Ready to Rent Program Launches in Muskingum County

ZANESVILLE, OH – A new program that teaches people to be better renters has come to Muskingum County.

CCMEP, Allwell Behavioral Health and Cedar Ridge Behavioral have teamed up to bring the “Ready to Rent” program to our area.

Heidi Rowland, the CCMEP Program Specialist with the Muskingum County Job & Family Services, said this nationwide program not only educates people on how to be a good renter but also helps to strengthen the bond between tenants and landlords.

“Ready to Rent is teaching our CCMEP clients how to be successful renters. We’re trying to bridge that gap between renters and landlords and set the youth up for success,” Rowland said. “In maintaining and living out the terms of their lease.”

Rowland said the program will teach participants better communication, budgeting, and much more.

She said it means a lot to finally have a program like this here in Muskingum County because she has seen the struggles of finding and keeping housing.

“I work with CCMEP and Job and Family Services and so myself have seen the frustration first hand on providing first months rent or deposit help and then seeing clients then get evicted 90 days later,” Rowland said. “So when I heard about Ready to Rent, which is in 20 states, they’ve had over 4,000 graduates, and they have over 600 trainers, I knew that is exactly what this community needed. The kids that we work with maybe haven’t had the life experience to see their parents model and maintain housing and so I realized, we needed to teach it.”

The 18 hours course can be taken over a period of time.

For more information about the Ready to Rent program you can contact Heidi Rowland at 740-260-5159.