Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
HousingLink’s housing search and website impact in 2023 included: 1,906,372 searches for housing (up 7% since last year), 24,457 listings available, 87% of landlords listing would consider a section 8 voucher, 146,719 visits for subsidized housing program information, and 83,500+ views of educational and fair housing awareness videos. Our Beyond Backgrounds program outcomes last year found that 96% of program participants completed a 12-month lease, while 92% of property owners say they plan to rent to Beyond Backgrounds participants again. Since the program launched, 1,425 renters have secured housing through this program. To measure success, HousingLink tracks and analyzes website activity using Google Analytics, user surveys, and conversations with landlords and renters in the community. We measure website effectiveness based on page-views, specific resources accessed, number of searches, and available rental listings on the site. Surveys allow us to measure a range of success metrics, and we use evaluation results to inform plans for new initiatives and enhancements to current programs. HousingLink supports housing authorities throughout Minnesota by being a centralized resource where HRAs can refer renters seeking housing with their vouchers. Further, our education tools and resources are often used as part of property owner/manager education programs. In addition, our Beyond Backgrounds program has become a key resource in helping engage new properties to accept Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8).
Current Goals
HousingLink is focused on simplifying access to affordable housing for low-and moderate-income renters across the state of Minnesota. Knowing renters are part of a larger housing equation, we build relationships with property owners and the government agencies that impact affordable housing.
In 2024 our goals center around:
• HOUSING SEARCH – we will improve our website and our housing search tool to connect renters with as many housing opportunities as possible and increase housing choice for renters. In 2024, we will connect renters with as many housing opportunities as possible and see more than 1.5 million views of housing opportunities.
• Our BEYOND BACKGROUNDS program will connect renters who have barriers in their background, from criminal convictions to evictions to bad credit, with properties willing to rent to them. Our goal is that 300 new renters will secure housing throughout Minnesota. Eighty-five percent of those renters will complete their one-year lease.
• Through WAITLIST CENTRAL, we will empower low-income renters to join waitlists of multiple management companies/property managers in one spot. In 2024, we aim to enroll thirty wait lists in the system.
• Additionally, new renter rights legislation is coming in 2024, and our team will be hosting online sessions to EDUCATE landlords and renters about the changes.
• HousingLink’s will continue to be a reliable third-party resource for data for partner organizations to use in their work around affordable housing policy and systems change.
Community or Constituency Served
Anyone can search for affordable rental housing vacancies and waiting list openings in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Twin Cities suburbs, and throughout all of Minnesota. Landlords and property managers use our website to advertise their rental housing openings for free. Staff at human service agencies in Minnesota use HousingLink's resources to help their clients overcome barriers to their housing search, and to answer questions about subsidized housing programs in Minnesota. We also publish the status of subsidized housing waiting lists in the Twin Cities through the Housing Authority Waiting List. Finally, HousingLink conducts research that is used by policymakers and research organizations to shape affordable housing policy in the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota.
Geographic Area Served
State of Minnesota
