Housing First Initiative: Why and how it works.

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Housing First is an approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness. These initiatives started locally in New York City in the 1990s, and have spread widely since. The housing first approach is founded on beliefs that people need permanent housing and necessities first before anything less critical. 

This approach is effective in ending houselessness for chronically homeless individuals and vulenrable people. There is no judgement when providing housing as to who is "deserving" and who is not based on steps required to complete before housing -- it is just housing first. 

Traditional models often require unhoused individuals to go through a series of steps before being provided with permanent housing, including emergency shelters, transitional housing, and treatment programs. This approach involves significant costs related to operating shelters, providing social services, medical care, and managing frequent emergency room visits or incarceration due to homelessness-related issues.

Housing First provides immediate, permanent housing without preconditions, paired with supportive services. This reduces the reliance on expensive emergency services, as housed individuals have better access to ongoing healthcare, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment. Studies show that participants in Housing First programs typically use fewer emergency services, leading to significant cost savings.


With stable housing, individuals tend to have better health outcomes and require fewer hospitalizations or emergency room visits. Chronic homelessness is associated with high healthcare costs, and Housing First has been shown to reduce these costs significantly.

By reducing the reliance on costly emergency services, lowering healthcare and judicial system costs, and providing stable housing that decreases the likelihood of returning to homelessness, Housing First offers significant financial benefits.

Housing first. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2022b, August 30). https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/ 

Image from: https://salvationarmyhouston.org/houston/news/cchp-explained-bridge-to-permanent-supportive-housing/

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