Renter involvement in the neighborhood

Visitor Question: We seem to have a great deal of difficulty in involving any renters in our neighborhood association and meetings. They are always welcome, but still they stay away.
We put flyers on all of the apartment doors, or at least we thought we found all of the locations, but no one from that area came.

We would like to have the responsible and good-hearted renters join with us because we have some crime in the immediate area where they live, and of course the more eyes on the street in the neighborhood, the better. Also we would like better landlord maintenance, and I am sure that the tenants also share this goal. Chances are that what we see on the exterior of the buildings is even worse inside the units. I would think tenants would be really interested in the quality of their housing.

Is it common to see this lack of renter participation? What can we do about it?

Editors Reply: Yes, it is exceedingly common to see a lack of renter involvement in the neighborhood. We do have some suggestions about how you might increase their engagement. However, be aware that whatever you do, tenants have a lesser stake in the neighborhood because their commitment is for a shorter time frame and because they do not have any potential financial upside in neighborhood improvement in the way that homeowners have in most communities.

Here are some ways that I have seen neighborhoods succeed in attracting some renter involvement.

1. Continue to put flyers on doors. Repetition counts for plenty when it comes to communication. However, this tactic can backfire if it seems overly oriented to home owners and not at all to the likely concerns and interests of resident tenants. For example, in my own neighborhood, the flyer for this month's meeting boasts that attendees will learn which home improvements increase equity that will be realized when you sell. If I were a renter anticipating coming home tired after a day in the workforce, I wouldn't bother to find my way to that meeting, especially if I didn't know anyone. So neutralize your flyers and continue to post them.

2. Organize an exciting event near where there are clusters of renters. Keep in mind that "an exciting event" does not mean a discussion of a proposal in the city council to allow accessory dwelling units. Instead, you might be thinking of how to put together a holiday-themed party with a heavy emphasis on appealing to children. There is a holiday almost every month in the U.S., especially if you expand your idea of what is a holiday. For example, the March holiday is the first day of spring. For this tactic to work, you need bounce houses, face painting, or whatever else is popular and attention-grabbing with the children in your area, but also not easy for a parent on their own to provide. The aim should be getting acquainted with a few parents, who then can become your ambassadors to other renters. Another benefit of this tactic is that it brings your own members closer to where renters live so they can observe the positive and negative conditions in that area. Again, just like with flyers, this is not a one-time strategy, but rather one you can and should repeat several times a year.

3. If tenants are of fairly low incomes, you may have a hit if you offer free food. Can you host a free community potluck once a month, or a free barbecue in all months when the weather is temperate? If you have refreshments at your events, are they nice refreshments or a package of cheap cookies from the grocery store? You might be laughing at this, but honestly, I have been to some neighborhood meetings where the refreshments served were exactly what the lowest income tenants can afford themselves, and thus not a treat. If the tenants are hungry, be prepared for and embrace the possibility that they will grab food to take home.

4. Consider whether you can address directly some issues that tenants have. Go to bat on behalf of tenants if their apartments are rodent-infested, unsafe electrically, or frequently lacking in heating or cooling. Make sure that tenants know you are intervening at city hall on their behalf.

5. If unfair evictions are occurring, again you can advocate for tenants to be treated reasonably. To be sure, most neighborhood associations I work with don't have any idea what the eviction process is, and whether the legally prescribed process is being followed or whether the rules are being bent. So maybe you need to educate your members about these topics. Make sure tenants know about your interest in this issue.

6. Meet directly with landlords to figure out if they are managing their properties in a fair and humane way, if they understand both their rights and responsibilities under the law in your state, and if they have genuine financial issues that prevent their reinvestment in their properties. Learn their perspective on problem tenants, find out if they know how to screen properly, and talk with them about the quality of the tenants they are able to attract. If you see gaps in knowledge or skills, you can offer landlord training. If you are not able to arrange meetings with landlords, that tells you about their disengagement or absence from the city, and you may want to think with your city government about how these properties can be locally owned by someone who actually cares.

7. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, take a few minutes in your board meeting to brainstorm any social, economic, racial, ethnic, educational, and religious differences between the active members of your neighborhood association and the typical renter in your community. Many times the economic and racial barriers are paramount in lack of participation. If you want renter involvement, you have to make sure EVERYONE is welcome and feels welcomed. You can't just say "Welcome" when a renter shows up for the first time and then return to your conversational huddles and ignore that person. I've seen neighborhood associations do this. You know how to make people feel welcome in your own home, so behave like a good host or hostess all evening when you do have renters attend your event or meeting.

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