Addressing Family Homelessness through Rapid Re- housing

Prevalence of Homelessness/Housing Instablity Among Families

222,000 persons in families (including over 130,000 children) are homeless on any given night, 31,000 in an unsheltered location. 175,000 families (including 340,000 children) stay in a homeless service program each year. 1.166 million school age children identified as meeting Dept. of Ed. Definition of homeless (includes children in doubled up housing, shelter/unsheltered locations each year. 3.24 million families with children with worst case housing needs. 7.4 million low income people in doubled up housing.

Characteristics/Compared to Other Poor Families

Predominately single-parent households. A significant proportion of families are headed by a young parent (under 25) Slightly over half of children are 5 or under - prevalence higher the younger the child. Pregnancy is also a risk factor for homelessness among low income families. Families are very poor (typically under 50% of poverty level) African-American households are disproportionately represented. Children viewed by researchers as being at far end of a continuum of risk.

Homeless Services Transforming Quickly

Traditionally offered a temporary place for families to stay until they got resources together to move back into housing and overcome housing barriers.
Approximately 20-25% families spend a year or longer in long-term transitional programs.

Today/Near Future focused on providing families the support they need to move quickly out of shelter and back into housing in community with rapid re-housing.

Rapid Re- housing

Rapid Re-housing is a strategy designed to help individuals and families move quickly back into housing in the community through the provision of: Housing Identification (such as housing search/landlord negotiation assistance) Help paying for rent (Financial assistance/move-in) Rapid Re-housing services (such as case management support/service linkages including income and employment services/support)

Benefits of Rapid Re- housing Better economic investment: more families served Families less likely to become homeless again Number of homeless families declines Number of families in their own home within a month increases

Outcomes: Rapid Re- housing

Outcomes: Rapid Re- housing

Other Examples of Success

Mercer County (Trenton), NJ: Daily census in shelter/transitional housing declined by 62% between 2007 and 2013. Salt Lake City: Reduced average family homeless episode by more than 50% - from 71 days to 26 days. Las Vegas: Has almost eradicated unsheltered homeless episodes for persons in families.

Questions?

Sharon McDonald National Alliance to End Homelessness (202) 942-8253 smcdonald@naeh.org