Multi-family properties with federal assistance can benefit greatly from the presence of an on-site service coordinator. These coordinators provide supportive services and act as advocates for vulnerable residents. These coordinators are members of the management team and play a significant role in keeping at-risk residents housed and healthy.
According to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, during the recent pandemic, 40% of the residents at properties served by Service Coordinators " did not have the food, medicine or household supplies they would need to isolate for a week." It was the service coordinators who handled the procurement and distribution of food, medicine, and household goods for these residents.
If you operate a federally assisted site for older adults or the disabled, your property could benefit greatly from a service coordinator - if you do not already have one. In this article, I will provide an overview of HUD’s Senior Coordinator in Multifamily Housing Services Program. I will explain the benefits of having a service coordinator on staff, what a service coordinator does, and funding sources for such a position.
HUD’s Service Coordinator Program
HUD established its Service Coordinators in Multifamily Housing Program (SCMF) in 1990. HUD has the authority to use Section 8 funds to employ service coordinators in most HUD-assisted and conventional public housing developments designated for the elderly and disabled.
Primary guidance for the program may be found in the SCMF Resource Guide. This guide supplements the HUD Management Agent Handbook 4381.5, REV-2, CHG-2. The resource guide may be found at https://files. hudexchange.info/resources/documents/ Service-Coordinators-in-Multifamily-Housing-Program-Resource-Guide.pdf.
Service coordinators provide seven key functions:
Benefits of Service Coordinators
A primary benefit of a service coordinator is linking residents to needed social services. This is an important part of keeping the elderly in their homes and aging in place. These service coordinators are full-time staff members with specialized training in linking residents with the services they need.
Services that can be arranged include:
According to the American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC), in 2021, 93 percent of residents with service coordinators continued living independently instead of moving to facilities with higher care levels. This not only provides a significant benefit to residents but also helps prevent costly evictions.
Who is Eligible for a Service Coordinator?
HUD-assisted housing sites that are designated for older adults and people with disabilities are eligible to participate in the Service Coordinators in Multifamily Housing Program. There are two main funding sources for the Service Coordinators in Multifamily Housing Program:
Program Monitoring
All service coordinator programs in multifamily housing are expected to adhere to the same requirements as outlined in the SCMF Program Resource Guide. HUD conducts monitoring reviews of service coordinator programs to ensure they serve their intended purpose.
The frequency of reviews will depend on the nature of a site’s day-to-day operations and service coordinator program activities.
Staffing the Positions
A site owner will hire a service coordinator through job listings like any other staff. The hiring of qualified professionals is critical to the success of the SCMF program.
In general, there should be one full-time service coordinator for every 50 to 100 residents. However, at sites with large numbers of residents with mental health conditions or other high needs, a smaller ratio may be appropriate.
What do Service Coordinators Not Do?
Service Coordinator Qualifications
Minimum requirements for Service Coordinators include -
Training in cultural competency and bilingual skills are also assets for many service coordination positions, and in larger properties, service coordinator aides are often hired to assist the coordinator. Aides should have appropriate education or experience working with elderly people and/or persons with disabilities. College students working towards a degree in social work, or a health-related field may look to gain hands-on experience and may be able to receive academic credit for an internship or work-study program.
Service Coordinator Training Requirements
All new-hire service coordinators must have met a minimum of 36 training hours of classroom/seminar time before hiring or must complete these minimum training requirements within 12 months of initial hiring, on age-related and disability issues.
Recently completed college courses on aging, mental health, or other relevant topics relating to the needs of the residents may be counted toward the 36-hour training requirement.
HUD requires service coordinators to remain current on changing statutes at all levels of government and current practices in aging and/or disability issues. Service coordinators should receive 12 hours of continuing education each year, and fair housing training is a must.
Bottom Line
Every HUD property that serves the elderly or disabled can benefit from the services of a service coordinator. If your property does not currently have a service coordinator, serious thought should be given to creating the position either through the current project budget or by applying in the next round of HUD funding.
Subscribe to our news articles to stay up to date.
We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.