The landlord of over 500 affordable housing units in which low-income families reside, is forgiving $100 in rent for every hour tenants volunteer for charities, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida is well aware of the struggle that working families have been met with amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Around 20 percent of the nonprofit's tenants have not been able to keep up with rent since March due to reduced hours or a complete loss of work. Many of these tenants were employed in the hospitality industry, with roles such as cooks and servers.
However, there is a silver lining in all of this. In fact, the company is giving residents a chance to volunteer instead of paying off their debts with its new Back on Track program.
The program forgives $100 of overdue rent for each hour that an individual volunteers for a nonprofit charity. Only those who have faced a reduced income are eligible for the scheme.
"To be honest, it’s probably money we wouldn’t get anyway, but it gives them some pride and a feeling they’re doing something," said Joseph Lettelleir, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. "Bottom line, they’re good tenants, and we’d like to keep them."
The idea behind the scheme came from Holly Butler, the organization's director of property management.
“I thought it might be a kookie idea, but I pitched it,” she said.
Over 24 renters have taken part in the program, helping out at food banks, cleaning up a trailer park, and picking up trash along the shorelines with Tampa Bay Watch
Chief Operating Officer Melinda Perry said the company was glad to take part in such a beneficial scheme.
"We’ve had almost 20 residents volunteer at our food distribution center, and they provided nearly 150 volunteer hours processing food donations and assisting with food distribution," Perry said. "Their efforts meant that we could meet individuals’ and families’ needs for nutritious food."
The group was established back in 1992 and runs 14 properties. For eligibility purposes, tenants must make no more than around 80 percent of the neighborhood's median income. The nonprofit also provides accommodation for families whose income is below 60 percent of the area's household average.
