Solid Ground Homelessness Prevention Pilot Process Evaluations

A homelessness prevention program provides services to families at risk of homelessness in Van Nuys, California.

Background

The Solid Ground homelessness prevention pilot was started in 2018, with a goal of serving families in Van Nuys, California (zip code 91405) who may be at risk of homelessness but who do not qualify for the homelessness prevention services provided by the Los Angeles County homelessness services sector.

The pilot is administered by New Economics for Women (NEW), a nonprofit that administers a FamilySource Center. FamilySource Centers are located in high-need areas and are designed to assist low to moderate-income families with a continuum of services, including financial counseling and referrals to community resources. While Solid Ground was originally conceived as a two-year pilot, it was extended and NEW continues to operate it. The Solid Ground program was previously administered by the Housing Department and now falls under the purview of the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD). Since 2021, CIFD has created seven additional Solid Ground homelessness prevention programs at FamilySource Centers throughout Los Angeles.

Research Project

Status: complete

The California Policy Lab conducted process evaluations for the Solid Ground program in FY 2018-2019, FY 2019-2020, and FY 2020-2021.
The goal of these evaluations is to document:

1. program activities during the three years of the Solid Ground pilot;
2. participant demographics, household composition, and prior homelessness services enrollments as observed in the Homelessness Management Information System data (HMIS);
3. financial assistance, other assistance, and services that Brief and Full Solid Ground enrollees received; and
4. income, employment, and living situations at enrollment for Brief and Full Solid Ground participants; and the same measures for Full Solid Ground participants at exit.