Evaluating Rapid Re-Housing

HUD releases study evaluating the Rapid Re-Housing Demonstration Program

This month, HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) published its evaluation of the 23 CoCs that were awarded funding in 2009 to implement rapid re-housing (RRH) demonstration programs in order to address family homelessness. The evaluation asked two basic research questions: what do rapid re-housing programs established under the demonstration look like, and what happens to households after they have received rapid re-housing.

Families had a low likelihood of returning to emergency shelters within 12 months of the conclusion of RRH assistance, and only 10 percent of households served experienced homelessness within the study period.

The report found that rapid re-housing worked best when grantees could create rapid rehousing programs that reflected the local context, including the availability and focus of existing homeless prevention and assistance programs, local housing costs, and other homeless system goals and strategies. Families had a low likelihood of returning to emergency shelters within 12 months of the conclusion of RRH assistance, and only 10 percent of households served experienced homelessness within the study period. However, the study also found a high rate of mobility for participating families, 76 percent of households moved at least once within the 12-month period following their exit from the demonstration.

The report can be found here: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/rapid-rehousing-program.html.