Boston Residential Landlord Launches Creative Strategy to Reduce Evictions in Response to Pandemic

WinnCompanies said Thursday that it wants to cut evictions in its portfolio by 25 percent this year.  A WinnCompanies image

— News covered by Quincy Quarry News.

COVID-19 wreaks havoc in all sorts of ways.
Image via Getty Images

A Boston residential properties landlord launches a creative strategy to reduce evictions in response to the economic damage done to its tenants by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even better news as well as for a change, this landlord is the largest operator of non-public affordable housing in the country.  It owns roughly 61,000 apartments in 16 states, including units in Massachusetts, and thus will be able to help see a number of people not end up homeless for reasons outside of their control or doing.

Legal problems are usually expensive problems
A file photo

Evictions are variously expensive propositions to both landlords and tenants.  Landlords can be hit with up to $8,000 in lost rent and legal costs on single eviction as well as potentially even more in costs to ready a unit for an unanticipated new tenant.  And the costs to an evicted tenant include moving costs and the soft costs of facing an eviction record on file while seeking a new residence as well as probably for years to come.

WinnCompanies enlighted solution: work with its tenants to come up with a workout plan to mitigate the pain for all concerned.

Working collaboratively to reach a deal is a great way to avoid bigger problems!
Image via NZ Math

All sorts of rental assistance programs are available; at the same time, so too is the usual red tape.  That and unawareness by the typical tenant as to what help might be available.

WinnCompanies, on the other hand, is in the business of affordable housing and has thus been able to leverage its experience and connections to develop in-house resources to help its tenants find the help they need to weather tough times.  That and encourage tenants to reach out early before their situations become even worse.

Cutting through the paperwork, a deal — whatever
Image via Flexbooks-2.0

Given its efforts, WinnCompanies plans to cut its number of consummated evictions by half.

That and so head off all manner of other hard as well as societal costs that result when someone becomes homeless.

In short, a Winn/win!

Read more: One of Boston’s largest landlords launches program to sharply cut evictions – The Boston Globe

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