources and
funds for households that have been
evicted
Pool funding from justice, health, and
housing services to create a
accountability and shared resources for
housing stability
Create a review process where
households can have evictions removed
from their records

Intervention Deep Dive

Do community-based outreach

Work closely with trusted community
sources and people to get the word out
about rental assistance

Practices might include:
Reach out to populations at high risk of
eviction
Work closely with local housing
advocates and organizations
Inform tenants about any locally-based
eviction moratorium and alert them that
they need to give the local eviction
moratorium form to their landlord
Debunk common myths on ERA
Follow up directly with tenants who are
missing documentation but have started
applications

Tenant-based

Emerging

Use aimed outreach

Increase awareness and accessibility
through a portfolio of partners and
approaches to connect with specific high
risk populations

Practices might include:

e Use data-informed/ targeted outreach to
high risk households and households
being evicted
Share information through a diverse
portfolio of channels (digital, media,
door to door, peer to peer; clinics,
Facebook live, etc.)

Partner with grassroots organizations to
deliver services related housing stability
Provide in-person assistance for people
who are not able to navigate the site on
their own (office or their homes)

Use place-based outreach (ie. grocery
stores, clinics, etc.)

Adapting

O Connect to options

Provide information and pathways to
services that can help stabilize tenants and
their housing while in crisis

Practices might include:
Court-based interventions/connections
to services and education
Connect tenants to a housing counselor
Deliver wrap-around services supporting
the social determinants of health
Offer a hotline for legal aid across
agencies and include phone number on
eviction notices
Provide information about legal aid and
resources online

Maturing

O Advocate for and empower

Provide education, guidance and legal
representation on housing rights before and
during eviction process.

Practices might include:

e Provide legal representation in court and
consistent advocacy throughout the
process
Establish educational centers/courses
that are accessible and promoted even
before eviction begins
Provide a universal and codified right to
counsel

Intervention Deep Dive

Accept ERA applications from
landlords

Encourage and give tools or processes to
landlords that helps them be a proactive
applicant.

Practices might include:

e Encourage applications from landlords
even if tenants have not applied

e Accept documentation provided by
landlords on a tenant’s behalf
Require a landlord’s agreement not to
evict assisted tenants for nonpayment of
rent for at least 30-90 days as a condition
to receiving ERA assistance
Make bulk ERA payments to landlords
to expedite payment processing

O Use aimed outreach

Increase awareness through partnerships
with real estate, homeowners and property
managers groups.

Practices might include:

e Leverage local community organizations
to publicize ERA (i.e., real estate groups,
and property management resource
centers)

Message the community benefits of
keeping people in their homes and the
important role that housing providers
play

Outreach and messaging so landlords
know they are included in “rental
assistance”

Landlord and property manager-based

Adapting

© Engage and educate

Encourage landlords to honor eviction
moratorium and provide information that
can help proceed.

Practices might include:
Establish strong local eviction
moratoriums
Establish court-based educational
opportunities and courses
Target housing providers of large
buildings in low-income areas and
encourage them to apply for emergency
rental assistance

Maturing

e@ Incentivize and support

Provide immediate financial assistance to
reduce the burden on landlords and offer
recognition for service provided to the
community.

Practices might include:

e Reduce financial burden on property
managers and landlords and provide
immediate assistance or temporary
funds
Provide a court order for landlords to
seek assistance before being able to file
for an eviction of tenants

Intervention Deep Dive

Advocate for early communication

Create messaging and outreach that
encourages early and transparent
communication between parties.

Practices might include:

e Require landlords to provide tenants
sufficient notice of eviction, dollar
amount owed, and information on
where to find rental assistance
Encourage landlords to inform their
tenants about emergency rental
assistance
Remind landlords that evicting tenants
prevents them from collecting rental
arrears via ERA programs

Relationship-based

O Create connected applications

Create an application process that connects
tenants and landlords easily and makes
transparent each parties part.

Practices might include:

e Create connectivity on the backend to
connect landlord and tenant
applications by street address for system
integrity and expedited processing
Create incentives for landlord/tenant
cooperation in application (i.e.,
communicate expedited processing
time)

Adapting

O Build bridges between parties

Provide mediation services between
tenants, landlords, and property managers.

Practices might include:

@ Offer landlord/tenant mediation before
eviction process (as a preventative
measure) and during eviction process
Landlord walks away with tenant
payment plan
Connect advocacy groups of both parties
to participate in the mediation process

Maturing

e@ Incentivize resolutions

Change property management and eviction
courts incentives in order to reward
dismissal of evictions.

Practices might include:

e "Loan programs"where tenant pays back
local government what they owe
landlord; government pays landlord to
reduce burden/delay with payment plan
Change success metric and incentives for
courts, properties and lawyers so that
they are rewarded for dismissal of
evictions
Offer landlord/tenant mediation before
eviction process (as a preventative
measure) and during eviction process

Intervention Deep Dive

Flag tenants in imminent danger of
eviction

Prioritize tenants for emergency rental
assistance who face immediate evictions.

Practices might include:

e Ask tenants to attach an eviction
notice, if they have one, to their
application
Prioritize processing ERA applicants
who receive an eviction or utility shut
off notice while waiting for a decision
on their application

Prioritizing evictions

Emerging

Collaborate courts around evictions

Connect ERA grantees with courts
processing evictions so they can collaborate
to assist eligible tenants.

Practices might include:

e Establish MOU between courts and ERA
grantee
Check to see if people at eviction court
have applied for ERA assistance or are
eligible
Help courts increase their digital
capacity
Use legal service providers to flag
upcoming cases on the eviction docket
that are likely candidates for rental
assistance
Pause hearing eviction cases until their
ERA applications are processed

Partner to Expedite

Work with multiple partners to optimize
collaboration to connect with tenants
missing documentation and on the eviction
court docket.

Practices might include:
Establish MOU/ data sharing agreements
among the entire ecosystem of providers
Connect with at-risk people who are
missing documentation
Make public prioritization and
processing times
Create accessible databases that
partners can access on their own
without having to go through partner
parties

Proactively address

Share data across the system to create
shared understanding and automated
processes that allows grantees to better
prioritize and connect with tenants.

Practices might include:

e Connect different data streams to
knowledge base/case management
system with input from different data
streams
Use analytics to pull applications to the
top- prioritizing people who are behind
on utilities/other risks

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