Conflict resolution helps prevent evictions
From Washington Gorge Action Programs:
By Tamara Kaufman
Klickitat and Skamania counties, WA (January 18, 2024) - Ben Noble is on a mission to get people talking. His job is an important one: to get landlords and tenants to discuss matters that could potentially lead to an eviction and try to help them find common ground and resolve their issues.
As the Department Coordinator for Landlord/Tenant Conflict Resolution for Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), Noble supports the Housing team that works with low-income clients and local landlords who provide much-needed housing opportunities. It’s a delicate balance and one that he has dedicated himself to with a passion for serving local families.
This work is a natural extension of Noble’s previous experience. “I learned how to listen and guide people to improve their lives when I worked as a life coach,” he said. This interest led him to take a Basic Mediation Course through the Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center so he could add to his skills in working with people.
Unfortunately, he found his life thrown into turmoil early in the pandemic, and he needed to reach out to someone to help him navigate his own difficulties.
“I actually found WAGAP because of the personal struggles I was going through,” he said. “WAGAP saved me, and I wanted this to be the kind of work I pursued to help others.”
Initially, Noble joined the Housing team as a coordinator helping houseless people find shelter. He worked with clients and hotel managers to arrange temporary stays.
Later, his role shifted, and he began supporting all of the housing teams throughout Klickitat and Skamania counties as a department coordinator for landlord/tenant conflict resolution.
He’s in good company. At least six other WAGAP employees have also received training through Six Rivers. They represent a variety of departments, such as housing, administration, and community health. All have one primary goal: to help people help themselves.
This mission blends well with the Six Rivers' goal of “Guiding people to peaceful resolutions.” According to Colleen Regalbuto, program manager, the training is a great way to improve communication skills and enhance relationships no matter what type of business you are in.
“The training helps people gain knowledge about the causes of conflict and tools for resolving it,” Regalbuto said. “It can be really helpful in giving people deeper understanding for handling conflict both in their professional and personal lives.”
Noble explains that his role is to be a neutral party who learns the situation from both perspectives and uses techniques to calm the conversation and guide the landlords and tenants so they can begin to move forward toward a solution together.
Typically, for him, a case starts with a referral from one of the WAGAP program offices. Low- income tenants are often working within housing funding programs that have specific rules, so both parties need to understand their obligations. Noble interviews each to learn what issues they have. This helps him to whittle it down to the basics, find the common ground, and understand the agenda of each party.
One success story came from a tenant who was significantly behind in rent, and the landlord was ready to start the eviction process. Noble was called in to help, “They were both stressed out and not communicating.” He heard both sides and referred the tenant to the WAGAP Housing team that helped find some funding to pay a portion of the back rent and the tenant pulled together the remaining due. This brought them current again, which satisfied the landlord. It also improved the relationship, and the tenant was able to remain in place.
Sometimes, language and cultural differences can cause strife. A Latina woman was raising her grandchild and did not understand that the lease limited the number of people who could live in the apartment. So, she took in an additional family member, as is a common practice in her community. The landlord became upset.
Using a translator helped both sides to understand the agreement clearly. Noble was then able to help the family by referring the additional member to the WAGAP housing office, where they were able to find a space in a local shelter until he could get on his feet. This took the pressure off everyone and got the tenant back into compliance with the lease.
“Conflict resolution often works,” Noble said, “but sometimes situations are too far gone to bridge positive communication.” In this case, he does the best he can to refer people to find another living situation and to Community Health Workers in the Pathways program.
Helping people through these situations has inspired Noble to work on further certification. “The more experience I get, and the more cases I can witness, the better I can serve the parties,” he said. He is applying for the Mediator Practicum/Internship program with Six Rivers and hopes to begin further training later this year.
From his perspective at WAGAP, Noble added that keeping people in their homes whenever possible helps the stability of local families. Having good relationships with local landlords helps the housing team fill requests for shelter from very vulnerable populations. He sees that as a win for Gorge communities.
Individuals and organizations interested in learning more about conflict resolution can find Six Rivers training opportunities at https://6rivers.org/training/. The next Basic Mediation Training begins in April, and registration is currently open. Six Rivers has served in the Gorge for over 20 years and has offices in Hood River, Oregon, and Goldendale, Washington, serving seven counties in the bi-state region.
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Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities address basic human needs in Klickitat and Skamania Counties. For more than 50 years, the organization has offered support services to help people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org or, for additional information, contact WAGAP at (509) 493-2662 or email info@wagap.org.
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