Briefs · Durham Strategic Framework

Housing Stabilization Case Management

Building the on-ramp from subsidy to stability.

City of Durham · Durham County · Durham Community Safety Department

Why It Matters

Getting a household into a unit is the first step. Keeping them housed once the subsidy ends is the goal. Housing Stabilization Case Management bridges that gap — providing intensive, time-limited support during the months when households are most likely to succeed if helped, and most likely to return to homelessness if not. For a newly housed family, the first year is the decisive one — which is why every sprint participant leaves with the same 12-month plan that carries them past sprint close: a budget, an income strategy, and a documented path to paying full rent.

The Approach

Durham will adapt the Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model, a nationally studied, time-limited, phased approach commonly delivered over approximately nine months, into a 12-month stabilization arc. CTI is built on the premise that the months immediately after a housing transition are decisive — and that focused, high-touch support during this window can improve long-term stability. Durham extends the adapted model with a Month 13 Readiness phase that makes the handoff off subsidy a planned step rather than a cliff.

Key Elements

• A 12-month, phased arc. Engagement and Assessment, Transition (Months 1–3 high touch), Try-Out (Months 4–8 stepping back), Transfer (Months 9–12 to natural supports), and a Durham-added Month 13 Readiness phase.
• Three stabilization goals. Income generation, budget discipline, and the activation of natural supports — the three factors most predictive of whether housing holds once subsidy ends.
• A Housing Plan as the operational anchor. Each session organized around a written plan with monthly budget, housing history review, time-bound income strategy, and a documented path to assuming 100% of rent by Month 12.
• Multiple providers, one model. Capacity is distributed across agencies for resilience and reach, but every provider operates from the same policies, the same documentation requirements, and the same fidelity expectations.
• Single point of entry. Referrals come exclusively from the Coordinated Entry Administrator, ensuring HSCM resources are matched to households through a structured process.
• Tight integration with other functions. HSCM works alongside the Flexible Housing Assistance Fund (payments), Landlord Engagement (the unit and the relationship), and Coordinated Entry (the referral) so households experience one system, not four.

Why the Model Works

Most evictions back into homelessness happen in the 6–24 months after a housing exit. A 12-month case management arc that builds income, budgeting habits, and natural supports — followed by a Month 13 readiness check — is designed to catch failure points before they become evictions and to make the transition off subsidy a step, not a cliff.