Rapid re-housing, an intervention that helps homeless families exit shelters and get back into permanent housing quickly, provides short-term help with housing expenses (e.g., rent arrears, ongoing rent assistance, moving costs) and case management focused on housing stability. Rapid re-housing is a relatively new but, as early evidence shows, promising strategy that communities across the country are adopting. The emphasis on rapid re-housing represents a significant shift in the response to family homelessness toward a Housing First philosophy. Increased attention on rapid re-housing, accompanied by an influx of resources, and expansion of programs, elicits urgent need for more rigorous evaluation, some of which is already underway.
There is a small, but growing, body of evidence on the efficacy of rapid re-housing. Drawing on program data and early findings from evaluations in progress, this brief describes rapid re-housing and lessons from its recent expansion.