Briefs · Durham Strategic Framework

Landlord Engagement

Building the unit pipeline for the Strategic Framework.

City of Durham · Durham County · Durham Community Safety Department

Why It Matters

Durham’s Strategic Framework only works if there are units to move people into. The Landlord Engagement function is how we build and sustain that supply — by recruiting property owners, making the partnership worth their while, and supporting them through every lease. Every unit an owner lists is a front door for a household coming home — in the February 2026 sprint, housing locators put two to three real options in front of every family.

The Approach

Durham is building a centralized landlord-facing function: one team, one listing platform, and one coordinated set of supports for property owners who choose to partner with the homelessness response system. The premise is simple. Most owners are willing to rent to households exiting homelessness if the financial risk is manageable, the administrative work is light, and they have a phone number to call when something goes sideways.

Key Elements

• A dedicated owner support team. Staff based in Durham serving as the consistent point of contact for landlords across all programs — handling lease-up logistics, renewals, damage claims, rent reasonableness, and payment changes. Easy availability, ongoing technical assistance, and real-time backup during housing sprints.
• A specialized listing platform. Owner-facing software (Padmission Connect and Padmission Journey) where landlords list available units, signal their willingness to accept rental assistance, and give case managers a coordinated view of inventory. Replaces the existing Smartsheet landlord database with a system designed for the work.
• Reliable, on-time rental assistance. Rent paid in full each month through Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contracts administered by the Flexible Housing Assistance Fund Administrator, with tenants paying an income-adjusted portion.
• Risk mitigation. Damage coverage and vacancy-loss protection that reduces the financial exposure landlords face when they take a chance on a household with a complicated rental history. The single most important conversion lever.
• Onboarding and ongoing training. Twice-yearly landlord orientation (online and recorded), training and technical assistance for case managers and housing locators, and a virtual program briefings for households entering the system.
• Performance accountability. A target of 500 units available to lease by June 30, 2027, tracked monthly, with progress reporting tied to provider compensation.

Why Landlords Participate

The offer to property owners has to be better than the alternative. Durham’s design rests on three guarantees: rent arrives on time and in full each month, a real human answers the phone when there is a problem, and the financial risk of accepting a participating tenant is shared, not absorbed alone. Landlord engagement is both a moral and a business case — and Durham’s approach is to satisfy both.