RRH Study Participant One-Time Interview Protocol

Rapid Re-housing Study

In-Depth Interview Protocol

Introduction

Notes: This interview protocol will be used with 28 households, distributed between those currently living in emergency shelter (n=6), those currently receiving rapid re-housing (RRH) support (n=16), and former RRH clients (n=6).

This interview guide primarily uses the term “apartment” to refer to participants’ non-shelter housing, but is inclusive of apartments, houses, rooms in shared housing, etc. The guide also refers to RRH programs. For all these terms, interviewers should be attentive to the terms respondents use (e.g., local program or agency name, etc.). Interviewers should confirm they and the respondents are talking about the same entities, then model their questions on the respondent’s terms.

Thank you so much for agreeing to talk with me today. I work for Abt Associates, an independent research company. We are helping the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to do a study to understand the experiences of households that receive rapid re-housing assistance after experiencing homelessness. One of the things we are asking families who participate in the study to do is to answer interview questions to help us learn more about their prior and current housing situations; rapid re-housing and other housing support; and physical, mental, and financial well-being.

The interview will take about two hours to complete. You can stop the interview at any time and you can choose not to answer any question. Your responses will not affect your eligibility for any program or benefits. The information you provide will be kept confidential and only used for this study. Only members of the research team will have access to the information you share, which is protected from Rapid Re-housing program staff and from everyone else by a Certificate of Confidentiality. The collection of this information has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget. At the end of the interview, you will be paid $50 payment in appreciation for your time.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 2528-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is approximately 140 minutes, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

I would like to take notes and audio record the interview to make sure I have an accurate record of what you say. Is that okay with you? Do you have any questions before we start?

Background

I’m going to start off by asking a few questions about you and your experiences.

1. Where are you currently living? How would you describe that living situation?

[Or, if living situation is apparent] First, I would like to confirm that you are currently living [insert location/housing situation].

2. How many children under the age of 18 are living with you right now? Adults?
   
   
   

3. Was this the first time [Or is this the first time] you have experienced homelessness? When was the first time you experienced homelessness? [Adjust wording for respondent’s stage of RRH.]

Housing History and Stability

Research questions:

• (All households) How stable are households in housing before homelessness (crisis, evictions, rent burdens, doubled-up, prior homelessness)?

• (Post-RRH households) If households move, why do they do so, and is the new situation better or more sustainable? How much do households move? Do they double up? Housing and neighborhood quality (after RRH ends)?

• (Post-RRH households) To what extent does RRH serve as a “bridge” to permanent housing assistance?

I’d like to start our conversation by hearing about where you’ve lived previously.

4. Overall, how frequently would you say you’ve moved since moving out on your own? How old were you when you moved out on your own? Do you know the approximate frequency or number of places you’ve lived since then?

Now I’d like to hear more specifically about some of the most recent places you’ve lived. I’m interested in hearing about everywhere you’ve lived for the past two years—that is, since [month two years before interview month].

5. Where did you live just before coming here? How would you describe that living situation?

   1. When did you move into that living situation? About how long did you live/stay [for homeless situation] there?

If not in an emergency shelter or unsheltered location:

2. Did you have a lease in your name or, if you were staying with family or friends, a letter of agreement with the person that had the lease in his or her name?

3. At the place you stayed just before this one, did you contribute toward rent or any of the other housing costs? [Follow up if yes] How much did you typically pay towards rent or other housing costs? Would you say you contributed every month or when you could?

4. What was your relationship like with the owner (landlord, family member, or friend)? Any issues?

5. How would you describe the apartment/housing itself? And the neighborhood?

For all:

6. Why did you leave that situation?

6. Now I’d like to hear about the place you lived before [place from Q2. Repeat prompts from Q2 as many times as needed to cover the last two years.]

Thank you so much for talking over the most recent places you’ve lived. Now I’d like to ask you some questions about what your housing and moving experiences have been like overall.

