Bridge Housing

Definition and Overview

• Bridge Housing provides a temporary place for those who have been matched with a housing opportunity (typically through the Coordinated Entry System or another referral source) to safely reside while waiting to move into the housing (e.g., while logistics for utilizing the housing resource are being finalized). “Housing opportunities” may include tenant-based and project-based vouchers, rapid re-housing opportunities, and other permanent housing resources supported with local, state, and federal resources.
• Bridge Housing leverages access to housing and supportive services that foster participant choice and empower program participants to quickly exit homelessness or institutional settings to permanent housing. This approach is often essential for those who have complex barriers to housing stability, those who may not have lived in independent housing in the recent past, and/or those who have been unsuccessful in utilizing previous housing resources. 
• Bridge Housing residents do not sign formal lease agreements or service agreements and are not subject to arbitrary limits on length of stay. Exits from Bridge Housing should happen when the permanent housing resource is ready for move-in. Bridge Housing support is tailored to facilitate and streamline the move-in process and focuses on the housing barriers of the program participants. Support typically includes housing navigation services, the acquisition of household items, the location of relevant documentation or paperwork, and other reasonable and necessary services that support households. These supports may include the removal of barriers such as outstanding fines, legal issues, interpersonal conflicts, application fees, or other challenges that could impact lease-up or long-term housing stability.
• Regardless of the referral source, everyone who enters Bridge Housing should be connected with a resource that supports their exit before they enter. This distinction ensures Bridge Housing does not overlap with other program models. Residing in Bridge Housing should never be imposed as a requirement or barrier for a household to exit homelessness and/or enter permanent housing. Rather, it should be used as an intervention to end someone’s experience of homelessness more immediately once a referral to a housing resource is secured, if needed. 
• Staffing best practices include a target staff-to-participant ratio of no less than one case manager to every 15 households (i.e., a 1:15 case management ratio).  Staffing best practices include operating a robust peer program that complements case management and housing staff. As with all programs, staffing structure and model should center lived experiences of homelessness and related systems. Bridge Housing programs may consider hiring nurses, clinicians, and other clinical or specialty professionals, but only if the program cannot secure the staffing through existing medical programs or partnerships as these positions can often be funded through Medicaid or other insurance or services funding.

Program Parameters

Supportive Services

• Essential services: Efforts to provide supportive services to those who are in Bridge Housing that are needed to bridge them into permanent housing placements. Activities include (i) housing search and placement and navigation, such as activities to assist guests to locate and obtain housing; (ii) housing stability case management, such as assessing, coordinating, and delivering individualized services to obtain housing, developing case management plans, and support groups; (iii) legal services necessary to resolve a legal problem that prohibits the guest participant from obtaining permanent housing; (iv) services for physical health care, mental health care, behavioral health care, and other medical care; and (v) other reasonable and necessary costs that help bridge the gap between securing the housing option and the housing becoming available, including but not limited to logistics planning, child care, and transportation. 
• Educational, vocational, and work-based learning opportunities: Efforts to connect Bridge Housing residents with educational, vocational, and work-based learning opportunities that will stabilize the household once they transition to permanent housing. Bridge Housing providers may consider creating or connecting to peer mentoring programs and hiring peer mentors with lived expertise of homelessness to work in the Bridge Housing program. 
• Recovery care and related residential programs: Efforts to connect residents to community resources that offer recovery care and related residential programs, including the cost of transportation to those services, if needed.

Operations

• Operations: Efforts include maintenance (including minor or routine repairs), rent, security, fuel, equipment, insurance, utilities, food, furnishings, and supplies necessary for the operation of the facility.  
• Grant Activities: Efforts focused on administering a specific grant or funding source may improve effective operations, as well as effective program implementation. Such efforts include planning and executing program activities, such as (i) general program or grant management, oversight, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation; (ii) salaries, wages, and related costs related to preparing program budgets; developing systems for ensuring compliance with grant requirements; developing interagency agreements; and preparing reports and other required documents or activities; (iii) accounting or other services; and (iv) other reasonable and necessary goods and services required to implement the grant program, such as evaluating program results against stated objectives, occupancy costs, and training on program requirements. 

Expected Outcomes

Outcomes typically focus on preparing for, securing, and maintaining the permanent housing opportunity. This includes maintaining the planned permanent housing exit; housing retention; and increased successful Coordinated Entry System referrals (i.e., reducing the number of households who cannot be located). Additional outcomes may relate to reducing utilization of emergency and health care systems while waiting for permanent housing and reducing returns to homelessness.