Rapid Re-Housing Effectively Lowering Homelessness Rate

A recent study conducted by the nonpartisan California Policy Lab (CPL) reveals that Rapid Re-Housing (RRH), a program offering temporary rental assistance to individuals facing homelessness, has significantly decreased future instances of homelessness among adults, youth, and families in Los Angeles County. The findings indicate that these reductions persisted long after the rental assistance concluded, with researchers tracking participant outcomes over a four-year period.

“Rapid Re-Housing is one of the most widely used strategies to help people exit homelessness, yet we’ve had little evidence about its long-term effects,” said Co-Author Brian Blackwell, Senior Data Scientist at the California Policy Lab’s UCLA site. “Our findings show that even a relatively short period of rental assistance can reduce homelessness for years afterward, especially for families.”

Published in the Journal of Urban Economics, the study utilized data from various public programs and services within Los Angeles County to assess the long-term impacts of RRH on factors such as homelessness, health, employment, public assistance, criminal justice involvement, and other relevant outcomes.

Researchers conducted a comparison between individuals who effectively utilized an RRH subsidy for rental payments and those who enrolled in the same program but did not take advantage of the subsidy. Individuals who successfully leveraged RRH for their rental needs were significantly less likely to encounter homelessness in the subsequent years, even long after their short-term rental assistance had ended.

Report Highlights:

• Single adults and youth who effectively utilized Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) for renting saw a 30% decrease in future homelessness over a four-year period, in comparison to similar participants who enrolled in the program but did not take advantage of the subsidy.
• Families that successfully employed RRH for renting experienced a 25% reduction in future homelessness over the same four years, relative to comparable participants who enrolled but did not utilize the subsidy.
• For families, these reductions were sustained throughout the entire four-year study duration. In contrast, the effects for individuals gradually lessened after about three years.
• Additionally, families who effectively used RRH for renting reported improved health outcomes, reduced engagement with the criminal justice system, and increased income from public assistance programs.
• Researchers found no indication that receiving short-term rental assistance discouraged employment or diminished earnings for either individuals or families.
• Despite these advantages, there remains potential for program enhancement, as 37% of RRH enrollees did not successfully utilize their subsidy for renting.

Participants who effectively utilized RRH were granted an average rental subsidy of around $1,500 monthly for a duration of seven months; however, families typically received more substantial and extended subsidies compared to individuals.

“Housing assistance may last only a few months, but its effects can last much longer,” said Co-Author Dr. Max Gross, Senior Researcher at the California Policy Lab’s UCLA site. “Following participants for four years allowed us to understand those longer-term outcomes and to provide policymakers with better evidence about what Rapid Re-Housing can achieve.”

To read the full report, click here.

The post Rapid Re-Housing Effectively Lowering Homelessness Rate first appeared on The MortgagePoint.