7. We just talked about the last several places you lived before coming to the shelter/entering RRH program. It seems like you have [moved fairly frequently, not moved very often, moved about X times per year]. Would you say this is similar to how often you have always moved?

   1. If no: Was there something that happened that made your housing situation start to change? What was it? Do you think that the situation you’re in now is temporary or a “new normal” that will go on for a long time? Why do you think that is the case?

   2. [If 3+ moves in two years] Can you tell me about a time when you felt like you had very stable housing? What was that situation? What was it like for you?
      
      
      

8. From what we discussed of the places you most recently lived, it sounds like you have lived [reflect back: mostly units you have rented, with family and friends, in emergency shelters or programs for homeless people, in a mix of places – both in your own unit, with family/friends, homeless situations]. Would you say this is similar to the types of places you have always lived?
   
   
   

   1. If no: What is different about your most recent housing situations?
      
      
      

9. [If not first time homeless] At the beginning of our conversation, you indicated that this was not the first time you became homeless. How many times in your entire life have you been homeless (stayed in a shelter or on the street or another place not usually used for sleeping accommodations)?
   
   
   

   1. Can you tell me about the first time you experienced homelessness? What was this like for you? [If childhood experience] Can you tell me about the first time you experienced homelessness as an adult? What was this like for you?

   2. Can you estimate for me how much time altogether in your life you have been homeless (in days, weeks, months, or years—whatever is easiest for you)?

   3. Have you had to stay with a relative or friend because you could not afford a place of your own? What was this like for you? How many times have you had to stay with a relative or friend (your best guess is fine)?

   4. When you were without housing, what did you do to find a place to stay? [Probes: Did you move in with family or friends? Were you able to get housing assistance? What worked to help you? How long did it generally take to get into housing?]
      
      
      

10. Tell me about where you lived as a child. Did you grow up in this area? Did you move as a child at all? How often? What prompted your moves as a child?
    
    
    

    1. Of the [use number from times homeless Q above] times you experienced homelessness, how many were as a child? If any: were you homeless with your family? By yourself?

    2. What was it like in the different places that you lived?

    3. [As applicable] What was it like for you having to move repeatedly?

    4. Was there a housing situation where you felt most comfortable? Which one? Why?

    5. In the places you lived in as a child, did you generally feel that the situation was permanent/long-term or temporary?

    6. At any point did you stay in foster care or a group home?

    7. Did you ever live with family or friends without your parents or guardians with you?

    8. Were you aware of your parents’ or guardians’ financial situation and how that affected where you lived?

    9. Which neighborhoods, towns, or villages that you lived in as a child did you like best? What about them makes them stand out as positive?

Thank you for sharing that with me.

Current Housing

Research questions:

• (Sheltered households) How did households enter shelter?

• (Current and Post-RRH households) How do households manage the rent?

• What type of housing can households afford (using HUD’s standards of 30 percent of income) and how does this differ by household?

• If they move, why do they do so, and is the new situation better or more sustainable?

• To what extent does RRH serve as a “bridge” to permanent housing assistance?

All households

11. Now that I have an overview about where you’ve lived and moved, I’d like to know more about the current place you live. Please describe where you currently live/stay [if in emergency shelter].
    
    
    

Probes:

• [Use Q1 answer to confirm if they are currently in shelter, in RRH, or post-RRH support. Use this to choose the appropriate module below to use.]

• How long have you been there/here?

• What is the housing like (your apartment, room, house)?

• What is this neighborhood like?

12. Who lives with you in your current housing situation? [If not in Emergency Shelter] Are these the same people who lived with you when you first enrolled in the RRH program?

FIRST name	Age	Sex	Relationship to you
(Self)			(Self)

13. How many rooms does your family have in your current housing?

Kitchen (#)__

Bathroom _(#)__

Living Room _(#)__

Bedroom _(#)_

Other Rooms __(list and number)

Probes:

• Who is sharing a bedroom?

• Is anyone sleeping in a room other than a bedroom?

