Transitional Housing

Transitional housing, described by the National Alliance to End Homelessness as “facility-based programs that offer housing and services for up to two years to individuals and families experiencing homelessness” is part of the array of options that exist to assist individuals and families find a housing solution. Recent research, however, has prompted changes to local, state, and federal guidelines to encourage a reallocation of resources away from traditional transitional housing models to more efficient housing solutions, transitional housing geared to specific high need populations, or conversions of existing transitional housing to fill specific gaps in service needs within a community. The state and federal goals of ending homelessness, grounded in a Housing First approach, has emphasized the use of evidence-based programs like permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing to help families and individuals resolve their housing crisis. However, transitional housing can be an important intervention for specific higher needs populations. The resources below provide ideas, guidelines, research, and case studies to help communities and transitional housing programs navigate to the best option for them.


Additional Resources

Transitional Housing Conversion: A Building Owner’s Toolkit

This National Alliance to End Homelessness toolkit is a step-to-step guide for those who have answered the question of “why convert?” and are beginning to process of determining how to convert.

St. Joseph’s Villa Case Study on Re-tooling Transitional Housing

That study documents the changes and challenges to re-tooling a longstanding transitional housing program to improve outcomes.

Re-tooling Transitional Housing: Steps to Implementing Changes to your Program

This National Alliance to End Homelessness presentation elaborates on what it means to re-tool transitional housing and why it is important. 

Re-tooling Transitional Housing Checklist

This is a step by step guide to help administration of transitional housing facilities re-tool their program and improve outcomes. 

Family Options Study

That study aims to compare different interventions (housing vouchers, transitional housing, rapid re-housing, and usual care) offered to families experiencing homelessness with regard to the impacts of these different interventions over time.

SNAPs in Focus: The Family Options Study

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s brief summary of the results of the Family Options study.

The Findings and Implications of the Family Options Study

The National Alliance to End Homelessness research brief on the findings and implications of the Family Options Study on re-tooling transitional housing programs. 

Retooling Transitional Housing: Moving to New Models

This workshop presentation from the National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness outlines the process and challenges in re-tooling transitional housing programs and improving outcomes.