St. Louis Enhances Program Participation by 37% with FORWARD’s Multi-Program Solution

St. Louis, Missouri, home to 300,000 residents, including a 45% African American population and 24% low-income households, faces significant equity and economic challenges.

Administering multiple initiatives such as rental assistance, Project R&R, and Guaranteed Basic Income stretched city resources and reduced efficiency. With FORWARD’s enterprise solution, the city streamlined operations, expanded access to services, and delivered programs more effectively.

“FORWARD has worked seamlessly with multiple departments in our City, a data evaluation and program study parnter, and a local community-based organization to the program met the City’s goals and that the application process was accessible to all applicants, especially those from the targeted high-need and vulnerable communities.” 

Becca Belleville, Guaranteed Basic Income Manager, Office of the Treasurer at the City of St. Louis

Challenges

Like many other jurisdictions, St. Louis faced many obstacles while trying to provide accessible services to its diverse population, such as

Limited Capacity

St. Louis struggled with limited administrative capacity to manage multiple programs simultaneously, leading to staff burnout, inefficiencies, and delays in service delivery.

Disparate Reporting

The city faced challenges in fulfilling extensive reporting requirements for public and private funders.

Impact Measurement

Measuring the true impact of various programs was difficult due to fragmented data and inconsistent metrics.

Enhancing Applicant Experience

Residents faced difficulties navigating multiple application processes, leading to frustration and reduced access to available resources.

Training and Hiring Needs

Constantly needing to train staff on disparate systems was time-consuming and costly, reducing overall efficiency.

These challenges highlighted the need for a program administration solution to simplify processes and improve outcomes.

Solutions Provided by FORWARD

FORWARD’s multi-program administration solution addresses these challenges by streamlining processes, simplifying data reporting, and enhancing resource allocation.

Centralized Platform

FORWARD was used to administer multiple programs across various departments, including the St. Louis Rental Assistance Program, St. Louis Project R&R, and the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Program.

Integrated Reporting

The solution provided comprehensive, real-time reporting tools that unified data from various programs, simplifying compliance and enhancing transparency for funders.

Enhanced Data Analytics

FORWARD’s advanced analytics capabilities enabled St. Louis to accurately measure program impact, facilitating better decision-making and resource allocation.

Improved Applicant Experience

The user-friendly, centralized platform allowed residents to access and apply for multiple programs through a single portal, reducing confusion and increasing accessibility to resources.

Streamlined Training

By using a single platform for all programs, FORWARD reduced the need for extensive training on multiple systems, saving time and costs, and increasing employee ROI.

Track Recipient Spend

The county could track spend-level visibility in collaboration with payments provider, MoCaFi and FORWARD. Recipients used funds for necessities like food, gas, and rent.

Overall Impact of FORWARD

Increased Participation

St. Louis saw a 37% increase in program participation rates.

Cross-Program Applications​

934 applicants who applied for Rental Assistance also applied for the GBI program; 458 applicants who applied for Project R&R also applied for the GBI program; and 117 applicants who applied for both Rental Assistance and Project R&R also applied for the GBI program.

Conclusion

By adopting FORWARD’s program administration solution, St. Louis strengthened its ability to manage multiple assistance programs through a single, centralized platform. Integrated reporting tools reduced administrative burdens, improved compliance, and streamlined resource distribution. With real-time, data-driven insights, the city now delivers services more efficiently, boosts community participation, and maximizes program impact.

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