Housing first : ending homelessness, transforming systems, and changing lives
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-213) and index.

Chronicles the story of Housing First (HF), a paradigm-shifting evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that began in New York City in 1992 and rapidly spread to other cities nationally and internationally. The authors report on the rise of a "homeless industry" of shelters and transitional housing programs that the HF approach directly challenged by rejecting the usual demands of treatment, sobriety, and housing readiness. They proceed to trace the history of homelessness and the rapid growth of the publicly funded homeless industry, an amalgam of religious and philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups, and non-proαts that was insufαcient to stem the tide of homelessness (resulting from dramatic reductions in affordable housing) in the 1980s, and continuing to the present time. The book also summarizes research αndings on HF, and includes a chapter of personal stories of individuals who have experienced it. The book was written with the participation of the founder of HF (Tsemberis) and includes seminal research on HF by the co-authors (Padgett and Henwood). Also central to the volume is the deployment of theories--organizational, institutional, and implementation--to conceptually frame the rise of HF and its wide adoption as well as the resistance that arose in some locations. This book also addresses wider issues of innovation and systems change in social and human services.--Adapted from dust jacket.