CSH FUSE (Frequently Used Systems Engagement) Initiative Commemorates Two Decades of Data-Driven Impact
FUSE is a groundbreaking initiative CSH launched twenty years ago that has helped thousands of individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and history of incarceration break the cycle of homelessness by connecting them to stable housing and supportive services. Since launching the program in 2005, CSH has worked with more than 50 communities to implement FUSE and helped more than 3,000 people achieve stability.
HOW FUSE WORKS:
In partnership with local communities, CSH analyzes cross-system datasets to identify community members who frequently cycle through emergency systems—such as shelters, hospitals, and jails—and connect them to the housing and services they need to thrive. CSH helps communities bring together cross-system datasets to identify people experiencing homelessness who cycle through emergency systems and critical points when these systems could have intervened more effectively.
Merged cross-systems data is used to develop a community-driven eligibility for FUSE with locally relevant referral pathways that differ from typical homeless system referrals in that people can be identified for supportive housing when hospitalized or incarcerated. With a proven track record of success, FUSE has become a national model for cross-sector collaboration and data-driven intervention.
THE RESULTS ARE CLEAR:
Crisis services and temporary interventions are among the costliest responses to homelessness, yet they often fail to create lasting change. The FUSE model works by advancing supportive housing as a more cost-effective and sustainable solution to visible homelessness in many communities.
FUSE has created impressive results. Eight out of ten participants remain stably housed for longer than one year. A study in Denver showed the program led to an annual cost offset of $6,875 per participant by reducing the use of emergency services.
Celebrating 20 Years of Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness:
To celebrate two decades of impact, CSH is hosting a FUSE 20th Anniversary virtual symposium on December 9, 2025. This celebratory event will feature a panel of partners who have successfully implemented FUSE in their communities. They will share insights, lessons learned, and the lasting impact the program has had on individuals and communities.
This is a must-attend event for communities seeking to shift resources to cost-effective, sustainable solutions that break cycles of homelessness, incarceration, shelter-bed utilization, and hospitalization.
