People with disabilities often struggle to find quality, inclusive housing opportunities. This is partly because housing providers have historically been challenged to provide the appropriate level of accommodations in conjunction with the provision of housing units in order for residents to live safely and thrive. Part of this challenge comes from the fact that people with disabilities are not all alike. People with mobility and sensory access needs may be able to be accommodated through altering the structure of specific building features, but individuals with cognitive, mental health, chronic illness, and other access needs may require coordinated support to navigate and retain housing. 

The Kelsey provides this critical support through our Inclusion Concierge program. Based on focus groups with disabled individuals and their caregivers, best practices from federal laws and policies, and case studies from existing disability housing models, the role of an Inclusion Concierge is a strong ingredient in the recipe of keeping people with disabilities housed and thriving in community life. While an Inclusion Concierge is not a direct service provider, they do serve as an essential bridge between housing and services and also guides residents in accessing activities, supports, and relationships that further their personal goals and passions. The Inclusion Concierge program supports housing retention, sustained quality and service delivery. The program also enhances inclusivity and allows people with and without disabilities to share an interconnected community, leading to a superior resident experience measured by decreased unit turnover and better health outcomes.

The Kelsey is committed to making communities inclusive, but what do we mean when we say “inclusive?” We define inclusive pretty specifically. Firstly, by definition, inclusivity does not include housing that is segregated, separated, or specialized from the general population. This means communities include homes for residents who are both people with and without disabilities, and units and housing experiences are the same quality for all residents. Additionally, at The Kelsey, inclusion means more than simply integrating homes together. We also deliver thoughtful, but optional, efforts in design and programming to foster interaction, understanding, and connection across people of all abilities and backgrounds to create a sense of belonging within a mutually supportive community. 

Inclusive communities don’t isolate disability (i.e., there is no segregated disability manager, wing, or programs), but rather all staffing, spaces and programs are designed for inclusion. Other residential communities may utilize their own strategies. Whatever the strategy is, support isn’t something you do only for people with disabilities, but something you do for all residents as an amenity benefitting whole communities.

One common way some housing creators provide support to disabled tenants is through Permanent Supportive Housing. In a PSH model, affordable housing is combined with best-practice services for individuals and families with disabilities. The PSH model is typically targeted towards families and individuals with a long history of homelessness, and usually the housing provider is also a service provider – the tenants receive both housing and services directly from the same organization. Sometimes services such as employment, health, and intensive case management are also provided onsite. PSH is a good way to approach service provision for housing communities where the resident population share similar needs, but coupling housing and services together limits the range of services provided, and so the PSH model can be harder to implement in other communities where resident needs are more diverse.

combination of a Resident Services Coordinator (RSC) and property management staff. In this approach, the RSC facilitates the entry of new residents to the community by providing orientation to the apartment unit, and connecting them with community services. Property management staff at the property separately assist the tenants with property-specific matters that arise, and manage the daily aspects of maintaining the property, such as tracking rent. The RSC and Property Management staff can be employees of the developer, or, more often, the developer contracts to work with a resident services provider and property management company separately. The RSC-Property Management model is the most traditional, easy to apply approach to service coordination in affordable housing complexes. This model becomes more challenging to follow in communities with larger populations and diverse resident needs because it is easy for staff to become overwhelmed, especially if they are not specifically trained in understanding how to meet the needs of the populations they serve.

In some larger mixed-income and market rate communities, developers add a role within their property management staff that is focused on cultivating community. This Community Management staff member provides a friendly-face and curated resident events as an amenity of the building. They support the other property management staff with resident-facing interactions and help to manage amenity spaces such as on-site gyms and community rooms. 

In affordable housing complexes, this role is sometimes filled by a front desk staff who helps to orient people coming into the building and ensure the resources/amenities of the building are used correctly.

At The Kelsey, we achieve our goals of supportive community through our Inclusion Concierge program. The Inclusion Concierge can be described as a blend of the best aspects of PSH, RSC, front desk clerks and community manager models. Our communities target people with disabilities who rely on in-home support in order to live independently – Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) including IHSS, Regional Center, and Self-Determined programs. Under the Inclusion Concierge program, housing and services are decoupled so people with disabilities can make choices about their housing and services independently but it also ensures that people with support needs are able to maintain housing success.

What this means is that the Inclusion Concierge program involves coordination between property management and maintenance staff, natural supports, and partner agencies. This team-based approach creates a welcoming community, fosters inclusion, supports quality community services delivery and coordination and promotes connections between neighbors. 

All Inclusion Concierge team members receive disability inclusion training, as well as training on service delivery and trauma-informed care. The Kelsey’s Inclusion Concierge works hard to translate the principles of resident experience through established pathways, including: 

Beyond supporting the needs of disabled residents, the Inclusion Concierge also creates a culture of mutual support between all residents within the building, encouraging a natural ability and interest for residents to connect with each other and the surrounding community. This provides a better housing experience for all residents regardless of access needs and income. Mid-way through the initial lease term, the Inclusion Concierge reaches out to every resident to understand feedback for the community and what could make their experience better.  

We recommend at least a 1:30 ratio of full-time equivalent (FTE) Inclusion Concierge staff to households with residents who rely on IHSS to live independently and a 1:100 ratio of FTE Inclusion Concierge staff to other households; based on a target level of 25% people with disabilities, that averages out to about 1:60 ratio of Inclusion Concierge staff to units. The current model for one of The Kelsey’s projects is that both of the Inclusion Concierge roles are full-time, salaried employees of The Kelsey’s nonprofit development partner, and will be trained by The Kelsey. To ensure program sustainability, the Inclusion Concierge role is paid out of the project’s operating budget, which covers two salaries, as well as supplies and other fringe expenses. Anticipated Inclusion Concierge hours include 8-hour morning and evening shifts, with one Inclusion Concierge living off-site and one living on-site to respond to off-hours emergencies.

The Inclusion Concierge program enhances property management and the service provided to tenants from outside agencies at multiple touchpoints that holistically drive housing success:

Increased Housing Retention and Reduced Turnover  

There are financial long-term benefits to implementing an Inclusion Concierge program. At the marketing stage, the Inclusion Concierge presence facilitates better connection with the local community, which means an increase in the pool of likely tenants. At lease-up and throughout the lease term, high resident satisfaction means lower turnover and vacancies. This, in turn, reduces property management workload, which translates into cost-effectiveness.

Community Connection and Social Determinants of Health  

Setting the culture from the start as a vibrant, interdependent space, where people are  supported with resident-centered services and social touchpoints means better intra-resident relations and community investment. This can allow staff to avoid resident-related issues before they occur, and build mutually supportive relationships among residents which can help reduce isolation and loneliness and associated health problems like depression and anxiety. Residents of all abilities and backgrounds who feel healthy, happy, valued and included are more likely to remain stably housed.

Considering the components of The Kelsey’s Inclusion Concierge program can be helpful as you formulate your plans for your housing community and supportive services:

Incorporating an Inclusion Concierge program into your housing community is a productive way to ensure the property is not only disability-forward but provides the best resident experience possible for people with and without disabilities. Although the process of building a strong supportive services delivery system within an affordable housing community can be challenging both to conceptualize and fund, inclusive environments are worth the effort evidenced by increased housing retention for both disabled and nondisabled residents. After reviewing the key elements of The Kelsey’s approach to resident services through the Inclusion Concierge model, you should have the starting blocks to navigate the creation of your own supportive, inclusive housing community.