What if housing individuals who found themselves unhoused truly was as simple as providing them with a house? Four walls, a door, and somewhere safe to sleep. From this house, one could work on the root cause of what caused them to become unhoused, whether that is an economic emergency, a substance abuse disorder, or a health-related issue that caused a spiral into homelessness. At its most basic premise, this is what Housing First does: it houses individuals to give them a base from which to heal.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the approach was developed in 1992 by Dr. Sam Tsemberis and colleagues at Pathways to Housing in New York City. The idea was to give a person who is unhoused a stable, permanent place to live first, with no requirement that they be sober or in treatment to qualify, and then offer voluntary support services to help them stay housed.
In the original Pathways model, tenants were asked to do just two things: contribute 30% of their income toward rent and meet with a staff member twice a month, according to HUD.
The evidence
A 2004 study showed that about 80% of people in Housing First programs were able to keep their homes, around 50 percentage points higher than people in traditional “treatment-first” programs, according to HUD.
Another review of 26 studies found that Housing First reduced homelessness by 88% and increased stable housing by 41%, also according to HUD and cited by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Furthermore, the National Alliance to End Homelessness also reports that more than 80% of people with complex needs were still housed one year after receiving Housing First support.
Where it is working:
Finland stands out as the most successful example. It is the only EU country where homelessness has decreased recently, with the number dropping from over 18,000 in 1987 to less than 5,000 in 2019. This decline coincides with the country’s nationwide adoption of Housing First, as reported in HUD’s Cityscape journal by Finland’s Ministry of the Environment. Finland continues to push to eradicate homelessness by 2027.
In the greater Houston area, homelessness has decreased by 63% since 2012, with over 30,000 individuals housed through the coordinated Housing First program known as The Way Home, according to CBS News.
Housing First doesn’t suggest that securing an apartment solves all issues. Recovery, employment, and health are complex personal journeys. The model acknowledges that these journeys are very difficult from the streets or shelters and much more feasible when someone has stable housing. The core belief of this series is that housing is the essential solution.
Affordable housing is the solution:
We believe that the Housing First approach is a proven model with great outcomes for communities but, more importantly, for unhoused individuals. Housing those who need it most from the start, and not as something to be earned, is not only a compassionate response, but it is one that works in multiple communities across the globe. This month we invite you to join us through this series as we show that housing is the core issue of homelessness, and the solution.
Sources
1. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Housing First: A Review of the Evidence,” Evidence Matters (Spring/Summer 2023). huduser.gov
2. National Alliance to End Homelessness, “The Truth About Housing First” (2023). endhomelessness.org
3. Finland Ministry of the Environment, “Homelessness.” ym.fi/en/homelessness
4. HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, “How Finland Ended Homelessness,” Cityscape, Vol. 22, No. 2. huduser.gov (PDF)
5. CBS News, “Inside Houston’s successful strategy to reduce homelessness” (April 2024). cbsnews.com
