Man in a blue sweatsuit sitting and holding a white fluffy dog

Housing First

Abode has adopted the Housing First approach to ending homelessness.

This strategy finds that once one has the stability of a home then the services that follow are much more effective at helping that person find and keep their permanent housing.

Housing First has proven to succeed at much higher rates at helping rehouse formerly homeless people when compared to traditional strategies.

Housing First relies on the principle that the best solution for homelessness is having a home.

A boy with long curly air in a blue t-shirt being embraced by his family
A man and woman embrace while standing on a balcony outside their new apartment

Why This Strategy?

Housing First works where past strategies have failed.

The traditional Housing Readiness approach, for example, requires people who are homeless  to pass through a series of interventions and behavioral steps that are intended to take them to progressively more stable forms of housing.

In reality, without the foundation of stable and secure housing, it is all too easy for vulnerable people to get stuck along the way and fail. 

We've adopted a different approach: Housing First.

Housing First recognizes that someone who is experiencing homelessness doesn't need a series of hoops to jump through: they need a home.

Once they have one, the services that follow are much more effective. 

Studies have shown the power of this approach in improving the lives of people placed in housing:

  • Costs related to visits to the ER by people who are homeless reduced by 34.3%

  • Incarceration costs reduced by 76%

  • Chronic homelessness reduced by 42%

 

The Benefits of “Housing First”

  • As this New Yorker essay points out: "Housing First isn’t just cost-effective. It’s more effective, period."

  • This article explains: “Not only are Housing First interventions effective in ending homelessness, they are typically cheaper than allowing people to remain homeless.”

  • This New York Times story notes: “Housing First involves a different logic: When you’re drowning, it doesn’t help if your rescuer insists you learn to swim before returning you to shore. You can address your issues once you’re on land.”