HOW IS HOUSING FIRST DIFFERENT FROM OTHER APPROACHES?

Housing First doesn’t not require people experiencing homelessness to address all of their problems including behavioral health problems, or to graduate through a series of service programs before they can access housing. Housing First does not mandate participation in services either before obtaining housing or in order to retain housing. The Housing First approach views housing as the foundation for life improvement and enables access to permanent housing without prerequisites or conditions beyond those of a typical renter.    Supportive services are offered to support people with housing stability and individual well-being, but participation is not required as services have been found to be more effective when a person chooses to engage. Other approaches do make such requirements in order for a person to obtain and retain housing.

 

WHO CAN BE HELPED BY HOUSING FIRST?

A Housing First approach can benefit both homeless families and individuals with any degree of service needs. The flexible and responsive nature of a Housing First approach allows it to be tailored to anyone. As such, a Housing First approach can be applied to help end homelessness for a household who became homeless due to temporary personal financial crisis and has limited service needs, only needing help accessing and securing permanent housing. At the same time, Housing First has been found to be particularly effective approach to end homelessness for high need populations, such as chronic homeless individuals.

 

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A HOUSING FIRST PROGRAM?

Housing First programs often provide rental assistance that varies in duration depending on the households needs. consumers sigh a standard lease and are able to access supports as necessary to help them do so. A variety of voluntary services may be used to promote housing stability and well-being during and following housing placement.

Two common program models follow the housing first approach but differ in implementation. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is targeted to individuals and families with chronic illness, disabilities, mental health issues, or substance use disorders who have experienced long term or repeated homelessness. it provides longterm rental assistance and supportive services.

A second program model, rapid re-housing, is employed for a wide variety of individuals and families. It provides short term rental assistance and services. The goals are to help people obtain housing quickly. increase self sufficiency, and remain housed. The Core Components of rapid re-housing are housing identification, rent and move in assistance, and case management and services ; operationalizing housing first principals.

DOES HOUSING FIRST WORK?

there is a large and growing evidence base demonstrating that housing first is an effective solution to homelessness. consumers in a Housing First model access housing faster, and are more likely to remain stabile housed. This is true for both PSH and rapid re-housing programs. PSH has a long term housing retention rate up to 98%. Studies have shown that rapid re-housing helps people exit homelessness quickly. In one study- an average of two months- and remained housed. A variety of studies have show that between 75% and 91% of households remain housed a year after being rapidly re-housed.

More extensive studies have been completed on PSH finding that clients report an increase in perceived levels of autonomy, choice, and control in housing First programs. A majority of clients are found to participate in the optional supportive services provided.Often, resulting in greater housing stability. clients using supportive services are more likely to participate in job programs, attend school, discontinue substance abuse use, have fewer instances of domestic violence, and spend fewer days hospitalized than those not participating.

Finally permeant supportive housing has been found to be cost efficient. providing access to housing generally results in cost savings for communities because housed peopler less likely to use emergency services, including hospitals, jails, and emergency shelter, than those who are homeless. one study found an average cost savings on emergency services of $31,545 per person housed in housing first program over the course of two years. Another study showed that a Housing First program could cost up to $23,000 less per consumer per year than a shelter program.