RentWell: Stable, Safe & Healthy Housing
Share believes that everyone deserves the right to live well, be well, and Rent Well. This is the mission of Rent Well, a free 15-hour program designed to help people achieve stable, safe and healthy housing. Created by Transition Programs, a Portland-based nonprofit, Rent Well is taught throughout Oregon and Washington by 250+ certified instructors, including our own Rent Well Instructor Guadalupe Aragón.
“Rent Well is an amazing program and we see value in each person that we serve. Recently, as I was explaining the tools and practices of the Rent Well goals, I added that from now on when they sign their name, their name will go up in value. One young man named Damon* said ‘I have never had my name used in the same sentence with value.’ There was not a dry eye in the group,” said Guadalupe.
Many individuals have never been taught about renting and their responsibilities as a tenant. It isn’t a high school class. Unfortunately, most of us learn from trial and error. But through the program, a variety of topics are covered: how laws affect your relationship with your landlord, reviewing rental agreements, how to be a good tenant and neighbor, setting goals and actions steps to achieve housing goals and much more.
This year, 34 participants at Share have graduated so far, including Sara who said: “What I most like is the concept of a housing portfolio, that is brilliant! I can see myself using this tool going forward, for the rest of my life—always keeping my little portfolio up-to-date and ready to go. It’s a good feeling to be prepared.”
Upcoming class schedules are available here. To learn more about Rent Well, contact Guadalupe at garagon@sharevancouver.org
* Name changed to preserve anonymity
