What Is the Difference Between Transitional Housing & a Rental?
Transitional housing is most often comprised of a bundle of services, including shelter, designed to bring homeless individuals closer to self-sufficiency. A rental, unlike transitional housing, is shelter you pay for and is typically considered more permanent.
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History
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Transitional housing was developed and began receiving federal support in the 1980s as the problem of homelessness grew and surfaced on the national political agenda. According to Martha R. Burt, the author of a report on transitional housing for the Urban Institute, more than 7,000 transitional housing programs existed in 2004, 16 years after lawmakers enacted major federal legislation to fund such supportive services.
Function
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Unlike rental housing, transitional housing is free. Support services, including job training, health care, child care, life skills training and counseling, are typically provided with transitional housing to help reach the goals of permanent employment and housing.
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Rental Housing
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Generally speaking, rental housing is a dwelling owned by somebody else (a landlord) to whom you pay a monthly fixed fee in exchange for living in the home. In relation to transitional housing, rental housing is often considered the next step and can take the form of public housing, Section 8 housing, or a more traditional, market-rate arrangement.
Geography
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According to Burt's report, transitional housing is most common in cities, primarily large- and medium-size cities, where the problem of homelessness tends to be bigger.
Effects
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Burt studied a sample of individuals in transitional housing programs across the United States. She found that 70 percent of her sample successfully moved on to permanent housing. Most moved on to rental housing, and half did not utilize any public subsidy for their shelter.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lee Nachtigal
