Housingworks staff offer a free training every Wednesday morning, on how to fill create client profiles and then print applications. To sign up for one of these trainings just click the link below, fill out the form, and fax it. The fax number is on the form: www.housingworks.net/static/WebTrainAdvo.pdf.

OR

Online Training Videos:

The topics are:

• Overview
• Determine if your client's profile is already on the website
• How to enter a client profile
• How to set up the automatic, repeating search for housing/vouchers
• How to view the search results to apply fast

Each video is five minutes or less, and focuses on a specific task. Just click the link for each lesson. You can view them at any time, as many times as you like. Here's the link to the videos: http://www.housingworks.net/static/Train/Lessons-HW.html.

 

Housingworks Tips:

1. Along with every housing application, you should always include

1) a RELEASE FORM and
2) a COVER LETTER.

- The RELEASE FORM should state that you are an authorized housing advocate for this client, that you have permission to SIGN their applications and update their information on every waitlist. It must contain both the client's signature and your signature. Then, when the client needs to update waitlists, you can just email them through our website and save the cost of mailing many letters. We have a RELEASE FORM on our website you can use just for this purpose - all you have to do is fill out a one - page profile for each client, and then you have access to the online RELEASE FORM. Call us at 617-304-9961.

- The COVER LETTER should contain any possible information that presents the client's best points, for example: "My client is only 19 so has no rental history; however, she has completed our Life Skills classes, and has held the same job for 9 months, showing up every day on time. Her employer will give a good recommendation. She will be an excellent tenant." Make sure this letter is short and has easy to spot points, because the person reading it will only glance at it quickly.

2. The quickest way to locate all your housing options is to complete a "new client profile" using the HousingWorks One Stop Shopping form. When you are FILLING OUT this new client profile in HousingWorks, be sure to complete AT LEAST the blue page (page 1): "BasicClient Info" and the gray page: (page 5) "Housing History". Then hit the Submit button. Don't print out this form.

When you are SUBMITTING a new client profile, you just put your mouse on top of the "Submit New Client Profile" button and LEAVE IT THERE (don't move it)- messages will 'pop up' if you have forgotten to answer something especially important. Use the ENTER key to clear these messages away, instead of the mouse!

3. When you enter a client profile, our system starts to do an AUTOMATIC search every week for open waitlists you can apply to. Waitlists open and close often, so the list of housing results may change every week. The places that have most recently updated their information will show at the top of the results