Request for Proposals

Request for Proposals (RFP): Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness: Learning from Community Recipients of the Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity to Address Rural & Unsheltered Homelessness

Post Date: May 2, 2023
Due Date: June 30, 2023
Contact: Nicole DuBois, research@naeh.org

Unsheltered homelessness has increased every year since 2015, and fifty-nine percent of the unsheltered population lives on the West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington). Thus, there is an urgent need to reduce and end unsheltered homelessness, especially in regions where it is highly prevalent.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded 32 communities new funding to specifically address unsheltered homelessness through the Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to Address Rural and Unsheltered Homelessness. With this funding, these communities have an important opportunity to engage in innovative strategies and scale up what they know has been working in their communities. Promising new practices could emerge from their work. This research is an opportunity to learn from these communities and broadly disseminate findings to move the country forward in reducing unsheltered homelessness. HUD is supportive of this research effort.

The Alliance is seeking to fund three research projects. Each would work directly with a community or subset of communities implementing the specified intervention as part of their Supplemental NOFO grant.

1. What are benefits and outcomes associated with Joint Component Transitional Housing-Rapid Re-Housing projects that provide service-enriched, short-term housing and bridge the gap between homelessness and permanent housing? Does it promote participant wellbeing and contribute to housing stability?
    
2. What models and approaches are most successful in moving unsheltered people directly into permanent housing? What does evaluation reveal about factors such as wait time for housing, the benefits of supportive services, and housing stability?
    
3. What outcomes are associated with people-centered encampment resolution strategies?

Researchers may apply in partnership with one of the recipient Continuums of Care (CoCs), but this is not required. The Alliance can also facilitate partnerships between selected researchers and communities.

Researchers will be expected to work with the Alliance to publish their findings and share them with the Alliance’s audience (policymakers, practitioners, media, and others); details to be negotiated.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Improving the Effectiveness of Permanent Supportive Housing

Post Date: May 2, 2023
Due Date: June 30, 2023
Contact: Nicole DuBois, research@naeh.org

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is the nation’s leading housing solution to homelessness among people with diagnosed physical, mental, emotional, or developmental disabilities who require on-going services. Seventy-three percent of permanent beds funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Continuum of Care (CoC) program are PSH. However, some programs in California and the nation are experiencing challenges with the basics of implementation, such as ensuring access to services. Meanwhile, many systems and programs are not using evidence-based approaches for assessing and prioritizing people for PSH, or for assessing if (or when) strategies to promote “moving on” from PSH are appropriate.

The Alliance is seeking to fund multiple research projects on PSH. Eligible applications must focus on one of the following areas:

1. Who should enter PSH
    
2. Who should exit PSH and how (for people who no longer need PSH-level intensive services and/or rent subsidies)
    
3. Barriers to implementing PSH

It is anticipated that researchers will have access to data that will enhance their research plans to address the areas noted above. Such data may be publicly available. However, it is advantageous to have (or be prepared to build) relationships with CoCs or PSH programs to conduct these projects. These relationships should enable access to data that will be used in their research plans – for example, Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) or program data. Under certain circumstances, the Alliance may be able to help facilitate such relationships.

Researchers will be expected to work with the Alliance to publish their findings and share them with the Alliance’s audience (policymakers, practitioners, media, and others). These details will be negotiated during the contracting process.

Grant applications must include at least one researcher who will serve as a primary participant in the project. However, interested representatives of CoCs and PSH programs should email research@naeh.org. The Alliance may be able to match you with a researcher or offer future opportunities to be involved.