Annual Partnership Survey

Annual Partnership Survey

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracted with the Urban Institute, an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C., to conduct an Annual Partnership Survey as part of the Evaluation of the HUD-DOJ Pay for Success (PFS) Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Demonstration in <Site Name>. Funded by the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development, the PFS demonstration aims to bring together cross-sector public and private partners to operate local permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs within a pay-for-success (PFS) framework and to achieve housing stability and reduce social service use and recidivism for a population continually cycling between homelessness and the criminal justice system..

We are asking you to participate in this survey because of your role in an organization that is involved with <Site Name>’s Pay for Success demonstration. The survey asks questions about how different organizations in your local demonstration worked together in 2022 around performance management and evaluation, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation in service delivery. By conducting this survey annually, we hope to learn how the relationships among PFS partners and the broader community have changed over the life of the project.

Please do not delegate or share this survey link with others, as it is unique to you. The survey is designed to take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. You may stop at any time, and your answers will be saved so that you can finish at a later point. You can also navigate back and forth between pages without losing your work. If a question does not apply to you or your organization, or if you do not know the answer, please use the “not applicable” or “don’t know” response options. 

Your participation in this interview is voluntary and you are free to skip any questions you do not wish to answer. The questions in the interview have been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at up to 20 minutes, including preparation and follow-up. The OMB control number is 2528-0319, expiring XX-XX-XXXX. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

We will only publicly report aggregate responses– never individual responses. Your name will not be used in any report about this survey, and nobody outside the Urban Institute research team will know how you answered a particular question. However, due to the nature of the project, a unique role or response could be potentially identifying.

If you have any questions about the survey or have technical difficulties completing the survey, please contact Clare Salerno at the Urban Institute at [email protected].    
 

PLEASE NOTE

Please answer the questions based on your experiences working on the PFS project in ­<Site Name> in 2022.

In this survey,

• "target population" refers to people experiencing homelessness who are, or will be, served by the PFS-funded PSH program. 

• "PFS" refers to Pay for Success.

• "PSH" refers to Permanent Supportive Housing

• “intermediary” refers to an organization that is helping to organize the work of the Demonstration by conducting feasibility analyses and establishing PFS contracts. They are neither direct service partners nor funders.

If a question does not apply to you or your organization, please select "Not Applicable," rather than leaving the question blank. And if you do not know the answer to any question, please select "Don't Know, " rather than leaving the question blank.

1) What kind of organization do you work for? Please select the option that best matches your role on the PFS project. 

Government Agency

• Housing

• Health and human services

• Criminal justice

Non-Governmental Organization

• Health or behavioral health provider

• Housing provider

• Other service provider

• Other evaluation or technical assistance organization

• Philanthropy/Foundation

• For-profit investor

• Other: Please describe______________________

2) Which of the following best describes your organization's role in the PFS project ?

• Intermediary

• Evaluator

• Other technical assistance

• Financial partner

• Direct service for target population

• Housing or housing assistance provider for target population

• Criminal justice – referral source for target population

• Other criminal justice partner

• Other role: Please Describe___________________________

3) What is your title or position within your organization? 

________________________________________________________________

4) How many years have you been in this position? Please enter numeric values only (i.e. "0.5," "4," or "10"). 

Years: ________________________________________________

5) How many months have you been participating in the PFS supportive housing project? Please enter whole numbers only (i.e., "3," "12," "44"). 

Months: ________________________________________________

6) In 2022, how many meetings have you attended about the PFS supportive housing project (select one)?

• 0 meetings

• 1-4 meetings

• 5-10 meetings

• 11-20 meetings

• More than 20 meetings

7) At end of 2022, what was the phase of this PFS project (select one)?

• Feasibility assessment

• Transaction structuring

• Project implementation

8) PFS Project. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your PFS project ?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Disagree completely (1)

Disagree somewhat (2)

Agree somewhat (3)

Agree completely (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• I have a clear understanding of my organization's roles and responsibilities within the PFS project.

• I have a clear understanding of other organizations' roles and responsibilities within the PFS project.

• The PFS project is meeting its aims and objectives for its current phase.

• The PFS project's work is being guided by information and data.

9) PFS Organization. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your organization's role in the project?

• My organization plays an active role in the PFS supportive housing project.

• My organization has a stake in increasing supportive housing for the target population.

• Leaders in my organization are aware of the issues surrounding the target population.

• Leaders in my organization are committed to addressing the needs of the target population.

• Staff members in my organization are aware of the issues surrounding the target population.

10) PFS Partners. To what extend do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the PFS partnership over the past year?

• Partners share a common vision.

• Partners have a common understanding of PFS, and its role in supporting PSH.

• Partners have a shared understanding that PSH is important for target population.

• Partners share understanding that PFS is a promising approach to establish and/or support PSH for target population.

• Partners are willing to make changes to achieve shared goals.

• Partners have mutual trust and respect.

• Partners work well together as a group.

• Partners make high-level decisions through a collaborative process.

11) Community Support. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the community’s support for the project over the past year?

• Housing the target population is a high priority for the community.

• There are organizations in the community with expertise and experience in providing supportive housing for the target population.

• The PFS project is bringing local partners together from different sectors to achieve better outcomes for persons in the target population.

• Over the past year, the community has acquired new sources of funding for rent payments, operating subsidies, or supportive services for the target population.

12) Collaboration. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about permanent supportive housing providers in your community over the past year?

• Over the past year, local supportive housing providers were able to collaborate with other agencies to promote housing stability and well-being for the target population.

• Over the past year, local supportive housing providers have been working with health and behavioral health providers to facilitate access to benefits and services.

