Operating Procedures
Supplement #25
Revised April 1997
HOUSING REFERRALS/PEER COUNSELOR PROGRAM
LMHA has contracted with Housing Directions to perform Peer Housekeeping Classes with residents of the Housing Authority who are found to be in violation of their Dwelling Lease and House Rules (Operating Procedure Supplement #7) due to unsanitary living conditions.
Residents found in non-compliance with the terms of these agreements signed at move-in or transfer, are to be processed according to the following procedure:
11.When there has been observation or a complaint of a lease violation relating to housekeeping or unsanitary living conditions, the Manager is required to follow-up. Notification or observation may be through the annual HQS, 90-day inspection, a lease violation notice received through the Maintenance Department, a visual observation during a visit to the unit, or during notice service. If housekeeping is not in compliance with the Standards for Housekeeping Inspections (Exhibit 1) the residents are to be placed on 48-hour notice (Exhibit 2) for a housekeeping inspection to be performed in accordance with the housekeeping checklist (Exhibit 3).
12.If the resident fails this inspection, a seven (7) day follow up inspection (Exhibit 4) should be scheduled to allow the resident another opportunity to remedy the situation outlined on the housekeeping inspection.
13.In the event the resident still fails to comply with housekeeping issues, a referral form (Exhibit 5) should be completed and forwarded to the Property Management Secretary for inclusion into a master listing of monthly referrals to Housing Directions.
All referrals received by the 15th of the month will be forwarded to Housing
Directions for follow-up during the next business month. Counseling shall be
provided by Housing Direction’s peer counselors.
14.The master list will include tenant name, address, phone number (work and home), along with the manager’s name and development. This information will be forwarded to Housing Directions on the 20th of each month along with a photocopy of each referral sheet and photograph outlining specific information pertaining to the referred resident.
15.Housing Directions will forward back to the Property Management Secretary a schedule for all follow-up interventions by the first of the following month. The copies shall then be forwarded to all management groups referring residents to the Peer Housekeeping Service.
16.Based upon this schedule, the Housing Manager will follow-up within thirty (30) days (Exhibit 6) of the Peer Counselor’s visit for another inspection. The Peer Counselor should be apprised by copy of the notification letter sent by the manager of the date selected and time for the follow-up inspection.
17.Pictures should be taken during all inspections for file documentation in the event the problem should result in a lease termination. All pictures should be mounted in plastic in the management office resident file and placed on the left side of the folder with inspection documentation forms. All pictures should include the date (and time if available on your camera) of the inspection and the general location of the photograph.
18.Any maintenance items found to be an emergency during any housekeeping inspections should immediately be phoned in to the Maintenance Dispatcher upon return to the office for an emergency work order to be issued.
19.Residents successfully completing the housekeeping program should continue to be monitored for compliance on 30-day increments for a period of four months or until the Housing Manager determines follow-up is no longer required.
All residents successfully completing the program should receive a Certificate
of Recognition for their efforts signed by the Housing Manager, Director of
Property Management and the Executive Director following their last
monitoring inspection (Exhibit 7). (The Housing Manager should contact the
Property Management Secretary by CEO for this document to be generated.)
10.All residents found to be in violation of housekeeping standards at the 30-day follow-up inspection should be issued a 30-day termination notice by LMHA’s Staff Attorney. Violation of housekeeping standards is a serious violation of the lease.
All inspection copies, notice letters, referrals, pictures, the dwelling lease,
and other pertinent documents should be forwarded to the Staff Attorney
within three (3) business days of the failed follow-up inspection. All exhibits
should be appropriately tagged prior to submission to the Staff Attorney.
11.The Staff Attorney will prepare the 30-day notice for housekeeping lease violations and forward back to the Housing Manager for service.
Upon successful service of the notice, a copy of the notice will be forwarded back to the Staff Attorney for the 30-day complaint to be filed in the Toledo Municipal Court at the expiration of the 30-day time period.
1.Following receipt of information from the Staff Attorney, the lease violation/notice will be entered on the Cause Eviction report by the Property Management Secretary which is distributed weekly. The information will be updated accordingly should the case proceed to court action.
2.All other internal procedures for evictions should be followed in the event the Housing Authority obtains possession in court.
3.All housekeeping violation documentation should remain a part of the left-hand side of the management office folder in accordance with LMHA’s records retention policy.
Attached is Exhibit 8 which outlines the Peer Counselor Service Agreement between LMHA and Housing Directions which will run through June 30, 1997.
1