14. Have you had any problems with your current housing situation? Please tell me about them.

For households in emergency shelter

15. How long have you been staying at [shelter name]?
    
    
    

16. How satisfied have you been with the services you’ve received since you came to the shelter (this time)?

17. There are many things that can make searching for a place to live difficult. What do you think are the problems for you and your family to locate a place to live?

Probes, as needed [Interviewers: do not read full list but use as examples appropriate to what has been shared already for those who struggle to respond]: Some people have experienced problems with:

• Lack of transportation to look for housing

• No money or time to look for housing

• No one to watch children while you look at housing options

• Do not know how to search for available units

• New to region and do not know affordable neighborhoods
  
  
  

18. Have you had trouble getting a place to rent?
    
    

Probes, as needed [Interviewers: do not read full list but use as examples appropriate to what has been shared already for those who struggle to respond]: Some people have experienced problems with:

• Not having enough income to pay rent

• Using a government subsidy (e.g., voucher, rapid re-housing, or other form of assistance payment) to help pay rent (source of income discrimination).

• Inability to pay a security deposit or first/last month’s rent

• Poor credit history

• Racial discrimination

• Not being currently employed

• No rent history at all

• Recently moved to community and no local rent history

• No reference from past landlords

• A past eviction(s)

• Problems with past landlords

• Past lease violations

• Having problems with police

• Having a criminal record or
  background

• Having a felony drug record

• Having three or more children in the household

• Having teenagers in the household

• Someone in the household under 21 years old

• Someone in the household that has a disability

For current RRH clients

19. Please tell me overall what it’s like living here.

1. What do you like about this apartment? About this neighborhood?

2. What do you dislike about this apartment? About this neighborhood?

3. (As applicable) What is it like for your household, especially your children, to live in this apartment? And neighborhood?
   
   
   

20. How did you find this apartment/house/unit?

1. Did you get help searching for or identifying this apartment? Was it hard to search for this apartment? (Probes: help locating unit, child care assistance, no time off work to look at units, don’t know affordable areas, etc.)

2. If so, from whom? What, if any, help did you get from the RRH program [use local program name]? From whom at the [program name] and what was the help?

3. What did you think of any help you got from [RRH program name] and/or your case manager?

4. How long did it take you to find this apartment? Was it difficult to find this apartment? Why? (Probes: availability of transportation, childcare, poor credit, no credit or history of eviction, discrimination, etc.) How long were you in the shelter before you could move in? How much of that time was waiting to get RRH, looking for an apartment once you got RRH, or waiting to move in after you found an apartment?
   
   
   

21. How does your housing situation now compare to your housing situation before you went to the shelter and got into [RRH program name]?
    
    
    

22. What was the process like for you moving from the shelter into this apartment?

1. Did you get help moving? From whom and what was it?

2. Are you on the lease? Did the program co-sign the lease?
   
   
   

23. What is your relationship with the landlord like?

1. Do you communicate with the landlord directly? Does the program communicate with him/her?

2. Please tell me about your overall experience with the landlord, including their responsiveness to issues in the apartment, treatment of you, etc. Have you had any issues with the landlord?
   
   
   

24. What do you pay in monthly rent here? How much of that is out of your pocket and how much, if any, is help from [RRH program name]?

1. How manageable does that rent feel to you?

2. How helpful (or not) is the help you get from [RRH program name] for rent? Do you think your household will be able to afford to pay the rent for this unit after the RRH assistance ends? For how long do you think you will be able to afford it?
   
   
   

25. What help have you received from [RRH program name]? Probe for examples, such as:

1. Did you complete any assessments when entering the RRH program?

2. Do you get help looking for housing (identifying/searching listings, transportation, child care)?

3. Do you get help with moving expenses?

4. Did you get help with the security deposit?

5. Did you get help with the utility hook ups (what kind of assistance was provided?)

6. Do you get help with landlord?

7. Do you get help looking for work? Budgeting?

8. Do you meet with a case worker?

1. Who provided the services? How often? What were you required to do?
   
   
   

1. Do you know how the amount of your assistance is/was calculated?

   1. Was the amount and length of assistance clear from the start? What about any other expectations from [RRH program]?

   2. (If currently in RRH) Do you know what your rent assistance will be moving forward?
      
