Entryway Offers a Path from Homelessness to Multifamily Career Success

For vulnerable individuals, a stroke of bad luck can be all it takes to kick off a spiral towards homelessness. Setbacks like job loss or a health crisis can force people out of their homes and into their cars, onto the couches of friends and families, or into homeless shelters.

That’s where Entryway, the latest recipient of Apartments.com’s ThanksGifting charity campaign, comes in.

The nonprofit organization, which received $10,000 from Apartments.com this year, combats homelessness by creating pathways to economic self-sufficiency.

And careers in the multifamily industry are a key part of that pathway.

Here’s how it works:

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The invisible face of homelessness

What does homelessness look like? You might be surprised.

“Typically, when we think of people who are homeless, we think about that person on a street corner that probably has issues around mental illness and addiction,” said Entryway president and CEO David Williams.

But housing instability doesn’t just take the form of chronic homelessness. Entryway focuses its efforts on situational homelessness.

Many individuals experiencing housing instability have faced adversity and “just need a second chance” to get back on their feet, Williams said.

With a focus on at-risk individuals who are motivated to turn their lives around, Entryway offers resources to help them build new careers in the multifamily industry.

From crisis to stability: One family’s story

For Entryway participants Michael and Jessica, it was a medical emergency that triggered their family’s descent into homelessness.

Last year, Michael suffered a severe heart attack that nearly took his life. He lost his job, and soon after, the couple and their young sons were living out of motels and their car.

Caption: Entryway participant Michael works as a maintenance tech for a property management company in Florida. Image courtesy of Entryway.

After qualifying for Entryway’s program, the couple received training and mentorship to prepare them for entry-level roles within the multifamily industry.

Today, the couple is employed by Riverstone Communities, where Michael works as a maintenance tech and Jessica is a leasing agent.

Caption: Through the Entryway program, Jessica secured a job as a leasing agent. Image courtesy of Entryway.

“I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Jessica said of Entryway in a recent video featuring the couple’s story.

Opening doors to multifamily careers

Caption: Entryway provides training and upskilling to prepare participants for roles in the multifamily industry. Image courtesy of Entryway.

The multifamily industry offers a unique opportunity for the population Entryway serves.

“This is where employment and housing occur at the same time,” Williams said.

Entryway trains participants for entry-level roles in maintenance, groundskeeping, housekeeping, and leasing. The training program builds relevant skills and helps individuals apply and interview for positions at participating multifamily companies.

And once participants secure employment, their new employer typically provides discounted onsite housing.

Caption: Through Entryway, Atiana found a job as a leasing agent, where she and her family live on site. Image courtesy of Entryway.

Onsite housing is “a benefit all the way around,” Williams said.

It gives participants a secure place to live and minimizes their transportation costs. For the property, it ensures that staff members are easily available to address onsite issues.

Moving up in the multifamily ranks

Landing an entry-level job sets participants on a path not just toward economic self-sufficiency but also career growth.

In a recent milestone for the organization, an Entryway participant was promoted into a property manager role. A few years ago, the same individual was in a shelter, uncertain of what her future held. Today, she is responsible for a 350-unit apartment community.

“I think that that shows, first of all, what hard work can do,” Williams said. “It shows that this is an industry that values people that work hard and that you can actually not just get a job but actually form a career.”

ThanksGifting: a month of giving back

Celebrated every November, ThanksGifting is an annual campaign by Apartments.com to honor nonprofit organizations working with the multifamily industry. Our donations support these organizations’ efforts across the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more about Entryway and how your organization can support its mission.

Get to know the other recipients of this year’s campaign:

• Hatching Hope helps multifamily residents recover from disasters. Meet Hatching Hope.
• Move for Hunger fights hunger and waste by coordinating with apartment communities and movers to redirect food to local food banks. Meet Move for Hunger.
• United Way Centraide Canada provides a helpline to help residents and others access essential resources. Meet United Way Centraide Canada.

You decide: Which charity should receive $10,000 from Apartments.com?

ThanksGifting isn’t over yet. One more nonprofit organization will receive a $10,000 donation — and you get to pick which one. Apartments.com will donate the money in your name.

Enter our giveaway, which closes November 30, for your chance to nominate a nonprofit organization that matters to you.

Choose your charity