REACH Regional Employer Assisted Collaborative Housing

Housing Works: Company-Employee-Community Benefits

REACH-OC
Regional Employer Assisted Collaborative Housing

“The total cost of turnover for an hourly employee is approximately $6,000”
(American Hotel & Lodging Association)

“When you consider first and last month’s rent plus security deposit, rental housing can be almost unobtainable.”
(OC Housing & Community Services/Renter)

Many Orange County businesses are experiencing the same challenges:

• High turnover rates and the real costs associated with high turnover
• Difficulty finding the right quality employees
• Low availability of promotable employees
• Absenteeism rates above acceptable
• Low employee morale

Mary Erickson Community Housing is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation and a designated Community Housing Development Organization serving Southern California.  They have developed an innovative approach to the housing crisis in Orange County with REACH, their Employer Assisted Housing Program. This cutting edge program provides employers with a simple and cost-effective way to offer rent and home ownership subsidies as a unique tool for the recruiting, retaining, and well-being of staff, along with the well-being of the company that employs them.  It is designed to fit the needs of an organization, personnel objectives, budget and corporate culture, and provides a valuable slate of services:

• Qualifies potential employee participants (processes application, determines appropriate rent subsidy using Orange County Housing & Community Services Department formulas, manages employee correspondence)
• Maintains database and reports, produces monthly payroll subsidy list
• Prepare correspondence as needed, handle telephone employee inquiries, liaison with Human Resources, Accounting, and Payroll.
• Provides lender partnership
• Conducts annual program recertification
• Coordinates Life Skills seminars/presentations

TOP 10 Employer Benefits:

• Rise above the competition
• Retain employees
• Reduce recruitment costs
• Reduce training costs
• Return on investment
• Reduce employee commute time – a benefit for the environment as well
• Reduce absenteeism
• Relationship with employees – improve morale, loyalty, and commitment
• Recognition from employees, industry, civic and business communities
• Right thing to do – improves quality of life for employees and enriches the community in which you do business

The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort has been offering the program to nearly 100 low-income team members for more than five years.  The turnover rate for those participating in the program is less than 12 percent.

“It has been my pleasure to work with Mary Erickson Community Housing for the past year.  Through our rental assistance program we are able to attract quality workers and retain them for longer periods of time.  We have shown that rent subsidized employees are more likely to stay employed with us when other factors are not constant.  Our partnership with MECH for affordable housing has allowed many working families not to merely exist in Orange County, but also thrive as their careers have grown within the Resort.”  Manager, St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach

“I would just like to say how much the program helps my daughter and I.  We are able to live so close to my work and my daughter’s school.  Not only the supplemental income, also the classes they have for us are full of very useful information.  I am a single dad with only one income so without this program I could not afford to live in Orange County.”  Associate, St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach

Life Skills Education Topics:

• Consumer Credit Counseling
• Banking Basics
• How to Become a First –Time Home Buyer
• Save on Your Utility Bills
• Alcohol, Drug, and Domestic Abuse
• Insurance:  Why Do I Need It?
• Stress Management
• Career and Personal Development

Seminars can be presented in English and Spanish and are scheduled monthly, quarterly, annually, or as needed.  We recommend a 45 minute minimum, maximum times are up to the employer.

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