Area of Expertise: Research and Data Analysis

The Just in Reach Pay for Success (JIR PFS) project used upfront funding from investors to provide supportive housing to 349 individuals with disabilities and histories of homelessness who were exiting the Los Angeles County jail system. These participants received services from Intensive Case Management Service (ICMS) providers aligned with housing subsidies to ease their transition from jail and reentry into the community. The program focused on two primary objectives for the participants: increasing their stay in homes long-term and reducing recidivism. These measures were the basis for success payments made by Los Angeles County as part of the performance-based contract for the project. After four years of successful program operations, JIR PFS accomplished its objectives. The project’s success was sufficient to fully repay the amount provided by investors and yield a modest return on their investment.

This report will overview how the initiative came together and discuss its performance against the payment-related outcome measures. In addition, RAND Corporation, the project’s evaluator, conducted an impact evaluation and cost analysis, including a quasi-experimental assessment of the impacts and cost analysis of the program

This data brief guides system providers on how to better coordinate data and services for families involved with systems, such as child welfare, homelessness response, behavioral health, education and justice.

The number of older adults in New Jersey is steadily growing, yet the demand for affordable, accessible housing and services far outpaces the supply. Our report, “Assessing New Jersey’s Need for Supportive Housing for an Aging Population,” examines how many additional units of supportive housing the state currently needs to meet the demand. It also highlights the demographics of those in need of supportive housing, and the specific needs of each population.

The Frequent User Services Enhancement (FUSE) initiative is a supportive housing program developed by CSH with support from various government agencies that provided housing and support services to individuals who were frequently cycling in and out of jails, homeless shelters, and hospital emergency rooms in 2008. A two-year follow up evaluation by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Policy found that FUSE participants spent significantly fewer days in jails and shelters and engaged in less cycling between public systems. These service use reductions resulted in significant cost savings to the government and tax payers. Download our two-page snapshot for the report highlights.