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 partner, 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](https://www.forwardplatform.com/features/manage-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.