Tracey Howard

Provided through The Back Outside Collective, a Michigan 501(c)(3)

Housing thatholds.

We find housing for the households your agency serves, get them moved in, and stay with them after move-in so the placement holds. Your agency keeps eligibility determination. We do the housing work.

Talk about a contract Visit the nonprofit

What we do

Two services, contracted by the agency that serves the household.

Housing search and placement

  • Assess housing barriers and build a housing plan with each household
  • Search for units and reach out to landlords
  • Help complete and submit rental applications
  • Coordinate lease-up and move-in

Housing-stability case management

  • Regular check-ins with the household after move-in
  • Connect households to mainstream benefits and community resources
  • Work with the landlord early when problems come up
  • Progress reporting back to the referring agency

How referrals work

Agencies contract with us on a purchase order. We work as a contractor, not a subrecipient.

  1. 1

    Your agency refers

    You determine eligibility and send the referral.

  2. 2

    We search and place

    We work with the household to find a unit and get the lease signed.

  3. 3

    Move-in

    Placement is billed when the household moves in.

  4. 4

    We stay involved

    Stability case management continues for a minimum of six months.

Who we work with

Our services fit the housing search and placement and case management activities funded under ESG (24 CFR 576.105(b)) and the Continuum of Care program (24 CFR 578.53(e)).

  • Emergency shelters
  • Continuum of Care housing agencies
  • Veteran housing programs
  • City of Detroit housing programs

About the Collective

The Back Outside Collective is a Detroit nonprofit focused on one thing: getting households into housing and helping them keep it.

  • Michigan 501(c)(3), EIN 39-3614633
  • Voting member of the Detroit Continuum of Care General Membership
  • Independent board with seven voting directors
  • Led by Tracey Howard, Founder and Executive Director

Bring us your referrals

For shelters, housing agencies and City programs that want to add housing navigation capacity. Email tracey@thebackoutsidecollective.com or call 313-900-1558.

Email about a contract

Housing navigation is provided by The Back Outside Collective, a separate Michigan nonprofit corporation with its own board. It is not provided by Tracey Howard Consulting Group LLC, Andrews Realty Group or Somerset Lending Corp. Mailing address: 5510 E Seven Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 48234.