Providing a temporary place to stay while people prepare for permanent housing
Transitional Housing (TH)
Transitional Housing offers time-limited housing with services while participants work toward permanent housing. It can be useful when people need a structured, temporary setting before moving into their own home. A strong TH project must be clear about how participants move out of temporary housing and into permanent housing.
What problem does this solve?
Some people need more than a shelter bed but are not ready to move directly into independent rental housing without a short period of structure and support. TH addresses that gap when it is designed as a bridge to permanent housing, not a final destination.
This may be a good fit if...
You can provide or manage a safe temporary housing setting.
You have staff who can help participants build a realistic permanent housing plan.
You have relationships with landlords, housing providers, or RRH/PSH partners for exits.
You can show how the program will avoid becoming long-term shelter.
This may not be the best fit if...
Your model does not have a clear path to permanent housing.
You are mainly trying to create general shelter capacity.
You do not have service staffing or housing exit partners.
You cannot track length of stay, exits, and participant outcomes.
What would the program actually do?
A participant enters temporary housing through the local referral process.
Staff stabilize the immediate crisis and create a housing plan.
The participant works on income, documents, health needs, benefits, and barriers to renting.
Staff connect the participant to landlords or permanent housing resources.
The participant exits to permanent housing with follow-up supports when possible.
What can funding usually support?
Leasing or operating costs for transitional housing when eligible.
Supportive services connected to housing stability.
HMIS data entry and reporting.
Project administration.
What should you have ready?
Can you operate temporary housing safely and consistently?
Can you explain who needs this model and why direct rental housing is not enough?
Do you have a clear permanent housing exit strategy?
Do you have service staff or partners ready to support participants?
Can you track outcomes such as exits to permanent housing and length of stay?
Think this might fit?
Start with a Letter of Intent
If your organization can offer temporary housing with a strong exit plan to permanent housing, submit a Letter of Intent and describe the model.