Adopt a Housing First approach
On any given night in the United States, more than 500,000 children and adults are experiencing homelessness. A Housing First approach means that people are not required to meet specific benchmarks or participate in programs or services in order to obtain and retain their housing. Instead, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness will pay 30% of their income towards rent in return for unlimited and unconditional tenancy in a Housing First apartment or house.
Support a Housing First approach by partnering with like-minded organizations to provide complementary services. Once people are assisted in obtaining housing, important support programs include mental health services, addiction treatment, employment training, educational opportunities, and access to child care. These services are not mandatory and are adapted based on the needs of the residents.
To get started:
Research Housing First and wraparound support programs to review best practices.
Identify Housing First programs and organizations in your area, partnering with local government agencies, other nonprofit organizations, and faith communities.
If there are no pre-existing affordable housing units in your community, partner with other organizations to acquire housing units for a Housing First program.
Implement a new program or act as one of the agencies providing wraparound services within an established Housing First program.
Best Practices / Innovative Programs
The National Alliance to End Homelessness provides helpful information on the Housing First model and approach.
The Corporation for Supportive Housing has a comprehensive guide to supportive housing (the wraparound services provided to tenants of a Housing First project) and provides free training for supportive housing projects in development.
Milwaukee County Housing First does just what it says: they put housing first. They achieve exceptional and cost-effective results by building cross-sectoral partnerships with organizations and individuals in their community.
