KEY FINDINGS
1 in 4 City-funded interim housing beds went unused costing taxpayers an estimated $218 million between FY 2019–FY 2023.
1 in 4
BEDS UNUSED
Nearly 1 in 3 people who expressed interest in a shelter bed were unable to secure one during FY22 and FY23. (16,000 people were removed from the shelter bed waiting list after an average of six months.)
1 in 3
COULDN'T SECURE A BED
More than 50% of people exiting City-funded interim housing returned to homelessness or unknown destinations.
50%+
RETURNED TO HOMELESSNESS
Less than 1 in 5 people in City-funded interim housing secured permanent housing.
<20%
SECURED PERMANENT HOUSING
HOW WERE PEOPLE SUCCESSFULLY HOUSED?
People who were successfully housed were most impacted by high quality service and resources that bring stability.
Consistent Case Management
Communicative Case Management
Housing Navigation
Mental Health Services
Job Training
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations are in addition to — not in place of — building more permanent housing. The most critical solution for homelessness is more permanent housing.
Develop a formal policy for how City offices reserve beds
Establish data quality standards to ensure that beds are reported accurately
Develop performance-based incentives
Develop ways to promptly identify underperformance
Develop a formal corrective action policy to deal with underperformance
More housing navigators
Monitor more types of outcomes for people
Improve group shelters to provide more privacy & comfort