Taking Stock of Interim Housing: Lessons from the Bay Area

For people experiencing homelessness, the need for accessible and safe refuge is urgent. Interim housing—a broad category that includes temporary shelter and transitional housing paired with some degree of supportive services—is a key part of meeting this need. Interim housing can provide short-term respite for those recovering from a temporary income loss, fleeing domestic violence, or waiting for a permanent housing opportunity. For people enduring long episodes of unsheltered homelessness or grappling with behavioral health challenges, interim housing can offer stability and facilitate access to health and social services.

Interim housing supply has grown substantially in recent years. The nation added about 142,000 beds between 2020 and 2025, a 33 percent increase.^[1] The growth of interim housing was widespread, with the number of beds increasing in 43 states (Figure 1). The largest increase was in New York, in large part reflecting New York City’s mandate to provide emergency shelter to anyone requesting it. The second largest increase was in California, where interim housing has grown in response to the large number of people experiencing homelessness in tents, vehicles, or outside.

Figure 1. Change in Interim Housing Beds by State, 2020 to 2025.

Source: Housing Inventory Counts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Notes: Interim housing beds include emergency shelter, transitional housing, and safe haven projects operating at the time of the Housing Inventory Counts.

Interim housing contributes to lower unsheltered homelessness. In California, for example, the count of people who are unsheltered on a given night decreased by 7 percent between 2024 and 2025, the first reduction since 2014. Meanwhile, the number of people staying in interim housing programs increased by 5 percent.

Interim housing alone does not end homelessness, however. Temporary shelter—without services and permanent housing—does not increase the likelihood of successfully exiting homelessness. Investments in interim housing must be paired with efforts to provide more affordable housing options. When people can find and afford housing more easily, they are better able to exit homelessness and less likely to fall into it in the first place.

As interim housing programs continue to operate and expand, several policy questions call for more evidence:

• How should communities balance the need for interim and permanent housing investments?
• How can supportive services be delivered effectively?
• What staffing and other resources are needed to operate interim housing programs in the long-term?
• How can interim housing programs best respect residents’ dignity and help them achieve long-term stability?

To address these questions, the Terner Center has been conducting a study of interim housing programs in the Bay Area. The study is a collaboration with All Home, which maintains close working relationships with local governments and interim housing providers through its efforts to advance regional solutions to poverty and homelessness in the Bay Area. We partnered with five interim housing organizations working across the region, who shared their expertise and detailed data on their programs. The study is also guided by a diverse group of six lived experts, all of whom have experience as interim housing residents and program staff.

We present the study’s findings and recommendations in a series of three reports. We also held a webinar that previewed selected findings and featured a discussion among a panel of experts in the Bay Area.

Report 1: Expanding Interim Housing: Recent Trends in the Bay Area

The first report presents findings on the supply and types of interim housing in the Bay Area. The region’s interim housing supply increased by about 50 percent between 2018 and 2024. By combining administrative data with information collected from public documents, local governments, and interim housing providers, we find that the region’s 333 interim housing programs vary widely in size, physical type, location, and whom they serve. The report also highlights data-driven approaches to balance continued expansions of interim housing with other essential interventions, including homelessness prevention programs and permanent housing solutions.

Report 2: Implementing Interim Housing: Supportive Services, Staffing, and Operating Resources

The second report will present findings on the implementation of interim housing programs for adults. We examine the types of supportive services provided by programs and partner organizations, as well as the challenges and promising practices for effective service delivery. The report also quantifies interim housing programs’ staffing levels and operating costs.

Report 3: Living in Interim Housing: Resident Experiences and Outcomes

The third report will present findings on the people served by interim housing programs. We analyze county-provided administrative data on the numbers, characteristics, and housing outcomes for interim housing participants. The report also presents qualitative findings on people’s experiences within interim housing programs, including what works best for them and the additional assistance needed to move into permanent housing.

Interim Housing Study Webinar

This July 2026 webinar previewed findings from the study and featured an expert panel:

• Chris Cabral, CEO of Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) in Sonoma County
• Jose Carrizales, Lived Expert Advisor and Advocate in Solano County
• Jody Ketcheside, Assistant Director of Supportive Housing for the Santa Clara County Housing Authority
• Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families in San Francisco
• David Amaral, Director of Research and Evaluation for All Home (Moderator)

Watch the webinar recording.

Acknowledgments

The study team is grateful to All Home and our interim housing provider partners for this study: COTS, Dignity Moves, Insight Housing, Life Moves, and Reach for Home. Thanks also to the study’s lived expertise advisory board for their valuable guidance, as well as to the many interviewees who contributed their time and insights.

Special thanks to Crankstart, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Marin Community Foundation, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Sobrato Philanthropies, and Yardi Systems for their support of the Terner Center’s work on interim housing and homelessness.

This research does not represent the institutional views of the University of California, Berkeley, or of the Terner Center’s funders. Funders do not determine research findings or recommendations in the Terner Center’s research and policy reports.

^[1] Note that the number of interim housing beds includes programs for migrants and people displaced by disasters, which are a substantial share of beds in places like New York City; Denver, Colorado; Maui, Hawaii; and suburban Massachusetts. See: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2026). “The 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress—Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness.” Retrieved from: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2025-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html