Steppingstone Rapid Rehousing Network

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Executive Summary

Steppingstone Rapid Rehousing Network is a nonprofit in Oregon that helps families and individuals who are homeless move quickly into a rental home of their own and stay there. We use a proven approach called rapid rehousing: find an apartment fast, help pay the up-front costs and a temporary part of the rent, and walk beside each household with case management and help increasing income, so that when our help tapers off, the household can carry on without us.

On any given night in our county, hundreds of people are sleeping in shelters, cars, tents and on other people's couches. Families with children make up many of them. Most are not homeless because of one bad choice. They lost a job, a relationship, a lease or their health. The longest part of being homeless is often finding a place to go: a deposit, first month's rent and a landlord willing to say yes. The longer a household is without a home, the harder it is for children to stay in school, for adults to keep or find work and for anyone to heal. Rapid rehousing shortens that time and costs far less than staying in a shelter for months.

With this grant we will enroll about 70 households in Year 1, about 150 people, including about 30 families with children and about 40 single adults and couples. About 56 households will receive rent and move-in assistance, averaging about $2,000 from this program, always paid directly to the landlord or utility company and never as cash. Our Housing Locator will work with about 40 landlords. Our Employment and Income Specialist will help households find work, benefits and child care, and a legal aid partner will help with tenant rights and eviction records. Our goal is that at least 80% of households leave our program for permanent housing and that at least 85% do not return to homelessness within a year.

Our Year 1 budget is about $480,500, growing to about $800,000 by Year 5 as we add case managers, locators and employment specialists and serve about 140 households a year. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 6 paid staff in Year 1 and 10 by Year 5. County and Continuum of Care contracts and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 67% of our income in Year 1 to about 59% in Year 5.

We are asking the Cascadia Community Housing Fund for $90,000 for one Housing Case Manager, rent and move-in assistance, ID documents, transportation and basic needs, and a legal aid contract. Government contracts, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Tanya Fields, the Executive Director, and I experienced homelessness with my two children as a young mother. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Steppingstone Rapid Rehousing Network is a nonprofit organization in Oregon. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To end homelessness for as many households as possible, one front door key at a time, by helping people move quickly into homes of their own and stay there.

What we believe. Housing is a human need and the foundation for everything else. People are experts on their own lives. We follow a Housing First approach: we do not require sobriety, treatment, a job or a particular behavior before a household can get help. We respect each household's choices about where to live, within the program's rules. Homelessness falls hardest on some communities, including Black, Native American and Latino residents and people with disabilities, so our work must be fair and must include the people it serves. Lasting stability comes from stable housing, enough income and people who care.

How we started. Steppingstone began when a group of congregations that ran a winter shelter noticed that many of their guests only needed a deposit and a landlord to get out of the shelter, and that each night in the shelter cost more than a month's rent. A shelter volunteer who had been homeless with her own children started helping families apply for apartments. With donated funds, the group helped 47 households into housing in two years, and 41 of them were still housed a year later. The county and the regional Continuum of Care, which coordinates homeless services, asked whether we could grow into a full rapid rehousing program. This proposal asks for support to do that.

What we offer:
- Housing identification. A Housing Locator recruits landlords, keeps a list of available units and helps each household find a home that fits their size, budget and neighborhood preferences, including a lease in the household's own name.
- Rent and move-in assistance. Help with the security deposit, application fees, first month's rent, utility deposits and, when needed, a temporary part of the monthly rent that steps down over time. All payments go directly to the landlord or utility company, never as cash to a household. Most households need help for three to six months, and federal funding limits rent assistance to a maximum of 24 months.
- Case management. A Housing Case Manager works with each household on a housing plan, connects them to services and helps solve problems before they threaten the home. Services are offered, not forced, though some funding sources require regular meetings, which we explain at enrollment.
- Employment and income. An Employment and Income Specialist helps with job search, training, benefits such as food assistance and disability benefits and child care, because a stable income is the key to staying housed.
- Landlord support. A single contact and a risk mitigation fund give landlords confidence to say yes.
- Legal help. A legal aid partner provides help with tenant rights, eviction records that block housing and other legal barriers.
- A Lived Expertise Advisory Council. People who have experienced homelessness advise us on our rules and materials and are paid for their time.

