CCHP Explained: Rapid Re-housing

Aubry Vonck • May 07, 2021
On July 1, 2020, the City of Houston, Harris County, and the Coalition for the Homeless announced a joint $65-million plan called the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP), which will serve 5,000 people experiencing homelessness over the course of two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This four-part series, CCHP Explained, will dive into how we are serving those individuals and families through our COVID response: two permanent housing programs (Bridge to Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-housing), one new pilot intervention (Diversion), and four additional programs (Auxiliary/Social Distancing Emergency Shelters, Mental Health Case Management, Enhanced Street Outreach, and Permanent Supportive Housing Preservation). 

Today, join us as we dive into Rapid Re-housing.

The Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP) will accelerate the work of The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC), which is the homeless response system in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, by serving approximately 5,000 individuals between October 2020 – September 2022. Of these individuals, we anticipate approximately 1,700 to be housed through the Rapid Re-housing, or RRH, program.


What is Rapid Re-housing?


According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Rapid Re-housing is a program that “provides short-term rental assistance and services. The goals are to help people obtain housing quickly, increase self- sufficiency, and stay housed. It is offered without preconditions (such as employment, income, absence of criminal record, or sobriety) and the resources and services provided are typically tailored to the needs of the person.”


The Way Home CoC utilizes RRH to place those currently experiencing homelessness into a unit quickly and assigns them a case manager so they may work toward self-sustainability. The goal is that the individual can maintain housing on their own at the end of the 12-month program, so this permanent housing program is prioritized for people who do not need long-term assistance, but need a brief period of rental assistance and case management to get back on their feet. .


Rapid Re-housing was first introduced in the Houston region in 2015. It began as a program for families with dependents under 18 experiencing homelessness. There were far fewer established agency connections and the amount of rental assistance provided was at the discretion of the case manager. Over time, RRH opened to individuals. The amount of rental assistance provided has become standardized, and supportive services have expanded to include income, mental health assistance, legal aid, and more.


While 15 agencies provide RRH everyday as part of The Way Home, six local agencies are providing RRH programs through the CCHP: BakerRipley, Career and Recovery Resources, Inc., Catholic Charities, Endeavors, SEARCH Homeless Services, and Spring Branch Community Health Center.  


How does Rapid Re-housing work?


Individuals must be assessed for housing through Coordinated Access to be considered a candidate for RRH. Whereas Permanent Supportive Housing clients must be experiencing chronic homelessness (experiencing homelessness for over a year and have a disability), RRH clients must be experiencing literal homelessness at the time of their referral, but do not have to be experiencing chronic homelessness.


Once an individual has been enrolled in the RRH program, they are connected with a case manager. Some clients have never been on a lease or it has been a long time since they have, so the case manager will assist the client with the rules and responsibilities of living in an apartment. If needed, they are also on-hand to become a mediator/liaison between tenant and landlord. Case managers have a wealth of resources to assist with additional needs such as connecting to income, mental health services, legal aid, and more.


Rapid Re-housing is a rental assistance housing program which means clients must pay a portion of their rent and utilities. Clients are expected to work toward self-sufficiency with the assistance of their case manager. After 12 months, the client should have the tools and skills to be able to remain stably housed, allowing them to exit the program and truly begin their new, independent life.


Successes To-Date!


Thanks to CCHP funding and resources, we have housed 1,302 individuals through Rapid Re-housing since October 1, 2020. Without CCHP funding, our traditional pace would have housed around 150 individuals in this same period. This significant increase in the number of individuals served is a testament to the power of a homeless response system that values collaboration; no single agency could have housed this many people while working independently.


All 1,302 individuals so far have their own unique story to tell. Toni Benson-Atkinson, manager of housing with the Coalition, shares pride in the system that helped make these stories happen, and joy in what it means for each person’s future.


In the words of Toni, “due to the diversity of clients served by Rapid Re-housing, success is measured in various ways. The program assists young adults, families, couples without children, and single individuals. Clients who have never had a lease of their own and others who haven’t had a lease in many years. Clients enter the program with a wide variety of barriers that have prevented them from obtaining and maintaining stable housing. The goal of Rapid Re-housing is to provide clients with a safe and stable environment while assisting them to become more self-sufficient, working to overcome their barriers, and working towards the housing solution that is best for them, all with the assistance of a case manager and other available community resources. Giving clients a hand-up and offering them the opportunity, encouragement, and education to remain successfully housed.”


Continue to part three of our four part series - CCHP Explained: Diversion

Missed part one? CCHP Explained: Bridge to Permanent Supportive Housing


Questions about the Rapid Re-housing program or other CCHP programs? Contact CCHP@homelesshouston.org

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