Are you working on building a better coalition of services for tenants at risk of eviction, or who have recently been evicted?
You may try a 1-2 hour Service Mapping exercise to build a better regional coalition & establish a resource directory that different legal, financial, housing, and government groups can use to connect people with local resources that can help them.
Our team has made a Service Mapping template whiteboard, that you can use on Mural (an online whiteboard application). This whiteboard can help you run a Service Mapping session with your regional group. Find instructions on how to run this session at the How-To Guide from the Eviction Prevention Learning Lab.
Here is quick overview of how to do service mapping:
Make this map with a group of stakeholders in your region.
The mapping session is an opportunity to learn about the direct & indirect services that can help a person in need.
Have 1-2 people facilitate this session.
1 person asks the questions & makes sure stakeholders from different groups can highlight their services. Ask followup questions!
1 person takes notes in the colored rectangles & then groups/arranges.
Once you are done with the mapping session, then you can:
Clean up the map & screenshot each zone. Share those with the group.
Make a referral directory in a Google Sheet or Doc, to share among the group.
Write a short strategy memo about key areas for improvement. And a Gap Analysis of where services are missing.
The Charleston County Housing Court provides legal help to low-income families facing eviction. The objective of the court is to help tenants avoid eviction through mediation with the landlord, providing help to pay rent or assessing whether the eviction was legally served.
The National Center for State Courts has a hands-on, detailed webinar that guides courts & community partners on Civil Diversion programs. This covers eviction diversion programs, as well…