Would you rent a unit to a homeless organization?

Question

Would you rent a unit to a homeless organization?  What are your fears about doing so?  Are there any advantages?  I found myself pondering these questions after reading the following article:

https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2019/03/real-estate-group-hears-tough-talk-from-homeless-advocates/

JD Martin · Answer

Just one of my houses? No way. The article talks about buildings that aren't going to be used, so let the advocacy center use them in the meantime. I can see pros and cons to it. From a building owner point of view, I wouldn't do it unless there were financial advantages, because I can envision a whole list of cons:

• court injunctions preventing you from emptying the building to do something with it
• lawsuits by the advocacy and others because of [insert issue here]
• insurance considerations
• general lack of oversight and lawlessness
• ETC

If I owned a building, the only way I would do this is if the building was junk anyway, some third party was leasing it from me, and I was legally absolved of any responsibility whatsoever in the operation. Personally, I think it sounds too complicated.

Account Closed · Answer

No, I would not rent a unit to a homeless organization. It sounds like they would "have the right" to put just anyone in, and I dont have the framework in place to deal with possible behavioral, emotional or substance abuse issues that more qualified environments would offer.

I may rent a unit to a specific homeless person or family that I vetted. If I understood what made them homeless and believed that specific situation would be harmonious and successful, I would be happy to give them a home.

Nina Hayden · Answer

No.  Never.  Too much of a headache.  Now, in the past I’ve rented to a family that had faced financial hardship.  I knew they would get back up on their feet and they did.  They paid rent at the end of the full year and they did some renovations like hard wood floors to the home for a token of appreciation of allowing them to live and pay rent all at once.  Of course I always knew that the worst case would be i wouldn’t get the rent, but I knew them well enough.  Something like that would have to be such a unique situation.   Aside from that, nope.

Beau Fannon · Answer

Considering the issues we've faced with tenants who were perfectly good on paper, I'm a hard no as well.

Grant Rothenburger · Answer

@Beau Fannon I've heard the VA has a program for homeless vets to get re-integrated. VA pays rent and helps them with therapy, job placement, and supposedly has strict rules which allow them to take the vet out of the program if they randomly stop by and find something against their rules (people in the unit that aren't supposed to be is one).

I would rent to them.

Would you rent a unit to a homeless organization?

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