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“Boots on the Ground” Isn’t the Only Way to Deliver Housing Support

Why “boots on the ground” doesn’t always mean better and how remote housing navigation is redefining what access really looks like.

The Question We Hear from Every Health Plan

It happens in almost every kickoff call.

“Do you have boots on the ground in the markets we serve?”

It’s a fair question. Housing instability is local shaped by zip codes, landlords, and resource networks. But after working with plans nationwide, we’ve learned something important: Proximity doesn’t equal connection.

And often, our remote Care Guides outperform in-market, in-person teams not by being closer, but by being faster, safer, and more available.

Here’s the Twist: Many of Our “Remote” Guides Are Local

Upside’s model is remote but not distant. Many of our Care Guides actually live in the communities they serve. They just work remotely. They’re neighbors, parents, renters, people who understand the housing market firsthand. They know which apartment complexes are transparent and which have waiting lists that go nowhere. They know which shelters fill up first, which churches host donation drives, and which nonprofits really show up when families are in crisis.

One Care Guide put it simply:

“I may not knock on the door, but I know the street they’re living on and I’ve probably called that landlord before.”

That’s what “boots on the ground” looks like today: local insight, national infrastructure, and rapid response.

Faster, Broader, More Human Reach

In housing, timing is everything. Every day a member waits for help, their risk of crisis grows. Because our Care Guides work remotely, we can start outreach within minutes of referral. No scheduling delays. No commute. No waiting for a field visit to align with a staff calendar.

• 67% of members connect within 24 hours of referral
• Nearly 90% engage within three weeks

Compare that with traditional in-person models that might take days to make first contact. Remote care doesn’t skip steps, it shrinks distance.

Why Members Engage More by Phone

Care Guides tell us the same thing again and again:

“Members are more likely to answer their phone than open their door.”

It makes sense. For people navigating housing insecurity, a knock on the door can feel intrusive especially after past trauma, bad landlord experiences, or system fatigue. A phone call feels safe, private, and on their terms. That’s why our team is able to check in multiple times a week sometimes multiple times a day without the logistics of travel. And it’s not just about efficiency. It’s about trust. Members often share more over the phone about fears, family, finances things they might hold back from a stranger standing in their living room.

One Care Guide described it this way:

“People open up when they don’t feel exposed. Over the phone, they can cry, they can vent, and then we can get to work.”

Remote Doesn’t Mean Disconnected. It Means Scalable Empathy

We hear a lot of talk in healthcare about AI transformation. Predictive analytics. Smart workflows. Automated outreach. That’s all progress. But here’s a question:

If we trust technology to streamline the systems, why can’t we trust remote models to enhance the human part?

Remote housing navigation doesn’t replace empathy, it multiplies it. Care Guides can engage ten members in a day instead of two. They can follow up quickly after missed calls. They can text members when anxiety is high, or hop on video when someone just needs to see a face. It’s care that meets people where they are physically, emotionally, and digitally.

A Few Real-World Moments

• Rural Reach Without Road Miles: A Care Guide worked with a family 100 miles from the nearest major metro. Local staff had tried to reach them for weeks. The remote Care Guide got through on the second call, helped the member apply for emergency rental assistance that same day, and stabilized the case within six weeks.
• Engaging Members Still in “Contemplation Mode”: “Some of my members have cars, but they’re not using them yet,” one Care Guide explained. “They’re not ready for change but they’ll talk on the phone. That’s how we start the work.”
• Reducing Anxiety, Not Increasing It: Another Care Guide shared, “When someone’s embarrassed about their home, they shut down during visits. But on the phone, they open up. That’s when you get the real story, the one you can actually help with.”

When In-Person Still Matters

Of course, there are times when showing up physically matters:

• Conducting home safety checks for medically complex members
• Mediating with landlords in person
• Coordinating hospital discharges or transitions from long-term care

Upside can and does provide “boots on the ground” when it’s needed. The key is knowing when it’s truly needed and when remote engagement gets the job done faster, safer, and more effectively.

The Industry Has Evolved, It’s Time the Mindset Did Too

Health plans are innovating everywhere else: predictive modeling, digital member portals, AI-driven triage. But when it comes to housing, too many still imagine care as a clipboard at a kitchen table. Remote engagement isn’t cutting corners, it’s catching up. It’s what allows us to support more members, in more markets, with more consistency without losing the human touch that makes housing work actually work.

One of our Care Guides summed it up perfectly:

“It’s not about being in the room, it’s about being in their life.”

The Takeaway

Remote housing support doesn’t mean less care. It means modern care. Care that’s fast, flexible, and human-first. We can still be there when it matters most. But most of the time, what members need isn’t someone at the door. It’s someone on the line listening, understanding, and helping them take the next right step.