Who we serve. Individuals and families, including those with children, who are homeless under the federal definition and referred through the county's coordinated entry system. We welcome people of every race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity and immigration status when funding allows. Some government funding has its own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each source. We do not charge participants for any service.

What we do not do. We do not run a shelter. We do not promise any household housing or that rent assistance will last longer than the plan allows. We do not provide medical or mental health treatment, and we refer to providers.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes two people who have experienced homelessness, a property manager, a housing attorney, a county human services administrator, a pastor and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the case managers, locator and specialist work with households and landlords, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the Continuum of Care, the county human services department, two shelters, 24 landlords who rented to households in our pilot and a legal aid organization. The county has invited us to apply as a subrecipient of rapid rehousing funds. We have a letter of intent for a small office on a bus line. Before we begin, we will confirm our role in coordinated entry, enroll in the Homeless Management Information System and have an attorney review our lease, landlord and participant agreements and assistance policies.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this program is needed.

Homelessness is rising in many communities, driven by the cost of housing, stagnant wages, health crises and the lasting effects of the pandemic. In many parts of Oregon, rents have grown faster than incomes, and vacancy rates are low. A household with a low income may spend more than half of its income on rent, which leaves no cushion when something goes wrong.

The gaps we see:
1. The up-front costs. A household leaving a shelter or a car may have only a few hundred dollars. A deposit, first month's rent, application fees and utility deposits together can total several thousand dollars.
2. Landlords say no. Many landlords screen out applicants with a past eviction, poor credit, a criminal record or a gap in rental history. Households that have been homeless often have all of these.
3. Searching is a full-time job. A person with no phone, no car and children in tow cannot easily search listings, tour units and fill out applications. Many give up.
4. Income is too low. Many households have jobs that do not pay enough, or have no job. Without more income, even a short rental subsidy may not be enough to keep a home.
5. Time in shelter does damage. Children change schools and fall behind. Adults lose jobs. Health gets worse. Shelter is also expensive: each night costs the community money that could pay for rent.
6. Services are fragmented. Housing, benefits, child care, legal aid and employment help are in different offices with different forms. People get lost.
7. Safety and trauma. Many households have experienced domestic violence, trauma or the loss of a loved one. They need housing that is safe and services that respect them.
8. Inequity. Black, Native American, Latino and disabled residents are overrepresented among people who are homeless in many communities. Programs must be designed to include and serve them.

What the evidence says. Rapid rehousing is a widely used approach supported by the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Research shows it can move households into housing quickly and that most households do not return to shelter within a year, though results depend on how well it is run and on the local rental market. We will measure our own results and report them honestly.

How we know people want this. In our pilot, we helped 47 households move into housing, and 41 were still housed after a year. Landlords told us they would rent to more of our households if there were a reliable partner to call. The shelters we work with have a waiting list.

How we will show the need. Before we submit this proposal, we will add the number of people counted as homeless in our county in the most recent Point-in-Time Count from our Continuum of Care, including families with children, the average time people are homeless from our Homeless Management Information System, the number of households on the coordinated entry list, the median rent for a one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment from HUD's fair market rents and the share of renters who spend more than half of their income on rent from the Census Bureau. We will add data by race and ethnicity so that we can show who is most affected. We will also add our pilot's results.

Who benefits first. Individuals and families who are homeless in our county and are referred through coordinated entry, including families with children, people leaving shelters, people living in cars or outdoors, survivors of domestic violence and people who face the greatest barriers to housing.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Take referrals through coordinated entry. Households are referred by the Continuum of Care's coordinated entry system, which prioritizes people based on their needs. We take referrals from shelters, outreach teams, schools and hospitals, and we help every household connect to coordinated entry so that no one is missed.

2. Enroll without preconditions. We follow a Housing First approach. A household is not required to be sober, to have income, to be in treatment or to meet any other condition before we help. We explain the program, our rules and the household's rights in plain language, and we get the household's written consent.

3. Write a housing plan together. In the first week, the Housing Case Manager meets with the household and writes a simple plan: what kind of home they want, what they can afford, what barriers must be addressed and who will do what. The plan changes as life changes.

4. Find a home fast. Our goal is that households move in within an average of 45 days from enrollment. The Housing Locator keeps a current list of available units and landlords, arranges tours and helps with applications, explanations of past evictions and credit, and negotiation. Each unit must meet a housing quality inspection and a rent reasonableness check, as federal funders require, and must be rented under a lease in the household's name. We follow fair housing laws and never steer a household based on any protected characteristic. About 40 landlords take part in Year 1.

