Marketing Ideas for Section 8 HUD Affordable Housing - not Conventional

I am in serious need of building my waitlist for a Senior Elderly Section 8 HUD subsidized property located near Wilkes-Barre, PA. My property has 1 and 2 bedroom units both regular and ADA regulated. I have sent out letters to local areas, posted in newspapers (both print and online), and advertised on Craiglist. I've been a vendor at Expos and just can't seem to build my waitlist. Does anyone have any ideas that can help me???

Hi Michelle, I think your question might be a rare one, I bet not many of us can relate to your need, but I have managed senior/disabled buildings that are PBA and in rural areas, and have seen struggles with occupancy. We always kept ads on craigslist, even if it was far away. I would suggest contacting social workers and case workers that are at surrounding area county agencies for adult services. Perhaps drop flyers/info by the social services offices at surrounding counties. Another thing you could try and find your local ad rep for "val-pak" those blue envelopes that get mailed to everyone's address. Check into placing an ad in the val-pak mailer. Home health agencies might be a good referral source. You could establish a partnerhsip with a preferred home health agency, when you have residents that need help/services, you could refer the home health agency, and when they have customers that are needing to move out of their own home and into a senior apartment, they could refer them to your building. We also used to establish close ties with local elected officials, people of importance and fire/police - this helped our rural buildings keep a more prominent profile/reputation, etc. Good luck!

About half of my career has been spent in tax credit so I can relate!

Some ideas:

Do you have a preferred employer program? If so, hit up their break rooms with goody baskets and flyers. Think police station and teacher break rooms!

Build up a strong relationship with your local housing agency. Bring them lunch or donuts with coffee along with some flyers.

Grocery stores and Starbucks normally have a community board that you can put up a flyer at.

Outreach to your luxury communities! Tell them if you get someone who is overqualified you will send them over and ask that they do the same with people looking for a lower price point.