Services

Rapid re-housing has become an increasingly important tool in communities’ responses to homelessness. The model has shown success on the individual level – helping households exit homelessness and not return to shelter. Additionally, it has helped communities decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness and the amount of time households spend homeless.

Rapid re-housing places a priority on moving a family or individual experiencing homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, ideally within 30 days of a client becoming homeless and entering a program. While originally aimed primarily at people experiencing homelessness due to short-term financial crises, programs across the country have begun to assist individuals and families who are traditionally perceived as more difficult to serve. This includes people with limited or no income, survivors of domestic violence, and those with substance abuse issues. Although the duration of financial assistance may vary, many programs find that, on average, four to six months of financial assistance is sufficient to stably re-house a household.

This paper will provide a brief background on rapid re-housing and current research on the strategy. It will also add detail and context to the three core components of the model: housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and rapid re-housing case management and services.