Housing First is a well-accepted national best practice that eliminates barriers to housing, ensuring individuals and families can exit homelessness as quickly as possible. Under a Housing First approach, people experiencing homelessness are supported in returning to housing as quickly as possible, often through supportive housing programs that have no pre-requisites, preconditions, or program participation requirements. Housing First does not mean “no rules,” but it does mean no unnecessary rules that could prevent people from entering the program.
The Housing First approach has been extremely successful in reducing the length of time households are homeless, preventing returns to homelessness, and supporting participants’ long-term stability and well-being.