This report was undertaken to provide an initial, credible estimate of the impact, socially and economically, of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in eleven cities across the country in responding to homelessness. The primary findings for the report focus on measuring the impact on homelessness by means of the percentage of emergency shelter beds provided through FBO homeless ministries, measured through Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Inventory Count (HIC).
In addition to laying the foundation for a more in-depth, comprehensive, and rigorous study in the future, this report includes a 3-year Return-on-Investment (ROI) projection of taxpayer savings specifically focused on homeless ministries involved in Residential Recovery and Job Readiness (RRJR) programs (referred to by HUD as Transitional Housing). Future studies should also include taxpayer savings associated with FBO- provided Emergency Shelter and medical recuperative beds.