Rapid Re-housing
Your community has housing search and housing placement services available to rapidly re-house all people losing their housing or who are homeless and who want permanent housing.
One of the primary challenges homeless people face is navigating the housing market. Most communities have a shortage of affordable housing. Consequently, landlords can select the most appealing tenants, many of whom have higher incomes, and require a large sum of cash for a deposit and first and last months rent. There is little incentive for landlords to work with potential tenants who have lower incomes, little savings, credit problems, or unstable housing histories.
Housing placement services can address many of the barriers homeless people face. Effective housing search services often include the following elements:
- Skilled housing search staff with knowledge of local housing markets and relationships with landlords.
- Marketing and outreach to landlords.
- Incentives for landlords to rent to homeless households.
- Assurances to landlords that the housing services agency will assist with landlord/tenant problems.
- Access to subsidies, such as vouchers, for households with extremely low incomes
- Coordination with service providers to ensure that a homeless person’s service needs are met once he or she is in permanent housing.
- Periodic follow-up work to prevent a housing crisis.
- Services to address credit problems.
The skills necessary to effectively place homeless people in private market housing combine those of a realtor and a caseworker. Locating and developing qualified staff is one of the greatest challenges to having an effective housing search and placement system.
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Legislative Updates 
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This audio conference covered the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
This video highlights how communities across the country are decreasing homelessness among families. Thanks to the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it’s yours to use for free. 
Take a five minute break from whatever you are doing to hear about emerging issues, new research, and personal stories from experts and leaders in homelessness and housing policy.