      
      

2. Did you/do you meet with a case worker/manager? How frequently do you meet? For how long each time? Where do you meet?

1. What kinds of things do you do at those meetings? (Probe for: recertification, progressive engagement/changing support levels, coaching on affordability/housing issues or income/financial management)

2. What do you think of the services/appointments you have through the program? What are they like? How helpful or not helpful are they?

3. If you could change one thing about the services this program provides, what would it be?
   
   
   

28. Have there been any times you lived here where you…

1. Had trouble paying the rent? Please tell me about that situation. How many times/how often? What happened? How did you handle it? Did you reach out to your case manager? Did you get help from family or friends?

2. Had to skip other bills or expenses (probe on food and medical expenses) to pay the rent? Please tell me about that situation. How many times/how often? What happened? How did you handle it?

3. Helped other friends or family members by letting them stay with you?
   
   
   

29. Is this the only apartment you’ve lived in since you got RRH support, or have you lived in more than one apartment while you were in [RRH program name]?

[If moved]:

1. How many times have you had to move since you got into the RRH program (that is, since you left the shelter)?

2. Please tell me about the reasons that you moved out of that/those apartment(s).

3. Did you get back your security deposit when you moved out?
   
   
   

30. How long do you think you’ll get rent help from the RRH program?

1. What do you think you’ll do when that ends? (i.e., do you think you’ll have to move, will you have to get a new or additional job, get contributions from friends or relatives (or older children?) or more from a partner, etc.?)

For former RRH clients

31. Please tell me overall what it’s like living here.

1. What do you like about this apartment/house? About this neighborhood?

2. What do you dislike about this apartment/house? About this neighborhood?

3. (As applicable) What is it like for your household to live in this apartment? And neighborhood?

4. (If back in shelter/another housing program/doubled up): What do you think the main reasons are you are living in your current situation again?
   
   
   

32. How long have you lived in this apartment/house/unit?
    
    
    

33. How did you find this apartment/house/unit? [If unclear] Is this the unit you moved into during the RRH program?

1. If moved, how many times have you had to move since you left the RRH program (that is, since your RRH rent assistance ended)?

2. If moved, why did you leave the RRH program unit? What about the other units (if there are others)?

3. If moved, did you get your security deposit back from the RRH unit when you moved out? What about the other units?

34. What help did you receive from [RRH program name]? Probe for examples, such as:

1. Did you get help looking for housing (identifying/searching listings, transportation, child care)?

2. Did you get help with utility hookups (what kind of assistance was provided)?

3. Did you get help with security deposit?

4. Did you get help with moving expenses?

5. Did you get help with landlord?

6. Did you get help looking for work? Budgeting?

7. Did you meet with a case worker?

8. Who provided the services? How often? What were you required to do?

35. Were there services you think you needed that you did not receive from [RRH program name]? Probe for examples such as:

    1. Did need help looking for housing {(identifying/searching listings, transportation, child care)?

    2. Did you need help with utility hookups (what kind of assistance was provided)?

    3. Did you need help with security deposit?

    4. Did you need help with moving expenses?

    5. Did you need help with landlord?

    6. Did you need help looking for work? Budgeting?

    7. Did you need assistance from your caseworker but didn’t receive it?
       
       
       

36. Do you know how the amount of your assistance is/was calculated?

    1. Was the amount and length of assistance clear from the start? What about any other expectations from [RRH program]?
       
       
       

37. Did you/do you meet with a case worker/manager? How frequently do you meet? For how long each time? Where do you meet?

1. What kinds of things do you do at those meetings? (Probe for: recertification, progressive engagement/changing support levels, coaching on affordability/housing issues or income/financial management)

2. What do you think of the services/appointments you have through the program? What are they like? How helpful or not helpful are they?

3. If you could change one thing about the services this program provides, what would it be?
   
   
   

38. Did the amount of assistance you received vary during your time in the program? If so, do you know why the type and/or amount of assistance changed?

