When someone’s facing housing instability, the challenges can feel endless but SMART goals offer a clear, manageable way to start moving forward. For care teams and health plan professionals, these goals provide a practical framework that helps members break big obstacles into small, achievable steps. And when introduced with empathy, they become more than just a planning tool they create traction, trust, and long-term momentum.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In the context of housing support, these goals help break overwhelming problems like finding stable housing into smaller, manageable steps. The framework is not about introducing jargon, but about offering structure that fosters agency and momentum.
For example, instead of “I need a home,” a SMART goal might be:
“I will apply to two income-based housing properties by next Friday, submitting all necessary documentation to get on a waitlist within 14 days.”
This transforms a daunting task into clear, trackable action.
When someone is facing housing instability, they’re often navigating trauma, stress, and systemic barriers. Starting the conversation with a formal structure like SMART goals can feel alienating if not approached with care.
Effective practitioners don’t lead with methodology, they lead with empathy. Building trust through open-ended conversations allows members to share their story. A member may begin discussing a recent surgery, strained family dynamics, or unrelated stressors. But within that dialogue, barriers emerge like needing an ID, accessing services, or facing an eviction.
One member shared that her daughter had taken her ID. Instead of focusing on “housing” right away, her care guide asked, “How do you think you can get it back?” They worked together on options: involving law enforcement or using a local nonprofit’s ID clinic. Though never labeled as a SMART goal, the process was structured, collaborative, and actionable. Importantly, the member left the conversation calmer. SMART planning can help regulate emotions in moments of chaos.
The value of SMART goals lies in their simplicity. Take this member-centered example:
Goals like this create a roadmap. They build clarity in an otherwise chaotic situation, offering members something tangible to work toward.
SMART goals aren’t static. Weekly check-ins with members allow care teams to assess progress, adjust expectations, and celebrate wins. If a goal isn’t met, the question becomes: “What got in the way?”, not “Why didn’t you do it?” This reframing removes shame and reinforces the idea that change is a journey, not a straight line.
SMART goals do more than set direction they help rebuild cognitive pathways. For members experiencing the effects of trauma, addiction, or long-term instability, these goals foster executive functioning: focus, planning, and follow-through.
Each small win (retrieving an ID, submitting an application, checking a credit score) begins to restore the belief that, “I can move my life forward.” That internal shift from reactive to proactive is one of the most powerful outcomes of SMART planning.
SMART goals naturally integrate with motivational interviewing, stages of change, and even acceptance and commitment therapy. While those frameworks explore “why,” SMART goals provide the “how.” They translate insight into movement and turn reflection into action.
Crucially, the goals must reflect what the member wants not what the care team thinks they should want. This builds buy-in and shifts the dynamic from compliance to collaboration. For example, if a member insists on finding an apartment within a week, that sets the stage for a respectful dialogue about market realities. Through that conversation, the member might revise the goal themselves, shifting timelines or rethinking expectations.
That exchange driven by the member, facilitated by the care guide is where transformation begins.
Over time, SMART goals transcend housing. Members might begin setting goals related to:
As members succeed, their confidence grows. They begin to see the connection between today’s effort and tomorrow’s possibilities reuniting with family, pursuing education, or finding long-term stability.
For health plans and care teams, SMART goals are more than a checklist they’re a lifeline. They guide members from chaos to clarity, from crisis to confidence. Grounded in empathy and refined through practice, SMART goals foster dignity, motivation, and measurable progress.
By aligning structure with humanity, SMART goals help members not just survive but begin to build a life they want.
Upside Corporate Headquarters
200 E Las Olas Blvd 14th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
