Housing Stabilization Learning Cohort (HSLC)

Building coordinated approaches
to prevent homelessness and housing insecurity

What is the Housing Stabilization Learning Cohort?

An innovation cohort of Built for Zero (BFZ) and other communities focused on co-creating local approaches to coordinating and targeting prevention resources to reduce homelessness and housing insecurity.

For more information see the HSLC Overview.

Levelsetting: What do we mean by “prevention”?

Homelessness prevention refers to policies, practices, and interventions that reduce the likelihood that someone will experience homelessness. It also means providing those who have been homeless with the necessary resources and supports to stabilize their housing, enhance integration and social inclusion, and ultimately reduce the risk of the recurrence of homelessness.

What is Coordinated Homelessness Prevention?

A community-wide approach that uses common risk screening criteria to identify people who are housing insecure, including those who are at greatest risk for literal homelessness, and then offers immediate, coordinated access to housing problem-solving and prevention-related resources, including prioritized access to assistance for people with more urgent prevention needs.

How do communities build a coordinated prevention system?

Communities in the HSLC have collectively developed a Framework for Coordinated Homelessness Prevention that includes key concepts, principles, and “foundational priorities” outlining the essential aspects and actions needed to build a community-wide approach to prevention, with a focus on targeted prevention that effectively reduces literal homelessness and increases equity. The Framework also describes the “core elements” of coordinated prevention systems established through the collective learning of HSLC communities, including standardized screening, Housing Problem-Solving services, flexible financial assistance, as well as backbone supports and training. For more information, review the full HSLC Framework for Coordinated Homelessness Prevention.

New guidance and resources for any community interested in developing a coordinated system to prevent homelessness is now available in the HSLC Coordinated Prevention Toolbank below.