39. When did your RRH assistance end?

    1. What changed when your RRH assistance ended? (I.e., what services or monetary support ended, what changes did household have to make/how did it affect you)
       
       
       

40. (If not in RRH unit) What is your current place like compared to where you were living when you had RRH?
    
    
    

41. How does your housing situation now compare to your housing situation before you got into [RRH program name]?
    
    
    

42. What is your relationship with your landlord like?

1. Do you communicate with your landlord directly? Does the program communicate with him/her?

2. Please tell me about your overall experience with your landlord, including their responsiveness to issues in the apartment, treatment of you, etc. Have you had any issues with him/her?
   
   
   

43. How much do you pay in rent for your current housing unit? Is that the total rent? [If no] What is the total rent?

1. [If they do not pay the whole rent] Do you get help from a program to pay the difference? If so, what program? Clarify: Do you receive any governmental housing assistance, such as RRH, Section 8, or public housing? Are you paying lower rent because the Federal, state, or local government is paying part of your rent?

1. If yes, how much assistance do you receive? Tell me about the process you went through to get that.

2. If no, did you try/are you trying to get into any other program that helps pay the rent?

3. Do you get any help paying the utilities?
   
   
   

44. What is it like for you to have to pay this rent each month? Is it a manageable amount?

1. [If not manageable?] Considering all of your other costs and your current finances, what amount of rent do you think you could manage? For how long?
   
   
   

45. Have there been any times you lived here where you…

1. Had trouble covering the rent? Please tell me about that situation. How many times/how often? What happened? How did you handle it?

2. Had to skip other bills or expenses to cover the rent? Please tell me about that situation. How many times/how often? What happened? How did you handle it?

Services Received/Rapid Re-housing Experience

Research questions:

• (Sheltered and Current RRH households) How do households experience the transition from emergency shelter to permanent housing?

• How do households search for housing? What search assistance do they receive? What is move-in process like?

• How do households experience services, the recertification process, progressive engagement?

• Do households believe RRH will enable them to succeed?

• How do they evaluate the assistance?

46. [Current & Former RRH clients] What kind of assistance did you get when you were in shelter? [For those in shelter] What services are you currently receiving? What kind of information did you receive about RRH prior to deciding to enter the program? Probe for:

    1. How long were you in the shelter before you were offered RRH?

    2. [For those in shelter] Do you know when your assistance here at the shelter will end?

    3. [For those currently in RRH or who have exited RRH] Are you/were you aware of when your rental assistance will/would end? Has/did the amount of housing assistance you received (rent subsidies) changed during your time in the program? If so, was the amount of assistance received dependent on your income? Was the amount of assistance extended at any point? If so, on what basis did you receive longer assistance?

    4. What did they tell you about the program?

    5. What did you think RRH would provide?

    6. What did you think of the offer? Did you consider options other than the RRH offer?
       
       
       

47. How helpful do you think [RRH program name] will be/is/was to you? What makes you say that? Please give me an example.
    
    
    

48. What is it like for you to be in [RRH program name]? What do you think about:

    1. Any meetings you have with a case worker?

    2. Recertification/providing documentation?

    3. Any changes to the services or assistance you receive?
       
       
       

49. Overall, what do you think of the services you’ve received since you came to the shelter (this/last time)/started the RRH program?

    1. What has been the most helpful to you?

    2. What has been the least helpful to you?

    3. Were there services offered to you that you didn’t use? What were they and what were the reasons you didn’t use them?

    4. Are there parts of the program you found burdensome or difficult? Tell me about those.

    5. If you were going to give one piece of advice to the people who design or run this program, what would it be?

Financial Status

Research questions:

• How do households waiting for, receiving, or who have received RRH manage financially?

• What is the role of housing in coping strategies of vulnerable households?

In this section, I want to talk to you about your financial situation.

50. Tell me about your job situation. Are you currently working for pay? Where do you work? What kind of work do you do? How long have you worked at that job? How many hours do you typically work in a week? How much are you paid?