5. Pay up-front costs and a step-down share of rent. We pay the deposit, application fees, first month's rent and utility deposits directly to the landlord or utility. When the household's income is not enough, we pay a part of the monthly rent that steps down at set intervals as the household's income grows, and we review the plan every three months. Our approach is called progressive engagement: we start with the smallest help that will work and add more only if needed. Assistance averages about $2,000 per household for about 56 households in Year 1.

6. Help with the move. A household kit with bedding, kitchen basics, cleaning supplies, hygiene items and school supplies, basic furniture from donations and help moving.

7. Build income. The Employment and Income Specialist helps with a resume, job search, interview clothing, training programs, apprenticeships, benefits applications, child care subsidies and other supports, working with the workforce board and employers. Households that are not able to work are helped to apply for the benefits they may qualify for.

8. Remove legal and practical barriers. A legal aid partner helps with tenant rights, eviction records, credit disputes and other legal problems. We help households replace lost ID documents, get a phone and arrange transportation.

9. Support families with children. We coordinate with school district homeless liaisons so children can stay in their school when possible, and we connect families to child care and children's health services.

10. Protect safety. Households fleeing domestic violence receive services in line with the Violence Against Women Act and can request an emergency move. Their information is kept out of shared databases where the law requires.

11. Follow up. After the rent assistance ends, the case manager checks in at least monthly for six months, and households can call at any time. We help solve problems early.

12. Learn from experience. A Lived Expertise Advisory Council reviews our policies, forms and results twice a year and is paid for its time.

How we will measure results. We record, in the community's Homeless Management Information System, when each household enrolled, when they moved into housing, how much assistance they received, their income at enrollment and later, and where they went when they left the program. We report the standard federal measures, including exits to permanent housing, returns to homelessness within 6, 12 and 24 months, average days to housing, and increases in income. We track the cost per household.

Our Year 1 goals:
- About 70 households enroll (about 150 people), with about 56 receiving rent and move-in assistance averaging about $2,000.
- An average of 45 days or less from enrollment to move-in.
- At least 80% of households leave the program for permanent housing.
- At least 85% of households that leave for permanent housing do not return to homelessness within 12 months.
- At least 50% of households increase their income by the time they exit or after 6 months.
- About 40 landlords take part, with at least 50% renting to a second household.
- At least 90% of participants say they were treated with respect.
These are goals, and we will report our real results to the Fund, including where we fall short. We do not promise any household housing.

Market Analysis

Who we serve and how many.

The people. Individuals and families in our county who are homeless under the federal definition and are referred through coordinated entry, including families with children, single adults, couples, young adults, people leaving shelters, people living in cars, tents and other places not meant for habitation and survivors of domestic violence. We welcome people of every background, and we prioritize households by vulnerability and need in line with the Continuum of Care's coordinated entry policies.

Where we work. Our office is on a bus line, and our staff meet households at shelters, libraries, schools and in their new homes, throughout the county. Landlords are recruited countywide, with an emphasis on neighborhoods near schools, jobs and transit.

How many we will reach:
- Year 1: about 70 households enrolled (about 150 people), with about 56 receiving rent and move-in assistance.
- Year 2: about 84 households enrolled, with about 67 receiving assistance.
- Year 3: about 99 households enrolled, with about 79 receiving assistance, with a third Housing Case Manager.
- Year 4: about 118 households enrolled, with about 94 receiving assistance, with a second Housing Locator and a second Employment and Income Specialist.
- Year 5: about 140 households enrolled, with about 112 receiving assistance, with a fourth Housing Case Manager.
Over five years we expect to enroll about 510 households and to provide rent and move-in assistance to about 410 of them.

Who else benefits:
- Children. Children in housed families keep their schools, friends and routines, and families get a stable base for homework and health.
- Landlords. They gain a reliable partner who answers the phone and helps solve problems early.
- Shelters and the Continuum of Care. Each household that moves into housing opens a bed for someone else and improves the system's performance.
- Employers. Households that are housed are better able to find and keep work.
- The community. Fewer people living outdoors means safer, healthier public spaces, and housing a household costs far less than months in a shelter or repeated emergency care, though we do not promise this.

