RENT - housingworkers.ca/landlordconnect.ca
Recognizing a need for more interconnectedness within the housing worker community to share expertise and resource, RENT was formed. Their site started five years ago with static HTML pages and 80 members from about 25 organizations. Today the system supports 880+ members from 350+ agencies. They have expanded to work with private sector landlords (landlordconnect.ca)who are able to upload unit descriptions and have them displayed on a dynamic mapping system layered with local service information like the location of a local foodbank or child care centre. They also have online mentor matching and discussion groups to help workers collaborate and work together to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
In this case we learned you really can start small and grow. The remarkable accomplishments of this group are as a result of the dedicated staff time given to supporting people to use the website, active promotion of how to engage online and a firm hand when one is tempted to revert to old communication patterns rather than help someone overcome a barrier to logging in.
