When Matt Lasko joined EDEN in May 2006, he didn’t expect to be named employee of the month in less than a year. But it didn’t take long for EDEN management to recognize that Matt’s dedication and compassionate nature were a perfect fit for the tenant liaison position.
Matt’s responsibilities include ensuring that EDEN tenants maintain self-sufficiency, take proper care of their units, and are current with their rental payments. He also doesn’t hesitate to go above and beyond his job duties to help a tenant in need. If he notices a tenant isn’t doing well and doesn’t have a case manager to provide guidance, he often steps in to offer his own assistance.
Of course, he’s there for the good times, as well. When tenants achieve goals, such as enrolling in school, going on a series of job interviews, or otherwise working toward self-sufficiency, they’re eager to tell Matt about it. And he’s happy to listen—hearing these success stories, after all, is his favorite part of the job.
“They want to look at you as more than a landlord, and they do,” he says.
Celebrating the Positives
When Matt earns his Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University this spring, he’ll have completed another step in his long-term goal of becoming an urban planner. “I want to revitalize deteriorated inner city regions, with a focus on affordable housing creation,” he says.
Matt has spent years working toward this vision. He previously worked for the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, where he focused on the economic and commercial aspects of development, as well as engaging residents with mental health illnesses and encouraging them to participate in community forums. He also spent a summer working with children with mental health illnesses at Parmadale Family Services.
Matt’s experience with the mental health population and his interest in creating affordable housing ultimately led him to EDEN. “Because of my master’s work, I was drawn to affordable housing creation. I also saw mental illness as a main contributor to homelessness,” he explains. He submitted his resume when he discovered that EDEN is a local leader in developing housing for the mental health population.
“I really believe in the mission of EDEN,” says Matt. “It’s a progressive organization with unique ways of approaching solutions to homelessness.”
Matt also applauds the agency for rewarding its hard-working employees through the employee of the month program. “In the nonprofit sector, you need to take time to celebrate the positives,” he adds. “I appreciate that EDEN management notices what their employees are doing and celebrates it.”