How we will size the need before we submit. We will add our county's Point-in-Time Count, the number of households on the coordinated entry list, the average time homeless, the number of beds in shelters and the typical rent and vacancy rate. These come from our Continuum of Care's Homeless Management Information System, HUD, the Oregon Housing and Community Services department and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Competitive Landscape

Other help households can get, and how we fit.

- Emergency shelters and warming centers. Essential for safety and, for many households, the first stop. They are not designed to end homelessness, and a household may stay for months. We help households move out of shelter faster.
- Other rapid rehousing and permanent housing programs. The Continuum of Care funds several programs, some serving specific groups such as veterans, young adults or survivors of domestic violence. We coordinate through coordinated entry so that each household is matched to the right program, and we serve households those programs do not.
- Permanent supportive housing. Housing with long-term services for people with disabilities who have been homeless for a long time. This is the right answer for some households, and we refer people who need it.
- Public housing authorities and vouchers. They provide long-term rental assistance but often have waiting lists of years. We help households get on lists and keep paperwork up to date.
- Eviction prevention and emergency rent assistance. Helps households stay in their homes. We refer households who are at risk to these programs and focus on households that are already homeless.
- Churches and charities. Many provide motel nights, meals and one-time help. We work with them and offer a plan and follow-up so that one-time help leads to lasting housing.
- Legal aid and workforce programs. We partner with them and build their services into our plans.

The gap we fill. In our county, no program is dedicated to quickly rehousing both families with children and single adults with a Housing First approach, direct payment of up-front costs and a step-down rent share, landlord partnership, employment and income help, legal aid and months of aftercare, guided by people with lived experience.

Our partners:
- The Continuum of Care and the county human services department, which fund, refer and oversee.
- Two shelters and several schools' homeless liaisons, which refer households.
- Twenty-four landlords and a property management association.
- A legal aid organization, which provides tenant rights and eviction record help.
- The local workforce board and employers who are willing to hire people who have been homeless.
- A community health center and a behavioral health clinic, which accept referrals.
- Congregations, which provide volunteers, donations and furniture.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How households, landlords and supporters will find us and how we keep them engaged.

Reaching households:
- Coordinated entry. The county's coordinated entry system sends us the households with the highest needs.
- Shelters and outreach teams. Shelter staff and street outreach workers refer households and introduce us.
- Schools and hospitals. School homeless liaisons, school social workers and hospital social workers refer families and patients who are homeless.
- Word of mouth. Households who have been housed tell others in shelters and encampments.
- Community sites. Libraries, food pantries, churches and community centers post information and host staff.
- A simple website and a toll-free number and text line in English and Spanish, with clear information and a short form.

Reaching landlords:
- The Housing Locator meets property owners, managers and associations, explains the program and the support landlords receive, and offers a single point of contact, a 24-hour hotline and a risk mitigation fund.
- A short, plain guide for landlords on how to work with us, our rules and what we pay.
- Regular check-ins so that concerns are solved early, and thank-yous and recognition for landlords who rent to our households.

Making it easy to say yes:
- No appointment is needed to ask for help, and households do not need to be sober, working or in treatment.
- We explain every step and every rule in plain words and in the household's language, and a household can have a trusted person with them.
- We meet people where they are: at the shelter, a library or a school.
- Families can bring children, and a children's area is set up in our office.

Keeping households engaged:
- The same case manager works with the same household from enrollment through follow-up.
- Plans are written in the household's own words, with their goals first.
- We celebrate move-in days and milestones, such as a job or a first full month of rent paid, and we invite households to join the Advisory Council or become volunteers.

Reaching supporters. Property owners, banks, congregations, employers and local businesses are invited to sponsor a household kit, a deposit or a move-in day. We share results twice a year with funders, the Continuum of Care and the county as totals.

Outreach budget. Training, the data system and evaluation are about $8,000 a year in Year 1. The sign, outreach brochures and website are paid for once from startup money ($2,500).

