Landlord Offers Tenants $100 Reduction in Rent Arrears for Every Hour Given to Charity Work
A Florida landlord of over 500 housing units has come up with a novel way to alleviate rent arrears for the tenants by pledging to forgive $100 of overdue rent for every hour a tenant volunteers at a recognized nonprofit charity.
Staffers at the Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida (CHAF), providing affordable housing for low-income families across Pinellas County, grew concerned for their tenants amid the CCP virus pandemic. Around 20 percent of their tenants owed rent due to losing income since March 2020 reports Tampa Bay Times. (Courtesy of CHAF)
Pinellas landlord forgives $100 in rent for every hour tenants volunteer for local charities
With many behind in rent because of the pandemic, Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida has a novel way to give its tenants a chance to lower their debts.
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Holly Butler, 48, director of property management for Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida, Inc, had an idea. What if COVID-affected tenants could get credit for delinquent rent by putting in community service hours? I wondered, How can we make lemonade out of all these lemons? I thought it might just be a kookie idea, but I pitched it, Butler explained. Now their new Back on Track program allows COVID-affected tenants to deduct $100 from their delinquent rent debt for every hour they volunteer for a recognized nonprofit charity. Butler poses at Northside Villas on Dec. 14. [ JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times ]