Best Practices for Solving Homelessness and Increasing Affordable Housing in California

Best practices  are methods or techniques that have been generally accepted as superior to any alternatives because they  produce results which are superior to those achieved by other means. These practices are not considered evidence-based because not enough rigorous research has shown them to be effective, which may yet happen. Examples of these include:

  • Rapid rehousing, recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a best practice when coupled with a Housing First approach. In rapid rehousing, the provision of rental assistance and supportive services is temporary because of an expectation that a household will be able to maintain their housing on their own after the assistance ends.
  • Housing navigation, recognized as a best practice by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Navigation involves helping a household that is homeless develop a housing plan, address the barriers identified during the plan, and acquire documentation and complete forms required for housing. It also involves housing search which includes attending property owner meetings, setting appointments, and assisting with paperwork related to housing applications. Navigation also includes tasks involved with securing housing including inspections, utility startups, and moving into housing.

This site provides in-depth reports, commentary, and analysis of these practices and more.  Opt in to our email list to be notified when we publish new content.

How Many Total Temporary and Permanent Supportive Beds for Homeless Persons Are There in California and How Many Are Participating in the Homeless Management Information System?

By Joe Colletti, PhD

Highlights:  There are at least 131,187 temporary and permanent beds; 70% of temporary and permanent beds are in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); Primary reasons why there is difficulty…

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Can We Finish the Job of Ending Homelessness Among Veterans in California?

By Joe Colletti, PhD

-Nearly Three-fourths of California Continuums of Care Recently Reported Not Having Sufficient Resources to Move Homeless Veterans into Permanent Housing Using a Housing First Approach- (see Table 2 below) Joe…

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How Many California Continuums of Care Recently Changed Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Software Vendors?

By Joe Colletti, PhD

-11 or 27% of 41 recently changed HMIS software vendors- Joe Colletti, PhD October 2018 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently provided a Data Strategy…

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California Continuums of Care and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Vendors: Who They Are and Next Steps

By Joe Colletti, PhD

The table below provides a breakdown of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) vendors for California Continuums of Care (CoCs). The table at the end of this report lists the…

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