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3: Attorney review of the lease, landlord and participant agreements and assistance policies, sign the lease, hire two Housing Case Managers, the Housing Locator and the Employment and Income Specialist, enroll in the Homeless Management Information System, confirm our role in coordinated entry, sign the legal aid contract and set up the secure records system.
- Month 4: Staff training on Housing First, progressive engagement, trauma-informed care, domestic violence safety, fair housing, landlord relationships and the data system. Recruit the first landlords and seat the Lived Expertise Advisory Council.
- Months 5 to 8: Open to households. First enrollments, first move-ins and first household kits.
- Months 9 to 12: Rent assistance steps down for the first households, aftercare begins, first review of results, wait times and costs, a year-end report to funders and the Continuum of Care and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased office on a bus line, with a reception area, a private interview room, a children's corner and workspace for staff. Staff do most of their work in the community. Office rent and utilities are about $24,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, flooring and an accessible, private meeting room are a one-time cost of $4,000, with a deposit and first month of rent of $4,500.

Equipment. We buy about $13,000 of equipment once at the start: six laptops, secure tablets for field visits and mobile hotspots ($6,500), office furniture, a private interview room and a children's corner ($4,500), and locking cabinets for confidential records and a secure storage cage for donated household goods ($2,000). After Year 1, we set aside about $2,000 to $3,000 a year to replace and add equipment. An opening stock of move-in kits is a one-time cost of $5,000.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, two Housing Case Managers, a Housing Locator and Landlord Liaison, an Employment and Income Specialist and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A third Housing Case Manager joins in Year 3, a second Housing Locator and a second Employment and Income Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Housing Case Manager in Year 5. Each Housing Case Manager carries about 30 households at a time.

Assistance rules and controls. Assistance is tied to a housing plan, reviewed every three months and paid directly to a landlord or utility company, never as cash to a household. The unit must pass a housing quality inspection and a rent reasonableness check, the household must have a lease in its own name and the landlord must sign an agreement and a W-9. Each payment is approved by the Executive Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all payments each quarter. Rent and move-in assistance is about $112,000 a year in Year 1, and move-in essentials are about $10,000.

Fair housing. We follow federal, state and local fair housing laws, including laws that protect people from discrimination based on source of income. We do not steer households to or away from any unit or neighborhood because of a protected characteristic, and we do not work with landlords who discriminate.

Landlord risk mitigation fund. A small fund, about $8,000 in Year 1, pays specific costs under written rules, such as a holding fee or damage beyond a deposit. Each claim is documented and approved.

Safety. Staff follow a written safety plan for home and field visits. For survivors of domestic violence, we follow protections under the Violence Against Women Act, protect locations and information and help with safety planning and emergency moves. If a participant is in immediate danger, staff call 911. A participant in emotional crisis is offered the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and staff stay with the person until help arrives.

Privacy. Participants' information is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, and shared only with the participant's written permission, except where the law or our funders require it. Federal rules require some data to be entered in the Homeless Management Information System, and we explain this to each participant and follow its privacy rules. Survivors of domestic violence are served outside shared systems where the law requires. We report results to funders only as totals, never with a participant's name.

Lived expertise. The Lived Expertise Advisory Council includes five to seven people who have experienced homelessness, meets quarterly and is paid a stipend for each meeting. We act on its recommendations and report back.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, property, professional and non-owned auto liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $8,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the organization.

Tanya Fields, Executive Director. Tanya leads the organization, raises money, manages grants and contracts and relationships with the Continuum of Care, the county and landlords, supervises staff and reports to the board. She experienced homelessness with her two children as a young mother, then worked 7 years as a housing case manager and 4 years as a program manager in a rapid rehousing program. Planned salary: $60,000 a year.

Housing Case Manager. Works one on one with households, writes housing plans, manages assistance, coordinates services and follows up after move-in. This role requires experience in social work, housing services or human services, training in Housing First and trauma-informed care, and a background check. Lived experience is valued. Two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4 and four in Year 5, at a planned salary of $46,000 each. The Cascadia Community Housing Fund grant would support the first Housing Case Manager.

Housing Locator and Landlord Liaison. Recruits and supports landlords, finds units, checks housing quality and rent reasonableness, and negotiates for households. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned salary of $44,000 each.

Employment and Income Specialist. Helps with job search, training, benefits and child care, and builds relationships with employers and the workforce board. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned salary of $42,000 each.

Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time). Handles scheduling, assistance payments, the data system and reports, about 25 hours a week. Planned pay: $26,000 a year.

Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.

