Are there any minimum requirements to be eligible for CORES certification?

The CORES certification is designed for affordable housing owners/organizations that provide resident services in line with a robust coordination system.

A resident services coordination system includes all functions tied to the organizational mission to implement resident services in affordable rental housing, including corporate and site-based staff, funding, technology systems, services and programs, research and evaluation, organizational knowledge and tools necessary to support resident services.

To be eligible, an organization does not need to offer a CORES-level of resident services coordination or have resident services staff at all properties within their portfolio, but the organization must be able to demonstrate this level of infrastructure and implementation is scaled at multiple properties -- that resident services is a part of the organization's mission and business model.

  • An organization must fit one of the approved resident services coordination models (Direct Resident Services Coordination Model, Hybrid Resident Services Coordination Model, or Third Party Resident Services Coordination Model)  and this model must be scaled at multiple properties.

    Application Question # 1 (Direct, Hybrid, and Third Party Model Applicants)

    Please Note: If interested in seeking certification under both the Direct and Third Party models, please contact CORES for more information about the Streamlined Third Party application option. This would be made available after an organization has been certified under the Direct model. Once the applicant has been certified under the Direct model, they can seek Third-Party Certification through a streamlined application within six months after their Direct Model certification is received (an organization may still apply for the Third Party Model after these six months, but will not be able to use the streamlined application to do so). If interested in this pathway, please contact CORES staff for more information (at [email protected]).

  • An organization must have experience in providing Resident Services Coordination for a minimum of three years.
    Application Question # 2 (Direct, Hybrid, and Third Party Model Applicants)
  • For Third Party Model applicants: An organization must have a formalized contract in place with the owner of a property where it is operating.
    Application Question # 5 (Third Party Model Applicants)
     

  • An organization must provide regional/corporate oversight and management of the property-based resident services coordination and implementation.
    Application Question #4 (Direct Model Applicants)  or #4 and 6 (Hybrid Model Applicant) or #8 and 9 (Third Party Model Applicant)

  • An organization must provide and oversee resident services coordination and have Resident Services Coordination staff (either hired directly or through a third-party contractor) on-site at more than one affordable housing property. Organizations will be asked to describe the typical roles and responsibilities of the on-site coordinator. Application Question #13 (Direct Model Applicant) or #15 (Hybrid Model Applicant) or #18 (Third Party Model Applicant)
    Required Attachment    : Job Description/Scope of Work

  • As part of its resident services coordination process, an organization must utilize or complete a community scan prior to the delivery of services and programs.
    Certification Application Question # 21 (Direct Model Applicant) or #22 (Hybrid Model Applicant) or #26 (Third Party Model Applicant)
    Required Attachment: Example Community Scan)
     

  • As a part of its resident services coordination process, an organization must perform resident opportunities & priorities assessments at properties prior to delivery of services and programs.
    Certification Application Question # 23 (Direct Model Applicant) or #24 (Hybrid Model Applicant) or #28 (Third Party Model Applicant)
    Required Attachment: Example Resident Opportunities & Priorities Assessment Report - this should be for the same property as the Example Community Scan                                                                                                                         

  • As a part of its resident services coordination process, an organization must utilize the information gathered through the community scan and resident opportunities & priorities assessment to design its property services plans. 
    Certification Application Question # 25 (Direct Model Applicant) or #26 (Hybrid Model Applicant) or #29 (Third Party Model Applicant)
    Required Attachment: Example Property Services Plan – this should be for the same property as the example Opportunities & Priorities Assessment and the example Community Scan)

  • An organization must describe the actions it takes to address a situation when there is low participation in a resident services program/activity offered at its properties. This should include how the organization analyzes why there is low participation and what the response is.
    Certification Application Question # 37(Direct Model Applicant) or #39 (Hybrid Model Applicant )or #43 (Third Party Model Applicant)

  • At a property level, an organization must track, analyze, and report the indicators resulting from its resident services efforts.
    Certification Application Question # 43 (Direct Model Applicant) or #45 (Hybrid Model Applicant)  or #48 (Third Party Model Applicant)
    Required Attachment: Resident Indicators & Analysis Report for a Single Property)

If an organization meets most of the requirements listed above, but is unable to meet ALL of the requirements listed, the organization MAY qualify for a Provisional CORES Certification. Please contact CORES staff for more information.