TITLE
Title
SUBAWARD AGREEMENT TO OPERATE A TENANT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WITH UNC-G
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Victor Isler, Assistant County Manager for Successful People / DHHS Director, and Cheri Neal, Continuum of Care Program Manager
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BACKGROUND
Background
Guilford County entered into an agreement with UNC Greensboro Center for Housing and Community Studies (CHCS) in June 2021 to help address the needs of vulnerable, low-income communities experiencing housing instability and potential evictions. The project focused on addressing impending evictions that have resulted from COVID-19; assist residents with underlying issues causing housing instability; and build resiliency, leadership skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy in these communities to address future housing needs. A landlord outreach position and an expansion to the mediation clinic in both days of operation and additional services from Legal Aid of North Carolina were added via amendment in July 2022. The entire initial contract expires on September 30, 2022.
During the current contract term to date, from July 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022, UNC-G has held three (3) cohorts of the Tenant Leadership Academy (TLA), an educational program designed to build resiliency, leadership skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy in tenants and the community at large to help address future housing needs. A total of 24 individuals completed the program, with Black women making up the majority of those that completed the program across the three cohorts. UNC-G has a fourth cohort of TLA scheduled to starting High Point in September.
Staff recommend separating the Tenant Leadership Academy from the Eviction Mediation and Landlord Outreach programs and entering into a new 9-month contract with UNC-G to provide the program through June 30, 2023 as staff work to identify more permanent funding. Under the terms of the contract, UNC-G will:
1) hold a total of three (3) cohorts of the TLA program in High Point;
2) organize and launch a “TLA Association” which will include inviting all past and future graduates of TLA to become members, providing support and technical assistance to these members as they use the skills and knowledge developed during TLA in the community, and offer continuing education workshops in the same curriculum areas as the “regular” TLA cohort; and
3) develop and implement a “TLA Evaluation” program to assess the impact of the TLA on the tenant leaders and their communities. This evaluation will be done in a collaborative manner, engaging stakeholders, and will ultimately allow CHCS and the County to measure the impact of tenant education, leadership training, and skills development on tenant leader quality of life and social mobility and on conditions in apartment complexes and the larger community.
The 9-month term will run from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 with a total cost of $79,347 and will be funded with ERA 2 housing stability funds.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Approve a subaward agreement, in substantial form, with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and its Center for Housing and Community Studies for the Tenant Leadership Academy in the amount of $79,347 for a 9-month period to run from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
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