Staff in each year: 6 paid staff in Years 1 and 2 (five full-time and one part-time), 7 in Year 3, 9 in Year 4 and 10 in Year 5.

Volunteers. About 40 trained volunteers in Year 1 who help with move-ins, furniture, rides and landlord outreach. Volunteers complete a background check and orientation and do not handle confidential records or money.

The board. A seven-member volunteer board approves the budget, reviews results twice a year and helps raise money. Board members serve three-year terms. The board's certified public accountant chairs the finance committee. At least two members have experienced homelessness.

People who help us. An outside accountant who reviews our books every year, a housing attorney who reviews our lease, agreements and assistance policies, an insurance agent who understands housing programs, and the Lived Expertise Advisory Council, which meets quarterly.

Training. All staff and volunteers complete training in Housing First, progressive engagement, trauma-informed care, domestic violence safety, fair housing, privacy and cultural humility before starting, and again each year.

Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder. The Executive Director and a board member must both approve any payment over $2,500.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Open the program, enroll about 70 households, provide rent and move-in assistance to about 56, recruit about 40 landlords and move households into housing in an average of 45 days or less. A balanced budget of about $480,500, with a small surplus of about $11,900. 6 paid staff.
- Year 2: Enroll about 84 households, with about 67 receiving assistance, and begin 12-month follow-up. Apply for more county and Continuum of Care contracts. A balanced budget of about $507,500, with a small surplus of about $12,000. 6 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Housing Case Manager and enroll about 99 households, with about 79 receiving assistance. A balanced budget of about $585,500, with a small surplus of about $12,600. 7 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Housing Locator and a second Employment and Income Specialist and enroll about 118 households, with about 94 receiving assistance. A balanced budget of about $710,000, with a small surplus of about $14,600. 9 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fourth Housing Case Manager and enroll about 140 households, with about 112 receiving assistance, with county and Continuum of Care contracts covering about 33% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $800,000, with a small surplus of about $15,900. 10 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Households enrolled and their housing status at enrollment.
- Days from enrollment to move-in.
- Share who exit to permanent housing, and share who return to homelessness within 6, 12 and 24 months.
- Income at enrollment and later, and the share who increase income.
- Cost per household and average rent assistance.
- Landlords recruited and retained, and landlord satisfaction.
- Participant satisfaction and whether participants felt respected, with results by race and ethnicity so that we can find and fix gaps.

How we review results. The Executive Director and case managers review caseloads and timelines every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes monthly. Each quarter, the Lived Expertise Advisory Council reviews results with us. Twice a year, the board reviews results and we share them with funders, the Continuum of Care and the county as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $90,000 from the Cascadia Community Housing Fund for one Housing Case Manager, rent and move-in assistance, ID documents, transportation and basic needs, and a legal aid contract, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Housing Case Manager salary, $46,000.
- Other: Rent and move-in assistance (paid directly to landlords and utility companies), $30,000 (other funds add $82,000).
- Other: ID documents, transportation, phones and basic needs, $8,000.
- Contractual: Legal aid contract for tenant rights and eviction records, $6,000 (other funds add $4,000).

Other money in the program. County and Continuum of Care contracts, other grants and local donors pay the other $86,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($60,000), the second Housing Case Manager ($46,000), the Housing Locator ($44,000), the Employment and Income Specialist ($42,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), move-in essentials ($10,000), the landlord partnership and risk mitigation fund ($8,000), office rent and utilities ($24,000), insurance ($8,000), training, data system and evaluation ($8,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $480,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $11,900 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $320,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), county and Continuum of Care rapid rehousing contracts $130,000 and donations and local sponsors $30,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $60,000; two Housing Case Managers $92,000; Housing Locator $44,000; Employment and Income Specialist $42,000; Program Coordinator $26,000; rent and move-in assistance about $112,000; move-in essentials about $10,000; ID documents, transportation, phones and basic needs about $8,000; landlord partnership and risk mitigation fund about $8,000; legal aid contract about $10,000; office rent and utilities about $24,000; insurance about $8,000; training, data system and evaluation about $8,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $4,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned rent and move-in assistance. Assistance averages about $2,000 per household for about 56 households in Year 1 ($112,000), with other households receiving case management, landlord and employment help only. We start with the smallest help that will work and add more only when needed. Assistance grows about 19% a year, to about $225,000 in Year 5, as we serve about 112 households with assistance. We pay every amount directly to a landlord or utility company.

