Regional Task Force on Homelessness

What Regional Task Force on Homelessness does

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation serving as the HUD-designated lead agency for the San Diego Continuum of Care (CoC, CA-601). The organization coordinates the regional homelessness response across San Diego County and also operates the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for Imperial County. RTFH works with 95+ agency partners and 600+ programs, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, while supporting local government, service providers, and healthcare entities through centralized coordination.

RTFH's core technology platform is the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), built on Bitfocus's Clarity software, which captures client-level data on housing and service utilization across the CoC region with 1,600+ system users. The Coordinated Entry System (CES) is integrated within Clarity and provides person-centered, Housing First-based triage and referral to housing resources. Additional core products include WeAllCount (annual Point-in-Time Count using Simtech Solutions' Counting Us app), public-facing Tableau dashboards for system performance transparency, the RTFH Connect news platform, the Homeless Diversion Fund and Resolution Strategies pilot program, and the annual Conference on Homelessness.

The business model is nonprofit grant-funded rather than commercial. RTFH serves as the collaborative applicant to HUD, administering the annual CoC NOFO competition (national FY 2026 funding pool of $4.04B) and channeling funds to partner agencies. Additional revenue comes from California's Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grants, the federal Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP), CoC membership dues ($50 individual / $100 organization annually), and conference sponsorships. The 2025 Conference on Homelessness drew 1,358 attendees from 298 organizations, indicating a meaningful ancillary revenue and ecosystem engagement function.

Name

Regional Task Force on Homelessness

Legal name

Regional Task Force on the Homeless

Website

https://rtfhsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and HUD-designated lead agency for the San Diego Continuum of Care, coordinating 95+ agency partners and 600+ programs through HMIS data systems, a Coordinated Entry System, and the annual Point-in-Time Count.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Services Coordination

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Community Housing Services (62422), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Benefits & Rent Subsidy Administration (BPAIAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage) (BPAIAKAH), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), HIE Platforms & Network Services (Community/Regional/National) (HLACABAB)

Keywords

• Homelessness services coordination
• Continuum of care administration
• Homeless management information systems
• Coordinated entry systems
• Housing data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. HUD Continuum of Care Funding: RTFH serves as the collaborative applicant to HUD, responsible for regional annual NOFO competitions. The CoC Program offers funding under five program components: permanent housing, transitional housing, supportive services only, HMIS, and homelessness prevention. Funding availability for FY 2026 is $4,040,000,000 nationally with at least $52,000,000 for new DV restricted projects.
2. Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant: State of California grant program for which RTFH acts as funding source grantee for homeless prevention and assistance activities.
3. Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP): Federal funding program for which RTFH serves as funding source grantee, supporting youth-specific homelessness initiatives.
4. CoC Membership Dues: Individual memberships at $50/year, organizational memberships at $100/year. Fee waivers available for individuals currently or formerly experiencing homelessness.
5. Conference Sponsorships: Annual Conference on Homelessness generates revenue through sponsorship opportunities. 2025 conference had 1,358 attendees from 298 organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RTFH serves as the HUD-designated lead agency and collaborative applicant for the San Diego Continuum of Care, coordinating 95+ agency partners across 600+ programs delivering homelessness prevention and response services. It operates the regional Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) using Clarity software from Bitfocus, the Coordinated Entry System (CES) for housing placement, and runs the annual WeAllCount Point-in-Time Count. The organization administers HUD NOFO funding competitions, state HHAP grants, the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, and CoC membership programs.

