A homeless shelter grant proposal is often read by people who know the local system: foundation staff, and sometimes Continuum of Care (CoC) reviewers who advise them. They look for the right counts, outcomes about where people go when they leave, and careful handling of client data.
Build the need statement on the right counts
Public counts give the scale; your own data (waiting lists, turn-aways, length of stay) shows the gap you fill.
| Source | What it measures | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HUD, 2025 AHAR Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates | Sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night in January 2025, national and state | Published May 29, 2026 |
| HUD Exchange, PIT and HIC data | Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count reports, including CoC level | Online |
| HUD CHAS data | Housing problems and cost burden by income | Latest release uses 2018 to 2022 ACS data (December 23, 2025); some estimates suppressed |
| NLIHC, Out of Reach | The Housing Wage needed to afford a Fair Market Rent | 2026 edition published |
| NLIHC, The Gap | Shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renters | 2026 edition published |
| Eviction Lab, Princeton University | National eviction map and an Eviction Tracking System for selected cities and states | Online; national map uses 2000 to 2018 data |
A point-in-time count is a single night, not an annual total. Do not cite the January 2024 count as the latest, and cite counts, not press-release explanations of causes.
According to HUD's [year] Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates), [state or CoC] counted [number] people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January [year].
Outputs vs outcomes in shelter and housing
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Logic Model Development Guide calls outputs "the direct products of program activities." Bed-nights are outputs; where people go next is the outcome funders read first.
| Outputs: what you deliver, counted | Outcomes: what changes for people |
|---|---|
| Shelter bed-nights; people served | Exits to permanent housing |
| Outreach contacts; case management sessions | Shorter time homeless |
| Rental assistance payments | No return to homelessness at 6, 12 and 24 months |
| Housing search assists; landlord partnerships | Increased income; housing kept after a set period |
Use HUD's measures, carefully
HUD's System Performance Measures cover "seven areas of performance" reported by CoCs. HUD's System Performance Measures Introductory Guide names them, including Measure 1, Length of Time Persons Remain Homeless, and Measure 7, Successful Placement from Street Outreach (7a) and Successful Placement in or Retention of Permanent Housing (7b). Check the names in your CoC's current reports before quoting them. A safe sentence: "We report outcomes aligned with HUD's System Performance Measures, including exits to permanent housing and returns to homelessness."
The Urban Institute's emergency shelter indicators add participant results such as immediate shelter needs met and safe, stable housing for six consecutive months after leaving.
Example indicators
| Level | Example indicator | Method | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term outcome | Number and percent of clients who report their immediate shelter needs are met | Survey after | Urban Institute, Emergency Shelter (end outcome) |
| Intermediate outcome | Average or median length of time participants remain homeless (days) | Program records | System Performance Measures, Measure 1 |
| Intermediate outcome | Percent of participants exiting to permanent housing destinations | Program records | Measure 7b |
| Long-term outcome | Percent who exited to permanent housing and return to homelessness within 6, 12 and 24 months | Partner data | Measure 2 (needs CoC HMIS access) |
Confirm HMIS access with your CoC before promising returns data. Baselines and targets come from your own data.
Compliance points to mention
- HMIS data and privacy: the current version is the FY 2026 HMIS Data Standards. HUD's 2004 HMIS notice sets the baseline: a privacy notice at intake, purpose-limited use and disclosure, client access to records and security safeguards.
- Survivors: under HUD's HMIS rules, victim service providers must not enter identifying client data in HMIS; they use a comparable database.
- Fair housing: the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin. Describe your reasonable accommodation process.
Writing tips
- Lead with exits to permanent housing for a named period, with the denominator.
- Describe how you recruit and keep landlords.
- Use measure names only for measures you can report.
The Housing & Homelessness Grant Kit lists eleven example indicators on the Examples tab of Sector_Housing_Logic_Model_TRACKER.xlsx.
General information: this article is general information, not legal, tax or fundraising advice. No template can guarantee funding. Always follow each funder's own guidelines.
The Funder File is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, any Continuum of Care, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, the Urban Institute or the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Sources
- HUD: 2025 AHAR Part 1
- HUD Exchange: PIT and HIC data
- HUD User: CHAS data
- NLIHC: Out of Reach
- NLIHC: The Gap
- Eviction Lab
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Logic Model Development Guide
- HUD Exchange: System Performance Measures
- HUD Exchange: System Performance Measures Introductory Guide
- Urban Institute: Emergency Shelter candidate outcome indicators
- HUD Exchange: HMIS Data Standards
- Federal Register: HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice (2004)
- 42 U.S. Code 3604 (Cornell LII)
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