Since 1995, Atlanta Mutual Housing Association has hired approximately 30 residents of its properties for contract work. In doing so, the MHA has provided the residents with both microenterprise and resident leadership development opportunities.

Atlanta Mutual Housing Association (AMHA) grew out of 1992 discussions among community leaders who were looking for ways to promote long-term affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. The MHA has always promoted microenterprise as an organizational goal. In the past, it has focused on microenterprise through large, separate projects and did not necessarily combine it with the resident leadership work.
 
Since becoming a member of NeighborWorks America's Community Organizing Pilot Program (COPP), the MHA has done asset mapping of its residents in order to identify needs and opportunities. Through this process, the MHA saw a unique opportunity to combine both microenterprise and resident leadership goals. It identified opportunities, on a project-by-project basis, to hire residents to perform contract work at MHA properties.

Project Identification.  The projects are identified by MHA staff and committee members. Celeste Fields, MHA’s resident coordinator, works with the neighborhood association and property management committees to identify contracting needs and to facilitate bidding. Current resident contract work includes photography, roofing, maintenance, catering, after school program teachers, cleaning services, and translation services.

Publicity.  MHA staff and committee members share contracting opportunities via word of mouth. There has not been a need for formal publicity; the response has been sufficient from the current method. Committee members spread the word at their meetings, which are open to all residents. Also, when residents go through the intake process to live at an MHA property, they are surveyed for their skills and interests. If a contract job matches a resident’s skills, staff and committee members will approach the resident directly and suggest they submit a bid.

Bid Process.  Residents are encouraged to submit bids for the contract work. They must meet the requirements for the specific job. If their skills and bid are comparable to outside contracts, the MHA will always go with the resident first, but residents are not guaranteed that they will always be selected. The bid must be comparable.
 
After the bids are submitted, the property management committee reviews them and selects the winning application. Input is given by MHA staff only when asked, and usually not until the end of the review process.

Liability.  The contractor hired must have insurance that is appropriate for the line of work. They are treated like any other business contracted to do work.

Costs and Sources.  This approach does not cost the MHA any additional funds beyond what it already would pay to outside contractors. Contractors are hired based on project needs. The neighborhood association and property management committee handle the bid process in-house. Contracting opportunities are shared by word of mouth, so there are no additional publicity costs.

A high proportion of Atlanta residents, including many MHA tenants, work in the tourism industry. After September 11, 2001, employment rates in Atlanta were greatly affected by the lack of tourism business. By hiring residents as contractors, the MHA was able to maintain housing for many residents who otherwise might have lost their jobs. In some cases, the money earned from contracting was the residents’ sole source of comparable income. Residents were able to keep their apartments and to earn income.
 
The use of resident contractors has allowed the MHA to meet other organizational goals, as well. Many contractors have utilized the available homebuyer-training curriculum and their income to help become first-time homebuyers through the MHA.
 
The project-based work also has benefited resident Hispanic families who come to Atlanta for seasonal work. The contracting work has put cash in their hands and given them some stability.
 
This approach positively affects the bottom line of the MHA. When residents are hired for contracting work, it lowers the turnover rate in the properties. Residents appreciate that they are encouraged to develop viable business skills while living on-site. Contractors are more inclined to remain as residents because of the work opportunities they have been given.
 
Some contractors have expanded their businesses because of the work they do with the MHA. For example, the contracted photographer was previously the DJ for MHA events. He had done photography when he was in the Navy and began helping when the previous contracted photographer didn’t work out. Now, he has his own photography studio and has held three art shows. Some of the residents who do contract catering have begun distributing fliers around the neighborhood and are expanding their business beyond the MHA.

• Be ready for the response. The MHA staff underestimated the roles and the amount of interest this approach would generate. For example, there were several resident bids for catering projects, and at first there was no structure in place to choose a contractor.
   
• Set criteria for choosing bids. Each project should require a list of specific criteria needed for each bidder. It should outline if insurance, letters of reference, or a certain experience level are needed. It is important that the criteria be public to prevent misunderstandings or bad feelings among competing resident bidders.
   
• Bad contracting experiences should be dealt with as soon as possible. Someone, usually MHA staff, will call the contractor a day or two after the service rendered to give feedback on the job. It is important to give the contractor honest feedback, as with any other business.
   
• Do not be afraid of asking resident contractors to get the resources necessary to do the job. At first, MHA staff were reluctant to ask a landscaping contractor to get the $1 million insurance coverage necessary for the job. The resident easily got the coverage, however, and completed the job.

Agency interview in January 2005 with: Celeste Fields, Resident Coordinator