Evaluation of California's Project Roomkey Program

Project Roomkey (PRK) was an innovative statewide effort established by the State of California in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overseen by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), PRK provided people experiencing homelessness the option to stay temporarily in noncongregate shelters (hotel and motel rooms and trailers) as an alternative to staying on the street or in congregate shelters. PRK also provided program participants limited on-site supportive services. The state initially funded the PRK program to reduce: the spread of COVID-19, the risk of death or serious illness for people who were particularly vulnerable to the virus because of age or underlying health conditions, and the anticipated strain on the state’s health care system from the pandemic. Over time, the focus of the PRK program evolved to a longer approach of the program called the Rehousing Strategy. This phase of the program simultaneously focused on the ongoing emergency response of non-congregate shelter as well as supporting participants in their transition to long term, permanent housing and stabilization beyond PRK. The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, in collaboration with CDSS, engaged Abt Associates to conduct an evaluation of the PRK program. The purpose of this evaluation was to understand its successes and challenges and the experiences and outcomes of PRK participants. This final report summarizes the findings from the two-year evaluation (2021-2023).

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Report

Fiore, N., Dunton, L., Gibson, S. & Collins C. (2024). Evaluation of California’s Project Roomkey Program: Final Report. Abt Associates. https://www.abtglobal.com/files/insights/reports/2024/abt-global_prk-eval_final-report_5.4.24.pdf