Referral and housing processes in a long-term supported housing program for homeless veterans

Objective: The study examined client characteristics, case management varia bles, and housing features associated with referral, entry, and shortened s uccess in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national intensive case man agement and rental assistance program for homeless veterans. Methods: Infor mation collected from homeless veterans at the time of initial outreach con tact and from case managers during the housing search was used to create lo gistic regression models of referral into the program and successful comple tion of several stages in the process of obtaining stable independent housi ng. Results: Overall, only 8 percent of the more than 65,000 eligible veter ans contacted by outreach workers were referred to the program. Those refer red were more likely to be female, to have more sources of income, to have recently used VA services (including residential treatment), and to have se rious mental health problems. Once in the program, 64 percent of veterans e ventually moved into an apartment, and 84 percent of those who obtained an apartment were stably housed one year later In general, activities of case managers, such as accompanying the veteran to the public housing authority and securing additional sources of income, were associated with success in the housing process. The therapeutic alliance, clients' housing preferences , anti the quality of housing were unrelated to retention of housing. Concl usions: This supported housing program was judged appropriate for a small p ercentage of eligible veterans. However, a large proportion of clients were successful in attaining permanent housing, which lends support to the effe ctiveness of the supported housing approach.