About government contracts. HUD, the state and the county fund rapid rehousing through programs such as the Emergency Solutions Grant and the Continuum of Care. These funds are competitive, are awarded for set periods and have strict rules on eligibility, documentation, rent limits and reporting. Federal rules limit rent assistance to 24 months. The county has invited us to apply as a subrecipient. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and agencies can change their budgets, rules and awards. Payments are often made after we submit a request, so we plan for about $33,635 owed to us at the end of Year 1. We plan for grants and donors to cover the gap if contracts are delayed or reduced.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $40,800 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $13,000 of equipment (laptops and tablets, office furniture and a children's corner, locking storage), $4,000 for paint, flooring and an accessible meeting room, $4,500 for the office deposit and first month of rent, $5,000 for the opening stock of move-in kits, $800 for the business license and permits, $6,000 for an attorney's review of the lease, agreements, assistance and privacy policies and accounting setup, $2,500 for the sign, brochures and website, and $5,000 for background checks, staff training and the first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($40,800), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $19,100) and a cash cushion of about $116,500, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $176,500. We start with $25,000 of our own savings and $155,000 in startup support from a community foundation, a health system community benefit gift and our board, $180,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $480,500 in Year 1 to about $800,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $320,500, $307,500, $345,500, $420,000 and $470,000 in Years 1 to 5. County and Continuum of Care contracts grow from $130,000 to $260,000, and donations and local sponsors grow from $30,000 to $70,000. We add a third Housing Case Manager in Year 3, a second Housing Locator and a second Employment and Income Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Housing Case Manager in Year 5. Grants fall from about 67% of our income in Year 1 to about 59% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $147,900, at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow county and Continuum of Care contracts as agencies see results, to invite landlords, banks, congregations, health systems and employers to sponsor households, and to grow individual donors. Rapid rehousing costs far less than months in a shelter, so success strengthens our case for public funding. Households that increase their income and stay housed also lower the long-term cost to the community.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Rents rise or no units are available. The Housing Locator keeps a wide landlord network, watches rents and looks at shared housing and nearby areas where a household chooses.
- A household cannot afford rent when assistance ends. We review the plan every three months, step down gradually, work on income from the start and extend help up to the funder's limit when needed.
- A landlord has a problem with a tenant. We respond fast, help solve it and use the risk mitigation fund under written rules.
- Contracts are delayed or not awarded. We plan with a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- A staff member is hurt or a participant is in crisis. We use a written safety plan, train every staff member and connect to 911 and the 988 Lifeline.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow contracts and donors and keep our costs per household low.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one part-time case manager and a small deposit fund in partnership with a shelter and a church, helping 10 to 15 households in the first year, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and job descriptions for the Housing Case Managers, Housing Locator and Employment and Income Specialist.
- Letters of support from the Continuum of Care, the county, shelters, landlords and legal aid.
- A letter from the county about rapid rehousing funds, or proof you have applied.
- Your assistance policy, rent reasonableness and housing quality checklist, landlord and participant agreements and risk mitigation fund rules.
- Your confidentiality policy, domestic violence safety policy, safety plan and crisis plan.
- Proof of enrollment in the Homeless Management Information System, or proof of application.
- Results from your pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of liability insurance, or a quote.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $320,500 in Year 1, then $307,500, $345,500, $420,000 and $470,000.
- County and Continuum of Care Rapid Rehousing Contracts: $130,000 in Year 1, growing to $260,000.
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $70,000.
- Households: about 70 enrolled in Year 1 with about 56 receiving rent and move-in assistance averaging about $2,000, growing to about 140 enrolled and 112 receiving assistance in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $60,000, Housing Case Manager $46,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5), Housing Locator and Landlord Liaison $44,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Employment and Income Specialist $42,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Rent and Move-In Assistance $112,000 (growing about 19% a year), Move-In Essentials $10,000, ID Documents, Transportation, Phones and Basic Needs $8,000, Landlord Partnership and Risk Mitigation Fund $8,000, Legal Aid Contract $10,000, Office Rent and Utilities $24,000, Insurance $8,000, Training, Data System and Evaluation $8,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 10% a year.
- Equipment: $13,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $40,800, paid once from $180,000 in startup money.
- About 7% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs