How we will know it is working

• Outcome 01

  Fewer hospital and ED visits

  • 35% decrease in hospitalizations and/or emergency department visits at 12 months, aggregated across all participants.

  • Self-reported by participants at intake and 12 months after services begin.

• Outcome 02

  Housing stability and security

  • At least 75% of participants remain housed after 12 months of housing retention case management.

  • Total unique participants who retained housing, and the percent retained.

  • Percent of participants who report feeling secure in their housing.

• Outcome 03

  Health and well-being

  • Well-being measured with the WHO-5 Well-Being Index.

  • 90% of participants enrolled in health insurance.

  • 90% of participants utilizing or connected to medical, behavioral, and/or mental health care.

  WHO-5 Well-Being Index
• Outcome 04

  System-wide understanding

  • Hours spent supporting each unique participant, per quarter.

  • Qualitative tracking of system barriers (habitability, landlord conflict, benefit delays, healthcare access).

  • Qualitative tracking of system supports (responsive case management, food resources, employment, budgeting, landlord mediation).

• Outcome 05

  Better local data and reporting

  • 95% data quality and completeness across all HMIS housing retention data fields.

  • Engagement in MCES-led housing retention activities.

• Outcome 06

  Fewer returns to houselessness

  • Total unique participants who returned to houselessness from housing.

  • Percent of participants who returned to houselessness from housing.

• 

  Director, Housing Stability Collective

  Sara Kauk

  Sara brings a distinctive perspective, grounded in her roots as a Montanan, her lived experience growing up with adverse childhood experiences, and her human-centered design leadership. She is deeply committed to expanding access to services for people experiencing housing instability.

  Over eight years at Expedia Group as a Lead and Director of Product Design, she guided cross-brand strategic initiatives for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, aligning diverse teams around inclusive, user-focused standards and scalable design systems.

• 

  Owner, Sagrado Strategies

  Téo (T) Ortega

  Consultant, Housing Stability Collective

  A ninth-generation Mesilla Valley resident of Piro-Manso-Tigua and Tortugas Pueblo heritage. Téo draws on lived experience of homelessness, poverty, and behavioral health systems.

  A decade of Continuum of Care leadership in system design, coordinated entry, and equity evaluation. Former HUD Technical Assistance provider. Roots in direct service as a Street Outreach Case Manager and Transitional Living Program Director.

• 

  Principal, User Researcher

  Shannon Riddle

  Shannon brings 16 years of user research experience, a psychology background, and the empathy of her own experience as a single mom. She’s spent countless hours listening to understand people’s barriers and strengths, using qualitative and quantitative research to answer hard questions and amplify voices too often left unheard.

  Most recently, she led research on Expedia’s core brand as a Senior User Researcher at Expedia Group.

• TBH

  Peer Specialist, Housing Stability Collective

  TBH

  Key frontline role supporting housing retention for recently housed neighbors in scattered-site placements across Missoula. Combines case management expertise with lived experience to deliver relationship-based, peer-informed support that helps tenants remain stably housed. Responsible for individualized stability planning, systems coordination, crisis response, and documentation aligned with Tenancy Support Service. Critical to translating pilot funding into measurable outcomes, stronger service continuity, and long-term program sustainability.