1. Who is NWRECC Stepping Stones?
We are the resident service side of Northwest Real Estate Capital Corp. and
we are here to support you in effectively providing resident services at your
property(s). Providing resident services are important in order to maintain
compliance with your LIHTC program and help your residents achieve their
self-sufficiency goals.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to end generational poverty by promoting self-sufficiency
principles within affordable housing communities. Through a variety of
resident services we advance independence by providing access to
technology, community resources, skills training and mentoring to low-income
families, senior and people with disabilities.
3. Maintaining Compliance
As you may know, each year your property undergoes an Oregon
Housing’s (OHCS) Management and Occupancy (MOR). Along with
property and compliance info, we are also required to complete a
Resident Service Audit Report.
Providing resident services is requirement at your property, and is
considered a LIHTC finding by OHCS if resident services are not
offered/provided. Resident services on your property must be ongoing
and should change based on the resident assessments you compile. If
your assessments indicate new services are needed you should be
implementing it or at least attempting to.
4. Annual resident surveys
If you have not already done so, you will need to
have your residents fill out a survey so that you
can assess the needs of the community. Once
completed you will need to tally the results.
Please send us copies of the surveys and
results.
Surveys should be completed yearly in order to
stay current on your residents needs. Things
can change from year to year and your resident
services should reflect this. Please note that
you should email us your current plan based on
your resident survey results.
Once you have updated or completed your resident service plan you are ready
to locate services.
6. The Stepping Stones Website
There are resources available to help you find a community organization that
will be able to help your residents. Our website (steppingstones.nwrecc.org)
has a growing list of resources available with more being added.
7. How to Navigate
If you hover the cursor over resident resources a list will appear. There
are two types of services, regional and web based services. Web based
services can be used at the residents leisure either in the community
computer center or in their own home if they have access to a computer
and the internet. These are indicated with a red arrow in the example
above.
8. Regional services are broken
down by category and will
only serve specific areas
such as counties or cities. It
is important to look at this
when you are searching for
services within your area.
Once you have found an
organization feel free to give
the resident the information
or show them how to get to
that information from the
website.
9. The website also has a
section called state resources
that will give you information
for your local Community
Action Partnership (CAP).
These are groups of
organizations gathered under
one entity in order to assist
those in need within their
local communities.
By clicking on your state you
will be given a list of CAPs
within each county
Make sure you are meeting with your CAP rep and other referral agencies you
use, at least once a quarter so you are keeping up to date with any new
programs, staff changes or opportunities (state funding changes, some
program go away, or new ones begin).
10. More ways to find local resources
The last option is to run a quick web search for
that service and look to see if you find any
local results.
Sometimes finding a resource can be as
simple as asking an existing community
partner if they know of anything useful to your
resident.
Please remember once you have
established a new community resource,
you set up a meeting to meet with them to
discuss how you can work together.
Remember this is a collaborative effort so if
you find a new service in your area please
pass it on so we can continue to build our
resources and continue to make the process
easier.
11. Remember: If you know of local
services that are not listed on
our website please share that
information with us so we can
continue to build a better
system.
12. Resident Service Plan
Each property should have a OHCS
resident service plan onsite. This will
serve as an initial benchmark based
on what your residents needs were at
the time of rehabilitation. Because
the demographics and needs of your
residents may continually change, the
annual surveys will provide you with
your updated residents needs. If you
are unable to locate this document,
please contact us for assistance.
13. Other ways to help your residents
•Contact your local food bank and see about food baskets, commodities,
and free summer lunch programs for kids.
•Have a list of emergency assistance funds for electricity, rent
delinquencies, or help with security deposits
•Have your local organizations provide information classes.
•Have the local college speak about financial aid and how to apply
•Inquire about GED opportunities in your area
•See about partnering with the Boys and Girls club for after school
programs
•Ask your crime stoppers or DARE drug free unit to visit- and have a kids
fun day
•Post the weekly job announcements from your local online newspaper
•Look into local support groups – Alon, AA, weight loss, ect and post info
on your bulletin board.
•Inquire about “free stuff” – computers, clothes, career clothes, home
furnishings for low income residents
•Ask a local head start or daycare to speak or provide info on child safety,
or children nutrition
•Look into mortgage companies that would do a first time home
buyer/credit repair course
14. Seniors and Disabled need love too
• Ask your local VA or Social Security office for flyers/info on insurance
and benefits
• Ask a local assisted living/nursing center or hospital to provide free
blood pressure checks, nutritional info / cooking classes, excising class.
• Start a walking club
• Have a healthy recipe contest
• Call a thrift store or library about a donation of books for a library, if
you have a small wall or space, turn it into a library, residents can swamp
books with each other.
• Potlucks are always fun – but try a spin on the tradition by having a
“recipe makeover” contest by taking a high calorie, fat, salt, carb dish and
making it better for you..
• Have a health fair. Invite local health care providers (chiropractic,
assisted living, diabetic prevention, mental health) Festival of lights
window content or door
15. Seniors and Disabled continued
Holiday tree decorating
• Tea Party
• Recipe club – make recipe book
• Poetry /writing class- make book
• Book club- library book mobile and talking library
• Game night
• Exercise class- senior work out DVD
• Holiday cookie exchange
• Bake sale, chili, and spaghetti and or pancake dinner fund raisers
• Holiday fair
• Resident appreciation day – find community partner to provide
entertainment. A local bakery to donate cupcakes
• Community sponsors /partners– assisted living, nursing homes, ADRC,
SHIP, senior center
Remember making a difference in one or two residents life, is still an
amazing difference!
