The City of Tulsa and Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity (TAEO) are pleased to announce the recipient of the first grant from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Tulsa Day Center, who will use the money to launch a Landlord Guarantee Fund.
The Landlord Guarantee Fund will be used for tenants participating in the Rapid Rehousing Program, which works with Tulsa landlords to place individuals and families experiencing homelessness into permanent, safe, and affordable housing. Through the Landlord Guarantee Fund, Tulsa Day Center will guarantee to reimburse landlords up to $3,000 or 3 months’ rent if tenants fail to pay rent or utilities, whichever is exhausted first on a per tenant basis.
“The Tulsa Day Center’s Landlord Guarantee Fund is the first program of its kind in Tulsa,” said Kristin Maun, Housing Coordinator in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. “It exemplifies the innovative approach that the City of Tulsa has taken to working collaboratively with landlords and community partners in finding solutions to our affordable housing crisis through our Affordable Housing Strategy.”
The Landlord Guarantee Fund will only be available to landlords and property managers participating in the City of Tulsa’s Gold Star Landlord Program, a free and voluntary program that provides rewards and incentives to landlords and property managers who engage in the best rental practices. Currently, there are 12 landlords and property managers with more than 400 residential rental properties participating in the program. Other incentives that landlords receive include prioritized processing of applications to the City of Tulsa’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
“The Tulsa Day Center is grateful and excited to partner with the City of Tulsa, TAEO, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to launch the Landlord Guarantee Fund,” said Mack Haltom, Executive Director of the Tulsa Day Center. “The Landlord Guarantee Fund will enhance our current work with our Rapid Rehousing Program and the relationships we have with many Tulsa landlords already. The Landlord Guarantee Fund will give us a much needed resource and opportunity to negotiate with landlords to assist housing low-income individuals & families experiencing homelessness who may have barriers like justice related issues or evictions. The incentives will certainly further our mission and vision as well as the City of Tulsa’s Affordable Housing Strategy.“
“The City of Tulsa is fortunate to have great landlords who provide quality rental housing and use essential eviction mitigation resources like the Early Settlement Mediation Program,” Maun added. “Through the Gold Star Landlord Program, we are able to promote and reward their great practices. The Landlord Guarantee Fund provides another incentive for landlords who work collaboratively with agencies like the Tulsa Day Center to provide safe, affordable housing to households experiencing homelessness.”
Background
Launched in August 2020, the Affordable Housing Trust fund started taking applications for the production and preservation of affordable housing through developer loans, homebuyer assistance, landlord incentives, and direct rental assistance. Landlord incentive funds are administered through grants to agencies for programs that provide landlords incentives to work with low-income tenants who are recipients of government assistance, have been justice-involved or have past evictions. The landlord incentives are part of the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy to work collaboratively with landlords and the community to create quality, affordable housing opportunities for all Tulsans.
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