Housing Counseling Program Grievance Policy

All Neighbor to Neighbor Housing Counseling participants are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity, to ask questions and to be actively involved in the assessment and resolution of their need(s). If at any time a participant is dissatisfied with the services provided by Neighbor to Neighbor Inc., a complaint or grievance may be filed, as outlined below:

  1. Speak to the staff person involved with the complaint/grievance. Attempt to resolve the matter directly with the staff member involved.
  2. If it is not possible to speak with the staff person or the complaint is not resolved, request assistance from the Program Manager. You may contact the Program Manager at [email protected].
  3. If the complaint/grievance is still not resolved, contact the Executive Director, at [email protected] or call 970-488-2363. A response will be provided to the participant within seven (7) business days from the receipt of the complaint.
  4. If the participant feels the matter has not been resolved by the Executive Director, that person may submit a request to the Executive Director be contacted by a member of N2N’s Board of Directors or may send correspondence addressed to N2N’s Board of Directors to [email protected] or 1550 Blue Spruce Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524. N2N’s Board will address the grievance and a response will be issued within seven (7) days of board meeting. The decision of the Board of Directors is the final stage of Neighbor to Neighbor’s grievance procedure.
  5. If deemed necessary, the client may seek legal redress in the applicable Court of law once the grievance process has been exhausted.

N2N Whistle Blower Policy

Neighbor to Neighbor requires directors, officers and employees to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. As employees and representatives of Neighbor to Neighbor, we must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling our responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

A. Reporting Responsibility

This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees and others to raise serious concerns internally so that Neighbor to Neighbor can address and correct inappropriate conduct and actions. It is the responsibility of all board members, officers, employees and volunteers to report concerns about violations of Neighbor to Neighbor’s code of ethics or suspected violations of law or policies that govern Neighbor to Neighbor’s operations.

B. No Retaliation

It is contrary to the values of Neighbor to Neighbor for anyone to retaliate against any board member, officer, employee or volunteer who in good faith reports an ethics violation, or a suspected violation of law, such as a complaint of discrimination, suspected fraud, or suspected violation of any regulation governing the operations of Neighbor to Neighbor. An employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to
discipline up to and including termination of employment.

C. Reporting Procedure

Neighbor to Neighbor has an open-door policy and suggests that employees share their questions, concerns, suggestions or complaints with their supervisor. If you are uncomfortable speaking with your supervisor or are not satisfied with your supervisor’s response, you are encouraged to speak with the Executive Director or Board President. Supervisors and managers are required to report complaints or concerns about suspected ethical and legal violations in writing to Neighbor to Neighbor. The Executive Director or Board President has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints. Employees with concerns or complaints may also submit their concerns in writing directly to their supervisor, Executive Director, or Board President.

D. Accounting and Auditing Matters

Neighbor to Neighbor’s Finance Director shall immediately notify the Executive/Finance
Committee of any concerns or complaints regarding corporate accounting practices, internal
controls, or auditing and work with the committee until the matter is resolved.

E. Acting in Good Faith

Anyone filing a written complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.
NOTE: All Directors, Volunteers, Representatives, and Employees shall be provided a copy of this Code and will provide written acknowledgment to the Neighbor to Neighbor Executive Director of their agreement to abide by the Code during their tenure with N2N, including disclosure of any known or potential conflicts of interest, in the manner prescribed by the Executive Committee.

Approved by the Neighbor to Neighbor Board of Directors on April 12, 2012. Revised March, 2014

Neighbor to Neighbor Resident Grievance Procedure

1) PURPOSE:

The Neighbor to Neighbor (hereinafter “N2N”) Grievance Procedure is designed to ensure that any resident of a N2N apartment will have the right to address his/her concern in a legal manner. A Resident who has a concern with any action of N2N which fails to meet the standards of the Resident’s Lease has a right to a hearing.

2) PROCEDURE FOR PRIVATE CONFERENCE IN NON-EVICTION CASES:

A) In non-eviction cases, the resident’s grievance shall be presented orally or in writing to the
Portfolio Manager at N2N. The grievance will therefore be discussed informally and settled
without a hearing.
B) For grievances based on a written notice by N2N which signifies a change to past policies, the
Resident must present his/her grievance within ten (10) business days of receiving said notice.
NOTE: If the Resident FAILS TO REQUEST A CONFERENCE within ten (10) business days of receiving said notice, the Resident will lose the opportunity to state the grievance and the changes stated in the notice will be finalized.
C) If the N2N Portfolio Manager is able to resolve the Resident’s grievance, a summary of the agreement reached will be prepared within a reasonable time. One copy of the summary will be given to the Resident and one will be saved in the Resident’s file. The summary will specify the names of the participants, dates of the meeting, the nature of the grievance, and the terms of the agreement that were reached.
D) If the N2N Portfolio Manager is unable to resolve the Resident’s grievance, a summary of the grievance will be prepared within a reasonable time. One copy of the summary will be given to the Resident and one will be saved in the Resident’s file. The summary will specify the names of the participants, dates of the meeting, the nature of the grievance, and the specific reasons that the grievance could not be resolved. The Resident may then request a grievance hearing.
E) To request a grievance hearing, the Resident must submit a written request for a hearing within ten (10) business days after the Resident’s receipt of the summary described in (2D).

