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Landlords, property managers urge clearer communication and on‑demand crisis supports
Summary
Apartment owners and managers told the committee they are being asked to address behavioral‑health crises without enough training, predictable contacts, or rapid response teams; they want clearer escalation paths, better onboarding of case managers and funding for crisis/outreach teams.
Representatives of the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOPA) and several large property managers told the council that housing providers are being asked to stabilize tenants whose behavioral‑health or substance‑use needs exceed property staff training. Katalin Peter (AOPA) said housing providers can be partners but cannot be expected to shoulder clinical responsibilities.
Timothy Taylor of a long‑running property management company and Greg Selfridge of Novo Properties described patterns where on‑site staff document repeated incidents, attempt to contact case managers who have left or changed assignments, and then escalate to court. "When these challenges arise, we follow the required processes, contacting caseworkers, documenting incidents, and reaching out to agencies for assistance. Unfortunately, we often encounter delayed responses, limited follow through, or no action at all," Taylor said.
Property managers asked DHS and DBH to (1) provide clear, up‑to‑date points of contact when case managers change, (2) expand training and pre‑move orientation for voucher holders to set expectations for lease compliance, and (3) scale crisis outreach teams so property staff have a timely alternative to calling 911 or beginning eviction litigation.
