Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Outreach Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
RISE tells advisory board outreach led to 260 shelter placements and outlines per‑placement costs
Summary
RISE presented outreach results covering 2022–2025: 867 initial engagements, 260 direct housing or shelter placements, and an estimated cost of about $1,200 per outreach engagement and roughly $4,500 per housing placement; RISE emphasized peer‑led outreach and long‑term engagement.
Benjamin Castro, executive director of RISE (Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equity), and Mary Charles, Crossroads expansion program manager, presented RISE’s outreach outcomes and cost analysis for work done under the City of Reno Clean and Safe umbrella.
Castro said RISE conducted 867 initial outreach engagements from 2022 to 2025 and that outreach produced 260 direct housing and shelter placements. Mary Charles described RISE’s model as relationship‑driven and peer‑led: "For us, engagement means more than contact. It means people are seen, addressed by name, given clear communication, and supported with follow‑through and respect for their autonomy." She added that about 90% of RISE staff have lived experience and that the organization pairs that experience with formal training and certified peer supervisors.
RISE presented per‑unit cost figures it calculated from program total expenses: roughly $1,200 per engagement, about $4,500 per housing placement and about $17,000 per permanent housing exit. Castro noted those figures are arithmetic divisions of program costs by outcomes under the Clean and Safe contract and argued outreach can shift public dollars away from recurring crisis costs such as emergency room visits, short jail stays and repeated encampment cleanups.
Board members asked for clarification of the cost arithmetic and the outreach parameters; RISE clarified its outreach occurred in Reno (excluding the BID) in partnership with the city’s Clean and Safe team and that the cost figures reflect the program’s total expenses during the contract period. The presentation closed with RISE offering to answer follow‑up questions and provide documentation of audited financials on its website.
The presentation was received as evidence that relationship‑based outreach yields measurable outcomes, though several public speakers during earlier comment urged more oversight of some contracted providers and questioned whether all contractors meet standards for background checks and supervision.
