As a property manager, you know the importance of a neighborhood for renters in search of a home. Neighborhood choice can have long-term impacts too. Economic research suggests that, for kids in low-income families, moving from a high-poverty neighborhood to a lower-poverty one increases the likelihood that they will attend college and earn higher incomes as adults.

Seattle property manager Stephine Stewart turned research into reality for one local family with a Housing Choice Voucher. When she had a vacancy at her LC Park Place Apartments property in the Lake City neighborhood, she filled it at market rate, giving a mother of two young boys a place to call home.

Housing voucher barriers

When considering applicants with Housing Choice Vouchers, some property managers believe they have to reduce rent rates to make a unit affordable. There’s also the belief that compared to other renters, there’s greater risk that Housing Choice Voucher families will not pay their rent on time. Neither of these is true with families who are part of the Creating Moves to Opportunity (CMTO) program, developed by the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA).

A win for property managers and tenants

SHA’s full and ongoing involvement with families in the CMTO program has made it both a financial opportunity and an investment for property manager Stephine. The program also gives voucher holders financial assistance to cover security deposits, application fees and move-in costs, accelerating the lease-up process. And SHA uses a voucher payment standard that makes market-rate apartments affordable to voucher-holder families without requiring landlords or property managers to lower their rent, saving Stephine and her company both time and money. “We could be out here cutting the price,” Stephine says, “or we can fill the apartment immediately at market rent.”

New rental home, new opportunities

Because Stephine took a chance on the CMTO program, this mother has a home near schools where her two boys are receiving a great education, feel welcome and safe, and are thriving. Stories like this are why Zillow Group is proud to call Seattle Housing Authority a Home Project Community Partner.

Watch the story and take action

We invite you to join us. Watch Stephine’s story in the video above. If you’re curious to learn how you can participate, contact the team at cmto@zillowgroup.com or call Meghan, a CMTO housing navigator, directly at 206-805-9953.