Family Promise and the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) recently announced the launch of Keys to Good Tenancy, a responsive curriculum that provides families with the knowledge and skills to be good tenants. The curriculum prepares new renters for tenancy by addressing a broad spectrum of elements, including budgeting, leases, home repairs, maintenance, neighbor relations, renters’ rights and more.
NAR crafted the curriculum with input from Family Promise Affiliate Directors nationwide and members of the Guest Advisory Council (GAC), a body of Family Promise graduates, who ensured the materials targeted the needs of families battling homelessness. Realtor® members will have the opportunity to work with Family Promise Affiliates, either directly or through their local or state Realtor® Association, to teach the course. Graduates of the eight-module course receive a certificate of completion to be presented to landlords when applying for housing.
“NAR is proud to work with Family Promise to further their mission and address family homelessness. NAR’s course, Keys to Good Tenancy, is a great guideline that focuses on those fundamentals and offers a way for Realtors® to get involved by teaching the course at local Family Promise facilities,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg.
More than a dozen Affiliates participated in a pilot program over the summer to test the curriculum. The results were a win for all parties: for Affiliates and housing providers, stronger relationships creating more opportunities for families to find homes; for landlords, better educated tenants, meaning fewer challenges and more stable property roles. As Dana Ortiz, Executive Director of Family Promise of Lawrence (KS), said, “We’ve developed a valuable relationship with the real estate profession and started an important conversation in the community about homelessness. This can only benefit the families we serve.”
“Keys to Good Tenancy is a remarkable joint effort,” said Family Promise CEO Claas Ehlers. “We appreciate NAR’s support of our mission to get families into homes and collaborating on the development of this course, which will help families to do that. Advocating on the issue of homelessness is critical, but engaging the business community is just as vital. The resources to solve family homelessness are there—this is another step to connect them with local solutions.”
