Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities

Summary: Working under a HUD Homeless Technical Assistance subcontract, the Partnership examined the transitional housing program operated by the Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities, made recommendations for strengthening it, and devised an assessment model that could be used by other transitional housing programs to improve their services. Click here to view or print the project report in PDF. In 2006 the Partnership also assisted HPFC with financing for conversion of the Appleton Wire Company facilities into affordable apartments.

Staff contact: Kristin Silva

Wisconsin Partnership’s role: Program evaluation/CHDO-Homeless TA Provider

Status of work: Completed in 2005-2006

After operating a transitional housing program for almost 10 years, the Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities wanted to evaluate the program’s achievements. Specifically, the HPFC wondered if better ways to measure and increase client success rates could be found. The Partnership, working under a HUD Homeless Technical Assistance subcontract from the Wisconsin Bureau of Housing, examined the program, made recommendations for strengthening it, and devised a model assessment that could be used by other transitional housing programs to improve their services.

To conduct the evaluation, Partnership staff consulted with Prof. Jim Winship, an Associate Professor of Social Work at the UW-Whitewater. The Partnership and Prof. Winship began by refining the assessment and measurement process already in use. The consultants next worked with HPFC staff to analyze results for the 57 families who had entered and exited the program between January 2001 and December 2004. Each family was retrospectively assessed at time of entry and time of exit on a number of four-point risk factor scales, which made it possible to determine which factors best predicted positive housing outcomes. Use of the scales in working with future clients will give HPFC a better understanding of who is being served and how the participant profile changes over time. The organization should then be able to make incremental changes in the program to better serve participants.

In 2006, the Partnership assisted HPFC with financing for its conversion of the Appleton Wire Company facilities into apartments for low-income households. Staff helped syndicate $500,000 in federal and state historic preservation tax credits and connected HPFC with M&I CDC as the equity investor in the project.