Giving Compass' Take:

· Rebecca Gale at Pacific Standard explains that DC's Housing Authority is offering landlords beneficial terms, making the area's housing voucher program work much better than other cities with similar programs. 

· What are the housing needs in your area? How can other cities learn from DC's approach? 

· Read more about affordable housing solutions in DC. 

Adrianne Todman remembers sitting across the table from landlords and hearing what they really thought of the Washington, D.C., Housing Authority. "We asked, 'What drives you nuts?'" Todman says, and the landlords had been willing to answer.

Todman, who served as executive director of the D.C. Housing Authority from 2009 to 2017, knew that getting more landlords onboard to accept voucher tenants in their units would benefit both the tenants and the housing authority; the DCHA wanted to work with all landlords, those who managed many multi-story buildings and those who owned only a handful of units. But the key was securing cooperation. And to do that, they had to know where they had been missing the mark.

The landlords were willing to talk. As part of Todman's role at the top of the agency, she implemented a number of changes that would increase the likelihood of getting a voucher tenant approved and moved into a private unit. The DCHA found the three things most important to landlords were creating a smooth process to deem families eligible, having inspections done quickly, and being able to do re-certifications without delay.

Read the full article about DC's housing vouchers by Rebecca Gale at Pacific Standard.