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Chapter 6: Housing and Shelter Topic 3 Transitional Housing Transitional housing is key for many homeless people to get back on their feet and end the cycle of homelessness. Transitional housing provides individuals and families with atime- limited (usually 12-24 months) living situation or subsidy and accompanying support services to assist the household to reach self-sufficiency. Transitional housing with support services can be provided in two different ways: Site-based transitional affordable housing with on-site (and sometimes additional off-site) services, and transitional rental assistance to people in market housing accompanied by service coordination and off-site services. Site-based transitional housing has the potential benefits of more intensive service support program and strong community-building. It has the downside that residents must then locate affordable permanent housing, and disrupt their service and community connections when they move. Transitional rental assistance has the benefits of not dislocating people after the transitional period is up (assuming they can then afford to pay the rent on their own) and so providing for increased continuity. Both forms of transitional housing can be effective and it may be that the different forms are most helpful to different types of homeless people, depending on their service needs and ease of transitioning to self-sufficiency. Chapter 3 of this plan contain several tables which outline the available transitional housing in the county, by subpopulation and geography. These tables show a shortage of transitional housing throughout the county, especially for families and people with multiple diagnoses, with an acute shortage of all types of transitional housing beds in South County. With welfare reform potentially increasing the number of homeless families, appropriate transitional housing will be even more critical. Chapter 4 indicates that only 12% of homeless funds in the continuum now go to support transitional housing and transitional services. • Support and improve the existing transitional housing system. Action Stevs Maintain the existing supply of transitional housing. Annually monitor expiration of federal grants and plan to fill projected gaps in service as needed. As part of better connecting points along the continuum, create a systematic form of referral to transitional housing to ensure vacancies are filled quickly, the system is used to maximum capacity, and that people are directed to the most appropriate housing available. Create a system to follow-up and support program graduates to ensure they retain permanent housing. Alameda County-ode Homeless Continuum of Care Plan: April 1997 81