Perinatal Housing Grant Project Evaluation Report

Published: January 25, 2021

This evaluation report and accompanying research brief highlight results of the Perinatal Housing Grant, a three-year Building Changes pilot project in Pierce County that expanded the use of Diversion within the health sector by working with Maternal Support Services (MSS) programs. Through MSS providers, the project offered Diversion to 680 pregnant women and postpartum mothers receiving MSS services and experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The majority of participants were White (46.8%) and Black or African American (36.8%), and 17.2% of participants identified as Latinx or Hispanic. The over-representation of households of color in the program reflects the racial disproportionality that exists more broadly among families experiencing homelessness in Pierce County. Approximately three quarters of households were headed by a single, female adult. The evaluation of this project found that among those experiencing housing instability, 72.4% successfully exited the program to stable housing. Among those experiencing homelessness, 57.5% successfully exited. The vast majority (92.4%) of program participants with successful exits received flex funds to assist their transition to housing stability, while 7.6% of program participants were able to exit the program successfully without these dollars, demonstrating that successful exits do not always have to rely on the provision of flex funds. The average flex fund disbursement per program participant who utilized flex funds (N=494) was $895, ranging from $35 to $2,900.

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