3) PROCEDURE FOR A PRIVATE CONFERENCE IN EVICTION CASES:

A) In eviction cases, N2N will present the resident with a written statement which, includes the following:

  1. Specific reasons for eviction, the facts upon which they are based, and the source of these
    facts;
  2. A statement that the resident has the right to request a hearing under the grievance
    procedure and the method of making the request;
  3. Any statement by the resident in the private conference is NOT confidential and may be
    used in subsequent proceedings

B) At the private conference, N2N and the resident will discuss all aspects of the eviction case. At which time, the resident will be able to state his/her grievance regarding N2N’s eviction. If the grievance IS RESOLVED at the private conference, N2N will prepare a summary of the agreement reached within a reasonable time. One copy of the summary will be given to the Resident and one will be saved in the Resident’s file. The summary will specify the names of the
participants, dates of the meeting, the nature of the grievance, and the terms of the agreement that were reached.
If the grievance is NOT RESOLVED at the private conference, a summary of the grievance will be prepared within a reasonable time. One copy of the summary will be given to the Resident and one will be saved in the Resident’s file. The summary will specify the names of the participants, dates of the meeting, the nature of the grievance, and the specific reasons that the grievance could not be resolved. The Resident will also be provided with the necessary information to
request a grievance hearing and the time period for requesting the grievance hearing.

4) REASONS RESIDENT WILL NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO A GRIEVANCE HEARING:

A resident will not be entitled to the right to a grievance hearing in cases of eviction if there is
reason to believe that the Resident or a member of the Resident’s household has:

  1. Unlawfully caused serious harm to another N2N resident or employee, or any other person lawfully on the premises of N2N;
  2. Threatened to seriously physically harm another N2N resident or employee, or any other person lawfully on the premises of N2N;
  3. Destroyed, vandalized or stolen property of N2N or that of another resident of N2N or any other person lawfully on the premises of N2N;
  4. Possessed, carried, or illegally kept an illegal weapon on the property of N2N, possessed or used an explosive or incendiary device (device used to set fire) on the property of N2N;
  5. Unlawfully possessed, sold, or possessed with the intent to distribute an illegal substance on the property of N2N;
  6. Engage in other criminal conduct which seriously threatened or endangered the health or safety of an N2N resident, employee, or any other person lawfully on the premises of N2N;
  7. Hosted a guest who engaged in any such behavior listed in clauses one (1) through six (6), inclusive, where the resident knew or should have known that there was a reasonable possibility that the guest would engage in misconduct.

5) N2N HEARING PROCEDURES

The N2N participants will abide by the following procedures:

1) BEFORE THE HEARING:

A) The Resident will be given the opportunity to examine any N2N documents that are directly relevant to the hearing. The Resident will be allowed to copy any such document at the Resident’s expense. If N2N does not make the document(s) available for examination on request of the Resident, N2N will not be able to use said document(s) at the hearing.
B) N2N will be given the opportunity to examine any Resident documents that are directly relevant to the hearing. N2N will be allowed to copy any such document at N2N’s expense. If the Resident does not make the document(s) available for examination on request of N2N, the Resident will not be able to use said document(s) at the hearing.
*Documents include records and regulations.

2) AT THE HEARING:

A) A written or electronic record of the hearing is maintained and kept confidential unless disclosure is required by law.
B) At the Resident’s expense, a lawyer or other representative may represent the Resident.
C) The hearing will be conducted by any person(s) designated by N2N, other than a person who made or approved the decision under review or a subordinate of this person.
D) If the Resident fails to appear, the hearing will continue as if the Resident were present.
E) The person conducting the hearing will read the grievance aloud.
F) N2N and the Resident must have the opportunity to present evidence and may question any witnesses.
G) If the Resident becomes abusive or persists to present irrelevance or information, the person conducting the hearing can terminate the Resident’s right to speak.

3) AFTER THE HEARING:

A) Factual determinations relating to the individual circumstances of the Resident will be based on the quality of the evidence presented at the hearing.
B) The person who conducts the hearing must issue a written decision within two weeks from the date of the hearing, briefly stating the reasons for the decision.

N2N is not bound by a hearing decision:
A) Concerning a matter for which N2N is not required to provide an opportunity for a Resident’s hearing (see section 4), or for which the decision exceeds the authority of the person conducting the hearing.
B) Contrary to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations or requirements of otherwise contrary to Federal, State, or local law.
C) If N2N determines that it is not bound by a hearing decision, N2N will notify the Resident within two weeks of the determination, and the reasons for the determination.