It seems easy to get off the street and find a home if the federal government is giving you money for rent, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Madison has a very high rental occupancy rate of 98%, meaning the demand for apartments is much higher than the amount of apartments available. Given all their renter options, most landlords won’t risk renting to a homeless person with no job references, often past evictions, and a mental illness.

Housing Initiatives is the landlord of our own units, of course, but we also have a long history of partnering with private landlords. Our agency partners with landlords willing to rent to our clients and provides support for our clients with unique needs. Housing Initiatives will assist our clients if they have trouble upholding a rent agreement. Landlords understand and appreciate that they can call Housing Initiatives if a problem with the tenant arises. We will visit the renter, assess the situation, and connect the renter with a supportive agency they need to correct the issue and continue to be a responsible renter. We’ve successfully assisted hundreds of people in finding and keeping an apartment, by building strong, long-term relationships with local landlords.