Sections
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is long-term affordable housing with support services. On a given night, HSH houses over 9,000 individuals in PSH. Some PSH is site-based in specific buildings, while other PSH units are located in scattered sites across the city. Get more information about HSH’s housing programs and access an inventory broken out by housing and household type. (new link)
Vacancies happen when tenant leaves a PSH unit or when a new unit comes online. Tenants may move to other housing options, pass away, or, in rare cases, abandon their unit. HSH works with providers to minimize the number of vacancies and length of time that units are vacant.
Vacancy Data
The first dashboard shows details about the number and status of vacant units in site-based PSH for the most recently reported month.
- Some of these units are online and available for referral.
- Some units are online and have a referral pending – a client is on the path to move in.
- Other units are held offline for maintenance, inspection, or other reasons and are not available for referrals. (new link)
When sites are opening units, we count these buildings as being in lease-up phase for the first six months after tenant move-ins start.
Follow this link to access the PSH Vacancy dashboard that shows the total number of site based vacancy by status.
The second dashboard shows how many units have been vacant each month since January 2022. Use the “Reporting Period” slider to explore vacancy data in different time frames.
Follow this link to access the PSH Vacancy dashboard that shows site based vacancy over a certain reporting period.
For detailed information, including data notes, frequency of reporting, and key terms and metrics, see dashboard documentation.
Reducing Vacancies
HSH has set a goal vacancy rate of 7%. We are working to overcome the challenges that create vacancies in our system to meet that goal. Our work has included:
- Implementing a policy to lower requirements for the documents clients need to move into housing.
- Implementing a policy outlining the length of time units can be offline for repairs.
- Improving monitoring of the length of time units are vacant by improving vacancy tracking in our data systems.
- Increasing wages for frontline supportive service and property management workers to improve housing retention and speed up the timeline for turning over vacant units.
- Creating a dedicated Housing Placement team at HSH to support clients navigating the housing process.
- Improving the quality of our PSH buildings to help increase the rate at which clients accept referrals to vacant units.
- Launching the Street to Home program that expedites the housing process for clients moving directly from unsheltered homelessness into supportive housing.