Cultivating a Coaching Culture at Affordable Housing Communities

Today households in need of affordable housing account for 11 million, or nearly one-quarter, of the nation’s 45.1 million renters, according to The National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Historically, property owners, managers and service providers have often fallen short in effectively supporting those living in affordable housing communities. To foster real change, we need to understand how our actions, promises and good intentions are perceived by the communities we serve. This involves engaging residents in meaningful and difficult conversations and treating them as equals with valuable insights into what is best for their communities. Transparent and respectful communication, as well as gathering feedback through resident meetings and acting on it can significantly contribute to creating a resident-centered community.

Over the past five years, Family-Centered Coaching has proven to be a transformative approach to resident-centered engagement. The philosophy behind FCC and similar methodologies aims to improve relationships between on-site housing staff and residents by providing human services practitioners with open-source tools to serve individuals and families holistically. These tools center on resident leadership and expertise, sharing best practices, tools and approaches to support individuals and families in moving toward their goals, personal autonomy and greater economic prosperity.

Practitioners are encouraged to deploy strategies that create equitable conditions and combine integrated supports for participants in education, health, economic security and social capital. Through these approaches, affordable housing on-site teams seek to break intergenerational cycles of poverty by addressing equity in choice, employment and education, building stable communities for residents and helping all neighbors grow and thrive.

This service delivery method encourages residents in many housing communities to participate more actively in programs and expand their involvement through volunteering, learning opportunities and more. Through our experience with the FCC model, we have identified best practices for integrating any resident-centered coaching model into the organizational culture:

1. Cultivate Buy-In from All Levels: It is crucial to secure buy-in not just from the program arm but also from the leadership of the organization. Without leadership support, necessary changes to systems cannot be made and there is a risk of reverting to old methods. This can be achieved by identifying champions among direct staff and the leadership team to advocate for FCC work at all organizational levels.
2. Promote the Philosophy, Not Just Formal Documents: Staff must understand the philosophy behind FCC to effectively honor the approach. If they don’t grasp the underlying principles, it will be challenging to maintain the fidelity of the work and its impact on the community.
3. Clarify the Role of Property Management in Affordable Housing: All partners in the housing equation—property management, resident services and senior leadership—need to explore community management approaches. Understanding the intersections of trauma, poverty, race and gender and their impact on residents’ behaviors and perceptions is vital for building strong relationships with them.

Measuring the effectiveness of family centered coaching strategy is essential for affordable property owners. At NHPF, we have observed increased resident support for services, including volunteering, donations and partnership support. From January 2020 to May 2024, we had 330 resident volunteers who donated over 9,214 hours to community services. During the same period, 502 residents met with Resident Services Coordinators for individualized coaching support to work towards personal goals. Notably, 124 residents (24.7 percent) reported achieving a personal goal.

To successfully implement FCC within a housing community, it is imperative to train, support and encourage teams to fully embrace this impactful work. Changes in systems and culture through FCC training enable communities to build stronger relationships with residents while creating the homes everyone deserves.

Kevin Lewis is an assistant vice president and the resident services & deputy executive director at Operation Pathways.