13) Coordination and Collaboration between Key Types of Organizations. Over the past year, how much have the following systems collaborated with each other in working with the target population?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

No Collaboration (1)

Little Collaboration (2)

Occasional Collaboration (3)

Extensive Collaboration (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• Law enforcement with the homeless assistance system (e.g., Continuum of Care)

• Courts with the homeless assistance system

• Jail(s) with the homeless assistance system

• Law enforcement with health/behavioral health service providers

• Courts with health/behavioral health service providers

• Homeless assistance with health/behavioral health service providers

14) Coordination and Collaboration for PFS Operations and Assessment. Over the past year, has coordination and collaboration increased or decreased among the different types of organizations in the community’s PFS demonstration ?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Decreased (1)

Stayed the Same (2)

Increased (3)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• Data sharing between organizations serving the target population

• Number of written agreements or memoranda of understanding between organizations serving the target population

• Frequency of meetings about effectively working with the target population

• Number of PFS partner organizations represented on the local criminal justice coordinating committee

15) Barriers to Coordination and Collaboration. Over the past year, did any of the following pose a problem for PFS partners collaborating?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Not a Problem (1)

Minor Problem (2)

Moderate Problem (3)

Serious Problem (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• Competition for resources or 'turf issues'

• Conflicting priorities and visions

• Lack of trust among agencies

• Absence of established working relationships

• Skepticism or disagreement about the Housing First approach

16) Collaboration. Over the past year, how often has your organization engaged in the following activities with other organizations serving as partners in the PFS project?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Never (1)

Rarely (2)

Occasionally (3)

Frequently (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• We collaborated with PFS partners to leverage resources (e.g., write grants together).

• We collaborated with PFS partners to provide training or educational opportunities.

• We shared resources, such as materials or equipment, with PFS partners.

• We provided information about our programs or services to PFS partners.

• We met with PFS partners to share information about services, resources, or clients.

• We collaborated with PFS partners to provide direct services to individuals.

17) Data sharing. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about data sharing, over the past year?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Disagree Completely (1)

Disagree Somewhat (2) (7)

Agree Somewhat (3)

Agree Completely (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• PFS partners shared data to identify the target population (prospective beneficiaries).

• PFS partners shared data to facilitate prospective beneficiary needs assessment, priority, selection preferences, and placement.

• PFS partners shared data to develop a common understanding of the type and level of housing and services needed by the target population.

• PFS partners shared data to support each other’s assessment of their beneficiaries’ progress and achievements.

• Other ways PFS partners have shared data and other uses of the data (specify)

18) Performance data. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the use of evidence to manage supportive housing providers over the past year?

• Supportive housing providers have used performance data to identify needed improvements to housing services and operations.

• Supportive housing providers have followed evidence-based models of service delivery (housing first, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, etc.).

• Government agencies have used performance data to assess whether supportive housing programs are improving client outcomes.

19) Does your organization directly serve the target population?

• Yes

• No

20) Data sharing. Over the past year, how frequently has your organization shared or received information about the clients in the target population?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Never (1)

Rarely (2)

Occasionally (3)

Frequently (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• We have shared information with other organizations about clients in the target population.

• We have received information from other organizations about clients in the target population.

21) Data sharing. Over the past year, how often has your organization shared criminal justice information with other organizations serving the target population?

• A client's criminal history

• Whether a client was recently released from jail

• Whether a client was recently released from state or federal prison

• Whether a client is under community supervision (probation, parole, etc.)

22) Data sharing. Over the past year, how often has your organization shared client information with other organizations serving the target population? 

• Client referrals

• Whether a client is being served by other organizations

• What services a client is receiving from other organizations

• Client assessments conducted by your organization or another organization

• Client outcomes (e.g., days in housing, connection to health services, etc.)

23) Administrative challenges. Over the past year, has your PFS project experienced any of the following as barriers to serving individuals in the target population ?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Not a problem (1)

Minor problem (2)

Moderate Problem (3)

Serious Problem (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• Access to incarcerated clients

• Coordination of entry for homeless services

• Organizational policies about data sharing

• Obtaining client releases to share information across organizations

• Accessing reliable assessment information

• Accessing other relevant data

• Data systems compatibility

• Other technological limitations

Limited time and resources

24) Service challenges. Over the past year, to what extent have any of the following posed a problem for providing services to the target population for your PFS project?

• Waiting lists for services for the target population (e.g., housing, substance abuse treatment, mental health programs

• Lack of access to housing for the target population

• Lack of access to substance abuse treatment for the target population

• Lack of access to mental health programs for the target population

• Rigid eligibility requirements for housing for the target population

• Policies excluding people with certain criminal histories from housing or services

25) Community infrastructure. To what extent would you agree or disagree with the following statements about your community?

RESPONSE OPTIONS

Disagree Completely (1)

Disagree Somewhat (2)

Agree Somewhat (3)

Agree Completely (4)

Don't Know

Not Applicable

• The community is committed to reducing barriers to housing for the target population, including accepting and processing housing applications from individuals with criminal justice histories.

• The community has a process to prioritize new and turnover housing units for the target population.

• Supportive housing providers have staff dedicated to landlord education, recruitment, and relations.

• Supportive housing providers are able to bill Medicaid for covered services.

• Partners are working to educate policymakers and local elected officials about the need for supportive housing for a chronically homeless and previously incarcerated reentry population.

26) Are there other elements of the PFS project you would like to share (progress or changes on partnerships due to the COVID-19 pandemic or increased calls for racial justice)?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Thank you for filling out the annual PFS Partnership Survey. If you would like to go back and review or change your answers, please use the back arrow. If you would like to submit the survey, please hit the forward arrow. Once you go to the next page, you will submit the survey and no longer be able to navigate back to the other questions. 

OMB Control #________

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