Service-enriched housing
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can support healthy living environments. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program basics
- Affordable rental housing that provides social services on-site or on-site referral services
- Services can be coordinated by nonprofits or government organizations
- May be focused on low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, or others, with strongest results for individuals experiencing homelessness
- Housing is generally integrated, with tenants living in scattered-site units throughout the community or in buildings in which a majority of units are not reserved for participants
- Housing is not time limited
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Strong (second-highest tier)
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Strong (second-highest tier)
Ranked as having the second-highest level of evidence by County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
Target population
Low- and moderate-income adults and families
Program cost
Not available
Implementation locations
- Nationwide
Dates active
1980s-present
Outcomes and impact
- Reduces homelessness
- Increases housing stability
- Reduces hospital utilization
- Reduces behavioral health issues like anxiety and substance use
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review
- Partner with housing developers and landlords, along with social service agencies and providers, to identify appropriate housing units and program sites.
- Recruit program participants through partnerships with social service agencies and community-based organizations, along with strategic street outreach.
- Invest in a wide range of on-site services and staff, such as general case management, mental health (trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step recovery, and more), professional and vocational training, and life skill-building classes.
- Engage with program participants as with any other tenant, including providing a lease in their name, the ability to renew a lease at their discretion, and community and behavioral guidelines and rules similar to those found in any other housing community.
- Subsidize rent to a significant degree, with tenants paying no more than 30 percent of their income towards rent and other living costs.
- Incorporate consumer choice as much as possible, such as providing program participants with a range of housing styles and neighborhoods and deciding which on-site services to take advantage of.