2023 National SOAR Outcomes

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2023.

SOAR Works!

Over the last 18 years, the SOAR approach has been used to assist over 105,000 people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness to apply for Social Security's disability programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Of the applications assisted using SOAR, 65 percent, representing 56,481 persons have been approved for SSI/SSDI upon initial application since SOAR began. An additional 8,891 persons, whose applications were denied initially, were approved on reconsideration or appeal. Taken together, since 2006, the SOAR approach is responsible for assisting 65,372 persons who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access Social Security disability benefits.

In 2023, there were 2,604 approvals on initial applications. Decisions on SOAR initial applications were received in an average of 167 days with an allowance rate of 66 percent. This compares to the initial allowance rate of 30 percent for all persons aged 18-64 who applied for SSI or SSDI in 2019.

We estimate that in 2023 alone, SSI/SSDI for the individuals served by SOAR brought over $717 million into the economies of participating states and localities.