A strong S+P program starts with careful planning at the application stage. The following pre-proposal activities are well worth the effort:

Conduct a Needs Assessment - Survey stakeholders in your community prior to submitting a proposal. You should solicit input from shelters, nonprofit housing providers, public housing agencies, mental health services providers, substance abuse treatment providers, and AIDS services providers to determine their perceptions of the needs of homeless people with S+ C-targeted disabilities, the resources available to meet those needs, and the gaps in resources.

Identify the Target Population - Work with outreach agencies to develop a profile of the "hard to reach" homeless in your community. Are they families? Single adults? What are their disabilities? Do they have multiple disabilities (HIV/ AIDS, mental illness, substance abuse)? It is important to make sure there are enough potentially eligible participants in your target population to make full use of the rental assistance you request. For example, one S+ C sponsor applied for funding to assist mentally ill parents who have children living with them. After the grant was awarded, staff found it difficult to identify and enroll families who met all the eligibility criteria because homeless parents with mental illnesses often did not have custody of their children.

Survey the Housing Stock - Assess the available housing to find out if it meets the needs of the target population as identified by service providers and outreach workers. For example, if you plan to target potential S+ C participants who have been resistant to engaging in services and have limited skills for independent living, you may need more highly supervised residential settings. An SRO with on-site staff, a PRA, or a cluster of SRA units where case managers can check on clients frequently and efficiently may be most appropriate. If the community lacks such clustered housing, the SRA or TRA components offer an alternative, although participants may need more support (or more intensive monitoring) to succeed in scattered site settings.

Foster Collaboration - Establish good communication among housing sponsors and service providers early in the application process. This will set the stage for later collaboration once the grant is awarded.

Selection reprinted from Enhancing Shelter Plus Care Operations, published by U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, available as a downloadable PDF on the HUD website..