1. If not working:

   1. What are the reasons you’re not currently working? Probe for reasons including currently in school or a training program or responsibilities to care for someone with a disability that keep you from working, disability or health status, can’t find work, transportation problems, no jobs available, can’t find child care.

   2. Are you looking for work?

   3. When was the last time you were working for pay? (month/year) or never worked for pay
      
      
      

2. If employed:

   1. How are you paid—hourly, daily, weekly, other frequency, or salaried?

   2. What’s your pay before taxes (gross) and take-home (net)? [MAKE SURE TO CONFIRM PAY PERIODICITY SO WE KNOW IS THIS hourly, weekly, etc.]

   3. Do you get benefits from your job (like paid vacation, sick time, retirement benefits)? If so, what were they?

   4. If part-time:

      1. How many hours per week do you typically work?

      2. Is that a choice or would you prefer to work some other amount?
         
         

3. [If applicable] Does your spouse/partner work?

   1. If yes, ask hourly/salaried, income, and benefit questions.

   2. If no, is he /she looking for work? If part-time: Is that a choice or would she/he prefer to work some other amount?

Household Budget

Now I want to go through a short budget overview with you to make sure I understand your complete financial situation. We’re asking you to go through it to educate us, not saying this is the best way or the right way for you to manage your finances. Do you have any questions before we start?

Expenses

51. First of all, let’s go over your monthly bills. This is the amounts you pay every month for set expenses. You can start by listing off your bills. I’ll follow up to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

Researcher: ask about these categories if not mentioned:

Housing (rent):
Utilities	--
Heat
Water
Electricity
Phone
Cable
Internet
Other?
Transportation	--
Car loan payment
Car insurance
Gas
Car maintenance
Public transit (bus, train, subway)
Cabs/car share/paying someone for rides
Debt payments (other than car)	--
Credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover)
Store credit cards
Loan through a bank
Student Loan
Health care related debt
Other loans
Money owed to other people
Additional insurance (renters insurance; disability or life insurance; out-of-pocket health insurance)
Purchases on payment plans (furniture, electronics, home repairs, etc.)
Child support
Other monthly payments?

52. Have you ever missed one of these payments?

[This includes, for example, not having enough money, forgetting a due date, or problems with an automatic withdrawal.] If so, what were the circumstances? What did you do? Did it affect you; how?

[If have not missed a payment] How do you prevent that? Imagine a situation where you would miss one of these payments. What would you do?

53. What else do you spend on every month?

Childcare and babysitters
Groceries
Eating out/ordering in/fast food
Entertainment and health (movies, concerts, lottery tickets/casinos, books, magazines, gym, classes, etc.)
Clothes, shoes, and accessories
Personal care
Baby or children’s supplies
Money to support other family members (who/where?)
Deposits to savings, retirement, or investments
Deposits to savings for down payment on a house
Financial help for family members
Other expenses – please specify

54. Researcher: [Add up the expenses.] Okay, it looks like you spend about $_______ per month. Does that sound right?

Income

55. Now I’d like to know about money you have coming into the house.

Source	Amount	Frequency
Paychecks (self)
Paychecks (spouse/partner)
Paychecks (dependent)
Payment for work in cash
Other compensation from work (overtime, bonuses, reimbursements, etc.)
Money from family or friends
Child support
Social Security (disability or retirement)
Public benefits (TANF, SNAP, etc.)
Annuities/settlements
Investment income
Trades in kind
Gifts/presents
Other Income – please specify

Researcher: [Add up amounts] So that sounds like about $________ per month. Does that sound about right?

56. As applicable: Note any difference between amount spent and amount coming in.

    1. If negative, how do you cover the shortage? How do you decide what not to pay/what trade-offs to make when you come up short?

    2. Are you coming up short all the time, frequently, every so often?

    3. If positive, what do you do with any difference? How do you decide what to spend any leftover on?

57. Food Security: Have you had any times in the last month where you didn’t have enough money for food? Please tell me about that.

