For those persons experiencing homelessness, accessing public benefits for which they are eligible is often a difficult but essential step to securing housing. The Coalition’s BART program is a nationally recognized program that is funded by the City & County of Denver. A recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report listed BART as "one of the most successful teams for getting homeless people Aid to the Needy Disabled, SSI, and SSDI."
The Coalition's BART program works to expedite the process of benefits acquisition. As a result, some benefits are awarded within one week of application. Once a benefit-eligible disabled person receives the entitlements they can obtain housing and healthcare and their homelessness ends.
In 2010, the BART program assisted 78 homeless persons with benefits acquisition with an average wait time of 75 days. Sixty-two percent were awarded benefits upon initial submission, compared to 10-15 percent of people who are homeless who do not utilize the BART program. For those applicants where an appeal was necessary, over 90 percent of applications were approved.