Product overview

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) serves as San Diego's Continuum of Care (CoC) lead agency and provides a suite of interconnected programs and systems to prevent and end homelessness. Its core technology products include the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) using Clarity software for client-level data collection across service providers, and the Coordinated Entry System (CES) integrated within HMIS to prioritize and connect individuals to housing resources. Supporting programs include the WeAllCount annual homeless census using Simtech Solutions' Counting Us App, the Homeless Diversion Fund providing flexible funding for housing problem-solving, and the RTFH Connect news platform. RTFH also operates the Regional Community Action Plan framework and hosts an annual Conference on Homelessness. The organization does not offer external-facing APIs or commercial product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) A web-based information technology system that San Diego's Continuum of Care uses to capture client-level, project-level, and system-level information on homeless services utilization, performance, and outcomes. Operated by RTFH as the HUD-designated HMIS lead using Clarity software from Bitfocus.
• Coordinated Entry System (CES) An efficient network of care that helps individuals and families resolve housing crises through equitable, person-centered, and transparent access to housing resources. Integrated within the Clarity HMIS platform and combines Housing First, Harm Reduction, and Trauma Informed Care approaches.
• WeAllCount (Point-in-Time Count) San Diego's annual homeless census that uses community volunteers, outreach workers, and homeless service providers to engage and survey individuals experiencing homelessness across five subregions of San Diego County. Data collection uses the Counting Us Mobile App by Simtech Solutions.
• Homeless Diversion Fund and Resolution Strategies A pilot program providing housing problem-solving, early intervention, and a flexible funding pool for security deposits, rental assistance, and short-term case management to resolve housing crises without entering the shelter system.
• Flexible Housing Pool A contracting program through which RTFH engages partner organizations to deliver regional housing coordination services and housing-location technology platform capabilities under a Flexible Housing Pool model.
• RTFH Conference on Homelessness An annual regional conference on homelessness response, systems leadership, housing solutions, and cross-sector collaboration. The 2025 conference hosted 1,358 attendees from 298 organizations with 145 speakers across 64 sessions and 43 lived-experience scholarships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regionwide homelessness dropped 1% in 2026 PIT Count
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreOthersHUD designates RTFH as the lead agency for San Diego Continuum of Care. RTFH serves as collaborative applicant to HUD, responsible for annual NOFO competitions, and administers HMIS and CES in compliance with HUD regulations.
• San Diego State University - Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age (HDMA Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch consortium led by SDSU using geospatial AI and GIS technology to map and track homeless encampments across San Diego County. Research conducted 2014-2025, funded by National Science Foundation. Analyzes socio-environmental factors to understand encampment movement patterns.
• Veterans Affairs San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner supporting veteran homelessness programs. Coordinates with CoC on Built for Zero initiative to end Veteran homelessness. Jessica Chamberlain serves as CoC Board member representing US Dept. of VA.
• County of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including Board of Supervisors (Terra Lawson-Remer as 1st Vice Chair), Housing & Community Development Services (David Estrella), and HHSA HCDS (Dijana Beck). Provides funding, housing resources, and policy coordination.
• San Diego Housing CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic housing authority providing housing resources and funding for homeless programs. Lisa Jones serves as CoC Board member representing San Diego Housing Commission.
• UC San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on homelessness data analysis. Example: collaborative work producing Shelter and Homelessness Trends San Diego County report (June 2024).
• 2-1-1 San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for resource referrals and coordinated entry. Contact center providing information on resources and services. Also partners through CIE (Coordinated Entry System) Network.
• San Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners to collect data on those incarcerated the night of the Point-in-Time Count who were experiencing homelessness. Data included in annual WeAllCount reports.
• 18 City JurisdictionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with all 18 city jurisdictions within San Diego County for volunteer support, data collection, and coordinated homelessness response at municipal level.
• Bitfocus (Clarity)coreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware vendor providing Clarity HMIS platform used by San Diego CoC. RTFH administers the HMIS installation using Clarity software that complies with HUD data collection and reporting standards.
• 211/CIEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData sharing and research partnership. CIE (Coordinated Entry Integration Engine) network partners with RTFH for integrated data systems and coordinated care coordination.
• Father Joe's VillagessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor homeless services provider in San Diego. Deacon Jim F. Vargas serves as CoC Board member representing Father Joe's Villages.
• San Diego Youth ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth homeless services provider. Jonathan Castillo serves as 2nd Vice Chair of CoC Board representing San Diego Youth Services.
• Wakeland Housing & Development CorporationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing development organization. Jeffrey Najarian serves as CoC Board member representing persons with homeless/formerly homeless experience.
• Interfaith Community ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Coastal region homeless services provider. Greg Anglea serves as CoC Board member representing Interfaith Community Services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness: Chicago Alliance serves as the lead agency for the Chicago Continuum of Care, coordinating HMIS, advocacy, and HUD funding administration. It is a directly comparable regional CoC coordinating body.
• King County Regional Homelessness Authority: KCRHA is the regional homelessness authority for King County (Seattle), coordinating HMIS, coordinated entry, and HUD NOFO across multiple jurisdictions. It mirrors RTFH's regional lead-agency role and multi-jurisdiction coordination model.
• San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing: HSH is the San Francisco city entity that coordinates the local CoC, HMIS (One System), CES, and HUD-funded homelessness programs. It is functionally a peer lead agency operating in a similarly high-cost, high-need urban market.
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): LAHSA is the HUD-designated lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, the largest CoC in the U.S. It performs the same coordinating role as RTFH (HMIS, CES, PIT Count, NOFO administration) at a much larger scale, making it the closest structural analogue.

Broad incumbents

• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH): CSH is a national nonprofit focused on scaling supportive housing and providing training, lending, and policy support to homelessness systems. It intersects with RTFH's mission around supportive housing and system coordination but does not serve as a regional CoC lead agency.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH): NAEH is the leading national policy and advocacy organization on homelessness, working with HUD and CoCs across the country. It overlaps with RTFH in research, policy advocacy, and convening, but operates at the federal level rather than as a regional lead agency.

Emerging players

• Homebase: Homebase is a national technical assistance provider that helps communities, including CoCs, build homelessness response capacity. It overlaps with RTFH's coordination and technical assistance work but is a consultant/TA provider rather than a regional lead agency.

Others

• Bitfocus: Bitfocus is the vendor of the Clarity HMIS platform that RTFH administers for the San Diego CoC. It is an ecosystem partner and technology supplier, not a peer, but is the most directly tied external entity to RTFH's data infrastructure.
• Simtech Solutions: Simtech Solutions provides the Counting Us mobile app used by RTFH for its WeAllCount PIT Count. It is a technology vendor in the homelessness data ecosystem, serving as an enabler of RTFH's annual census work.

Regional players

• Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Human Services Division: MAG coordinates the Phoenix/Maricopa County Continuum of Care, including HMIS administration and HUD NOFO. It is a regional governmental entity performing a similar coordinating role, though structured as a council of governments rather than a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RTFHSanDiego
• Xx.com/RTFHSD
• Facebookfacebook.com/RTFHSD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Regional Task Force on Homelessness