Housing Mediation

Mediation is a VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL conversation with the assistance of trained neutral mediators. The mediators manage a process that gets the parties to focus on what is important to them and how they want to move forward.  We help people think through what they need to resolve the issues that got them to this point and what would work for ALL parties moving forward.

In order to protect our clients, mediators, and staff members of, in this time of Covid-19, distancing and facemasks, all of our mediation services are being done virtually.  Our preferred mediation method is Zoom video conferencing, which allows our mediators to see eachother and our clients and read body language and facial expressions.  In order to protect your privacy on Zoom, we make sure to have personal invites for each mediation with passwords, every person participating must sign an agreement to participate which contains certain obligations they must take to keep what is said during the mediation confidential.

Step 1: Referral (referrals can come from a party (someone involved in the case), an attorney, another service agency, a court, etc. A referral must contain at least names and a way to contact both parties.

Step 2: MSI staff then contacts each party to educate them about the mediation process, get more information from that party and the case to see if it is appropriate for mediation, and whether or not each party is interested in participating in mediation.

Step 3: Mediation is scheduled and documents and other information is sent to parties.

Step 4: Mediation held. If agreement made- the signed agreement is distributed to parties, courts, or other agencies as appropriate.  If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, then we may make additional referrals as appropriate or the parties are free to seek other avenues post mediation.