Housing First is a successful and transformational housing model used in a number of Canadian and American communities and is at the heart of all successful 10 Year Plans to End Homelessness. It is a recovery-oriented approach to ending homelessness that centers on quickly moving people experiencing homelessness into independent and permanent housing and then providing additional supports and services as needed.
The basic underlying principle of Housing First is that people are better able to move forward with their lives if they are first housed. Housing First puts the priority on a rapid and direct move from homelessness to housing, instead of requiring people to graduate through a series of steps before getting into permanent housing. Housing is provided first and then supports are provided including physical and mental health, education, employment, substance abuse and community connections.
While there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, there are five core principles that are essential to the implementation of Housing First programs:
- Immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements
- Consumer choice and self-determination
- Recovery orientation
- Individualized and client-driven supports
- Social and community integration
Housing First Works. The body of research from the United States, Europe and Canada clearly demonstrates the success of the program, and it can now truly be described as a ‘Best Practice’.
For more information on Housing First, supporting research and its application, please visit the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness or Canada’s Housing First Toolkit.
