A housing assessment should provide the following information:
- Client’s preferences, needs and concerns related to future housing, including preferred cities or neighborhoods. Locations that are unworkable due to personal history, distance from job, school or support network, transportation issues, reduced access to medical care and services, etc.
- Proof of identity for each adult household member (original copies of Social Security card and current driver’s license or DMV ID), and Social Security cards and birth certificates for minors. The medical case manager should ask if the client will need assistance with obtaining documents, i.e. becoming “document ready”
- Current address, phone number, email address, emergency contact information, and if needed, client’s alternate mailing address
- Source and amount of income for all members of the household and information about assets, including bank accounts
- If applicable, proof of current enrollment for college students who are client’s dependents and living in the client’s household, and for client or other adults who are full-time students
- Current housing situation, including full address and information re: rent amount, utilities that are paid by client, whether the client receives a housing subsidy. Number of others in the current household, issues with affordability, and concerns about the building and/or neighborhood. Details about previous residences in CA, other states, or outside the US if available, with as much information about former landlords as possible. Five years of housing history is optimal
- Current landlord/property manager’s name, mailing address, phone number and email address. Information about any issues with current landlord related to non-payment of rent, lease violations, past attempts to evict, damage to unit, poor housekeeping, adversarial relationships with neighbors, etc.
- Current or past status as insecurely housed, including periods of homelessness, stays in emergency shelter and temporary stays with friends or relatives, i.e. “couch-surfing.” Past or current engagement with County homelessness services or street health teams, including assessment through the County’s Coordinated Entry System
- Current or past residence in transitional housing, independent living homes, board and care facilities, or residential treatment programs
- Special housing needs, such as housing designed to accommodate a disability or chronic illness. Possible need for Requests for Reasonable Accommodations related to the need for an in-home care provider or approval of an emotional support animal or service animal
- Credit history, history of bankruptcy, and need for “credit clean-up” work that should be started immediately in order to prepare for future assistance with housing
- History of having been evicted or of vacating the home due to likelihood of eviction, along with an explanation of the issues (unpaid rent vs. lease violations), unit address, landlord information, whether the unit was subsidized, and how long ago this happened
- Involvement with the criminal justice system, including felony convictions, convictions for drug crimes and crimes of violence, date of release from incarceration and/or completion of parole. (Note: Berkeley and Oakland have ordinances restricting criminal background checks but federally subsidized programs are exempt from these local restrictions. Most misdemeanor convictions don’t impact a client’s eligibility for affordable housing)
- Lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender in any state (290 registrant status)