Tenant Screenings Show Positive Impact on Columbus Housing Complex
- February 02, 2015
- Mandy Haynes
Last month, The Columbus Dispatch published a story on the dramatic transformation of Lincoln Park, a public-housing complex in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to 2009, the complex was owned by the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and was filled with problems, primarily those associated with bad tenants who brought crime and violence to the complex. However, that all changed in 2009 when VTT Management, a Massachusetts company, bought the complex as well a neighboring complex, Sawyer Towers, and re-named the complexes Sky View Townhomes and Skyview Towers, respectively.
When VTT Management bought the property, VTT Management owner Vaios Theodorakos “instituted tougher screening procedures” for tenants in order to reduce the high rates of crime and violence that had plagued the property for years. Many former residents of the Lincoln Park complex came back to apply for housing, expecting to receive housing again. However, many applicants were denied housing due to credit problems and criminal background check problems. As Theodorakos stated, “We do 30 applications in a three-day period; 28 don’t qualify.” VTT Management also renovated many of the units, installed a security gate and “key-fob entry system,” and added a few other amenities including a gym and a convenience store.
As a result of VTT Management’s use of tenant screenings, the complex has experienced a dramatic transformation over the span of six years. As Jim Griffin, leader of the Columbus South Side Area Commission, states, “Overall, they’ve done a great job of transforming the property.” According to Columbus City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr., the “key” to this transformation has been “good tenant screening.” According to VTT Management owner Theodorakos, the occupancy rate at Skyview Towers has risen to 90%, making it “wildly successful.” Not only has demand for the units gone up, but instances of crime and violence at the property have gone down. Both Kelly Coate, leader of the Vassor Village Civic Association,” and Police Officer Robin Medley, agree that the crime rate has diminished since the property changed ownership. This has given residents of the property a greater sense of safety and security. Hussein Al –Obedi, a soon-to-be resident of the complex, states about the complex, “I feel safe here.”
The feeling of safety that Al-Obedi expresses is the most important feeling that you can create in your rental community and came about in this case as a result of stricter screening and tighter requirements. Taking more time on the front end of the rental life cycle will only mean a fuller, safer, and more secure community. We can help.
To read the full article, click here:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/02/23/homes-transformed.html
