Rapid Rehousing and a two-track approach

In 2022, thanks to grant funding from the City of Durham, FMF launched a Rapid ReHousing program. This project tested the effectiveness of offering six families our full range of services, including case management and aftercare, plus short-term assistance with expenses such as rent, deposits, and utilities. This financial support would give families the means and breathing space to transition to permanent housing and build up enough resources to make ends meet thereafter. The results of the Rapid ReHousing program were so encouraging that local officials asked FMF to scale the program to help exponentially more families who are experiencing homelessness—specifically, those with a history of domestic violence. This includes households who are not staying with us.

Around the same time that we launched the Rapid ReHousing pilot project, our program noticed a significant uptick in family homelessness in Durham. Between December 2022 and May 2023, the number of unsheltered families in Durham more than doubled from 19 to 39. This coincided with the end of the eviction moratorium and Covid-related funding that had temporarily supported low-income families. This increased the urgency to help families in shelter exit to permanent housing within 90 days if possible.

We began thinking of Rapid ReHousing as a second and faster track to permanent housing for families with fewer obstacles who still needed a financial bridge to exit shelter and reestablish themselves. We recognized that a two-track approach would also allow us to provide more intensive case management to families with significant obstacles to overcome, better supporting their ability to successfully transition and maintain long-term housing stability. With the help of foundation funding, we implemented this change. Now, we are raising support from individuals and other private sources to rapidly rehouse more families.

Given the severe shortage of affordable housing in Durham and the other economic challenges that families are facing, we believe that Rapid ReHousing is a valuable tool for helping parents and children put homelessness behind them.