SEATTLE, July 21, 2021 — Local nonprofit Housing Connector, which uses Zillow’s technology to match private property owners and managers to those experiencing homelessness, is now operating in Pierce County thanks to a partnership with the County and funding from the Tacoma Housing Authority.

Expanding to Pierce County means Housing Connector can play a larger role in addressing the Puget Sound region’s homelessness crisis. More than 1,950 people — 67% of which are households of color — have found permanent homes through Housing Connector in the roughly two years it has been operating in King County.

“No apartment should sit vacant when so many people need homes,” said Shkelqim Kelmendi, the executive director of Housing Connector. “Finding these units and placing residents into them is too often a disjointed process that both landlords and renters find difficult to navigate. This is where Housing Connector comes in — with dedicated staff, tailor-made technology via Zillow’s search tool, and a proven model that, for the past two years, has helped house nearly 2,000 people. We know how urgent the need is throughout the Puget Sound region, and we are eager to get to work in Pierce County.”

Housing Connector uses an online affordable-housing search tool built and maintained by Zillow to match landlords with potential tenants. Thanks in part to efficiencies brought about by Zillow’s tool, Housing Connector has increased its inventory from 152 participating properties in March 2020 to more than 800 in July 2021, while keeping roughly the same staffing.

“The addition of Housing Connector provides an important resource for our residents,” said Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier. “As we work to bring regional solutions to more attainable housing, I’m pleased to welcome another key partner to our community.”

Housing Connector helps lower barriers to housing by offering assistance to residents and landlords. To help attract private property owners and managers as partners, Housing Connector provides free referrals to ready-to-rent residents and financial support to cover a variety of costs. This ensures access to benefits including guaranteed rents, security deposits, damage mitigation funds, and a single point for all customer support. In exchange, landlords adjust screening criteria (credit, eviction records, rental arrears, etc.) for potential residents, opening up units that previously were out of reach for individuals experiencing or on the brink of homelessness.

“At Zillow, we believe the security and opportunities of home should be within reach for everyone and that we all have a role to play to help make that a reality,” said Aldona Clottey, Zillow’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “We’re proud that our technology is helping make it possible for Housing Connector to expand its proven, effective approach into Pierce County.”

As part of the expansion, the nonprofit will collaborate closely with Associated Ministries, which is already working to address homelessness and housing access in Pierce County.

"We’re all about community transformation, but we know that no one can do that work alone,” said Michael Yoder, executive director of Associated Ministries. “Housing Connector is a valuable ally in our work to find lasting solutions to homelessness."

Thanks to the services and support provided by Housing Connector, renters referred by the organization can find and move into their next home faster and have the support to ensure they are able to maintain their housing stability.

“The Tacoma Housing Authority is pleased to welcome a like-minded organization like Housing Connector to Pierce County,” said April Black, the executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority. “In the face of a growing housing crisis throughout Western Washington, it is more important than ever to ensure families and individuals have all the necessary tools to identify and secure affordable, stable housing. Working with Zillow and Housing Connector, these households can do just that.”

Zillow’s affordable-housing search tool was developed by its Social Impact Product Team, a special team of software engineers and product managers dedicated to developing products that create positive change. The company’s partnership with Housing Connector was recognized last year with an honorable mention in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards. More information on Housing Connector and its innovative approach to housing can be found HERE.

About Housing Connector:

Housing Connector is a nonprofit organization that helps private property owners and landlords easily and successfully rent to people experiencing homelessness. Launched in 2019, Housing Connector takes a business-to-business approach based on the belief that leveraging existing housing in the private market can meaningfully reduce homelessness.

To help attract private property owners and landlords as partners, Housing Connector provides free referrals to ready-to-rent residents and financial support to cover a variety of costs (ensuring access to benefits that include rent guarantee, security deposits, damage mitigation funds, etc.). In exchange, property owners will adjust criteria or lower barriers for potential residents, opening up units that previously were out of reach for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Thanks to the services and support provided by Housing Connector, renters referred by the organization can find and move into their next home faster and have the support to ensure they are able to maintain their housing stability.

About Zillow Group:

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life’s next chapter.

As the most-visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying, renting or financing with transparency and nearly seamless end-to-end service. Zillow Offers® buys and sells homes directly in dozens of markets across the country, allowing sellers control over their timeline. Zillow Home Loans™, our affiliate lender, provides our customers with an easy option to get pre-approved and secure financing for their next home purchase. Zillow recently launched Zillow Homes, Inc., a licensed brokerage entity, to streamline Zillow Offers transactions. 

Zillow Group’s brands, affiliates and subsidiaries include Zillow®; Zillow Offers®; Zillow Premier Agent®; Zillow Home Loans™; Zillow Closing Services™; Zillow Homes, Inc.; Trulia®; Out East®; StreetEasy® and HotPads®. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).