58. (Material deprivation) Have there been times in the last month you or your family had to go without other things (things other than food) because you didn’t have enough money? (Probe about medical care, clothing or personal items, leisure activities, rent or utilities. Did the household have to make tradeoffs between housing costs and other necessities?)

Physical, Mental, and Social Well-Being

Research Questions:

• What is the role of housing in coping strategies of vulnerable households?

Social & Family Context

Now that we’ve talked about your housing experiences and financial situation, I’d like to hear a bit more about your family and support network.

You said earlier that [NAMES] live with you here.

59. Does anyone else stay with you part time or visit regularly?

Probes:

• Who?

• Tell me about your relationship with them.

• How would you feel about this person living with you?
  
  
  

60. Is there anyone in your family who doesn’t live with you?

Probes:

• Who?

• For how long have they not lived with you?

• Can you tell me about how it was decided they would not live with you?

• How do you feel about this arrangement? How would you feel about this person living with you (again)?

• Have there been any changes in your family composition in the last six months as a result of your housing situation? (i.e., child left or returned to the home, separated from partner or older, opposite sex children while staying in a shelter; sent family to live elsewhere due to crowding in your housing, etc.)
  
  
  

61. Now I’d like to hear from you more about the dynamics in your family. Every family has different dynamics, some easier and some more challenging.

    1. How have things been between you and your family members in the last month? (Child/ren and partner, as applicable)

    2. How typical is that for your family? Do you think that your current housing situation is affecting your family’s dynamic? (For example, as needed: provoking more or fewer arguments/stress about space/etc.)

62. IF THEY ARE GETTING DEPRESSED AND DOWN THEN USE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO BRING TO A LESS STRESSFUL TOPIC.

• Describe to me the times when you think you and your partner/family have managed a housing issue really well.

OR

• What advice would you give a person who has had a similar housing situation as you?

Health & Well-Being

Now I have a few questions for you about your and (as applicable) your child/ren’s health.

Personal Health & Well-Being

63. How has your physical health been in the last month?
    
    
    

64. How has your mental health been in the last month?

Probes as needed:

• Are you feeling mentally well?

• Have you felt stress or anxiety, depression, hopelessness, worthless, restless?

• Please tell me about that.

1. What, if anything, makes any problem better?
   
   
   

1. In the last six months, have you had any problems caused by drinking or drug use?

Probes as needed:

• For example, blackouts, medical problems, missing work or family obligations?

• Have you done anything illegal or that you regret to obtain drugs or alcohol?
  
  
  

66. Have any of these issues—health, mental health, or substance use—affected your housing situation? Or has your housing situation affected your health, mental health, or substance use?
    
    
    

67. Are you currently working toward any specific goals? They can be in any area. What are they? How are you feeling about achieving them? What are you doing to get there?

Children’s Health & Well-Being (as applicable)

68. And how has your child/ren’s health been in the last month? (E.g., illnesses, injuries, medical/well child check-ups)
    
    
    

69. How about your children’s mental health? What have you noticed in their moods or behavior in the last month? (e.g., behavior problems, trouble sleeping, clingy, irritable, etc.)
    
    
    

70. Please tell me how things are going with your child’s/children’s schooling. (e.g., grades, relationships with peers/teachers/administration, attendance, school changes, behavior/discipline)

    1. Has your child/children had to change schools because of moving? If so, how has that transition been? If not—but you have moved, have you had to do anything special to keep your child in their same school?

CLOSING TRANSITION

We’re closing in on the home stretch now! My last question is to ask you to think about the future. The future is hard to predict and there are many possible directions that it can go in.

71. Probable Future: I’d like you to tell me what your situation will probably be like in a year. Where will you be living? What will you be doing? What will your kids be up to? What kinds of decisions will you need to be making to get there?

Thank you so much for sharing everything you did with me today! Those are all the questions I have for you today. Is there anything else you want to share with me to help me understand your situation or your experience with the Rapid Re-housing Program?