Working together to improve housing, health, and service outcomes.
Many state and community programs help older adults and people with disabilities access housing and supportive services. Strong collaborations between housing, health care, behavioral health, aging, disability, homeless response, social service, and community-based organizations enable states and communities to efficiently coordinate resources for older adults and people with disabilities. Cross-sector partnerships support smoother access to housing and services, improve long-term stability, and reduce delays in service delivery.
This Cross‑Sector Partnerships Toolkit is designed for state and community leaders working at the intersection of housing, health care, aging, disability, and supportive services. It provides practical guidance, examples, and tools to help teams form, strengthen, and sustain partnerships that improve housing stability and health outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities.
This toolkit was informed by the 2024 and 2025 cohorts of the HSRC’s Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator (HSPA), which supported states in strengthening coordination systems.
Why Partnerships Matter
 |
Faster and Easier Access to Housing and Services People can access housing, services, and supports more quickly when systems work together. |
 |
Reduced Gaps, Delays, and Duplication When systems operate independently, people often experience confusion, delays, or missed services. Cross-sector partnerships reduce gaps and duplication by helping organizations share information, align processes, and create more reliable pathways to housing and supportive services for individuals and communities. |
 |
Better Health Outcomes and Stability Stable housing improves whole-person health. It reduces stress, encourages healthy behavior, helps people follow treatment plans, and prevents crises. When people have a safe place to live, their physical health, behavioral health, and general well‑being improve. |
The following pages contain practical tools to help teams build, strengthen, and sustain cross‑sector partnerships. They provide a clear partnership framework, guidance on identifying the right partners, criteria that define effective collaboration, and curated resources to support planning, implementation, and long‑term sustainability.