Housing First

This week we will wrap up the discussion on Housing First, in two parts. Today will focus on the bigger picture of the concept and how it works.

The idea of placing people into housing to produce stability might sound a little backwards, but the more we explore this concept we can find merit in some of the ideas behind it. Housing First is an approach that is built on the principle that a short experience of homelessness and rapid stabilization in housing are best for homeless people and most effective in ending homelessness.

It places homeless people in housing quickly and then provides or links them to services as needed, rather than the more customary approach of services first, then housing. It is important to remember that housing people is not done in isolation and there is assistance to link people with different services. In essence, the person is not 'abandoned' to housing, but instead becomes part of a process designed to implement personal responsibility.

While not assuming that housing is sufficient to solve all the problems that people have, Housing First does assume that housing is a necessary platform for success in services, education, employment, and health: in short for achieving personal and family well-being. There is a focus on helping individuals and families access housing as quickly as possible and the housing is not time-limited.


Housing is not contingent on compliance with services but consumers must typically comply with standard requirements of living on their own such as paying rent and utilities. While there is a wide variety of program models, Housing First programs or systems typically include two philosophies knows as assessment and targeting. In the assessing phase, individuals and families receive an in-depth, up-front assessment before being referred to or receiving services from a Housing First provider. This allows providers to ascertain both the needs of the consumer, and whether the available programs can meet those needs.

The level of assistance programs are able to provide most often shapes who a community can target for Housing First services, which completes the process in a pragmatic way. Specific resources are not wasted by painting each person with a broad and generic brush. Checklists are replaced with intentional and customized services.

The combination of housing linked to services can help a wide variety of people exit homelessness more rapidly. This is supported by research that demonstrates that most formerly homeless families, including those with significant challenges, will retain housing with the provision of a long-term housing subsidy. It is also supported by evaluations of Housing First interventions with chronically homeless individuals, which have found that many who have remained outside of housing for years can retain housing with a subsidy and provision of wraparound supports.

Finally, it is supported by emerging research that lower-need individuals and families who become homeless can exit homelessness rapidly and avoid repeat episodes with even small amounts of housing subsidy and linkage to community services.

While the concept of Housing First seems concrete, there are substantial variations in how its providers meet the housing needs of the individuals and families they serve.
Some Housing First programs provide only minimal financial assistance, such as assistance with security deposits and application fees.

Other programs are able to provide or access longer term or permanent housing subsidy. Some Housing First programs rely solely on apartments in the private rental market. Others master-lease apartments that they then sub-let to program participants, or purchase or develop housing themselves for sub-lease to participants.

To get people housed, Housing First programs have to help people overcome barriers to accessing permanent housing. This includes helping them to resolve outstanding credit issues, address poor tenant histories, and collect needed paperwork. It also involves actively helping them identify housing by reaching out to landlords, housing management companies, public housing authorities, civic organizations, and religious congregations.

Information courtesy of endhomelessness.org