Leading, Supporting, and Serving the Non-Profit Housing Sector

Best Practices

Resources for Tenancy Management

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	BC Housing The Housing Provider Kit is an important resource. See the Resident Relations guide, for thoughtful information on community building and resident involvement. Governance guide, Chapter 6 Communications and Public Relations, for helpful information on general communication, dispute resolution, and problem solving. Operations guide, Tab 2 Resident Relations, for useful information on selection of applicants, housing issues, dispute resolution, diversity, and crime-free housing. Operations guide, Tab 6 Administration, for a sample non-profit housing lease (in Appendix). On-line Resource Directory for an extensive range of applicant and tenancy forms that can be downloaded from Resident Relations Forms (or order hard copies). View the guides on-line or download the PDF files. BC Housing operates two innovative programs you may want to consider: The Priority Placement Program locates much needed subsidized housing for low-income women and children fleeing abusive relationships. Call 604-439-4730 (1-800-257-7756). The nationally recognized Health Services Program assists people who have mental illnesses and who can live independently to find subsidized housing and ensures they have adequate support services. Call 604-439-4741/2 (1-800-257-7756) and ask to speak with a Health Services Consultant. Top
	BC Non-Profit Housing Association BCNPHA has partnered with BC Housing to develop a centralized Housing Registry for housing applicants and non-profit housing providers in the Lower Mainland. For more information, visit this page on the BC Housing Web site or go directly to the registry site to express your organization’s interest in joining. BCNPHA offers members a number of courses related to tenancy management: Conflict resolution (basic and advanced) Landlord-tenant relations Tools for tenant involvement. You can see a full description of BCNPHA courses here. Members can use BCNPHA’s Policy Template Guide to prepare their own tenancy management policies. BCNPHA has a copy of The ONPHA Tenant Participation Handbook. Now out-of-print, this is a helpful resource for Understanding the why and how of tenant participation Looking at examples of different approaches Developing a resident involvement plan Outlining the tools for making it work Suggesting how to overcome the obstacles. E-mail Kate Nielsen or call 604-291-2600 (1-800-494-8859), ext. 224. Top
	Co-operative Housing Federation of BC The CHF-BC Web site lists numerous Community & General Membership workshops on conflict resolution, mediation, and participation. The CHF-BC also has a pool of experienced mediators for resolving member-to-member conflicts. E-mail Sue Moorhead or Leslie Burdak. Top
	Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto The Co-op Housing Bookstore on the CHFT Web site offers a number of inexpensive, practical guides written using plain language that address community, participation, conflict, and other related issues. Top
	Ombudsman of British Columbia The Ombudsman can investigate provincial ministries and agencies, including BC Housing. So your society may need to respond to a complaint. The Ombudsman’s Web site has an Administrative Fairness Checklist that is an excellent benchmark for best practices by non-profit housing societies. The role of the Ombudsman is to promote fairness for British Columbians. Top
	Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association The ONPHA Tenant Handbook on disk lets you quickly prepare a professionally designed tenant handbook in plain language with content customized for your community. Order on-line. BCNPHA members pay the ONPHA member price. Top
	Residential Tenancy Office The Web site for the Residential Tenancy Office of the Housing Department contains essential information for landlords and tenants about the Residential Tenancy Act. It includes: The Residential Tenancy Office services, fees, and contacts The Act, Regulations, Rules and Guidelines, and Related Legislation (links to 25 BC Acts!) Guide for Landlords and Tenants Forms (including sample non-profit housing tenancy agreement) Disputes and arbitration (including procedures). If you can’t find what you need from a link on the main page, scroll down to the bottom and click on Site Map. Top
	Tenants’ Rights Action Coalition The TRAC Web site has a number of fact sheets and the Tenant Survival Guide, which can be downloaded as PDF files. They obviously reflect the tenant’s perspective. Since they do emphasize in plain language what the Residential Tenancy Act says, you might want to make them available to your tenants. Top