Housing First

The housing first approach offers access to permanent, supported housing for individuals who are homeless and who may have mental health issues without any preconditions for acquiring housing.

The housing first approach is based on three core principles:

• housing is a basic human right;
• housing is a key determinant of health; and
• clinical and social stabilization is more enduring, once the problems associated with homelessness are eliminated from a individual’s life.

What differentiates a housing first approach from traditional emergency shelter or transitional housing approaches is that it is “housing-based,” with an immediate and primary focus on helping individuals and families quickly access and sustain permanent housing.

The goal of the housing first approach is to assist clients to achieve community integration while decreasing the costs and demand on the health, social and criminal justice systems.

The housing first approach puts client choice at the centre of all considerations regarding the provision of housing and support services. Critical elements of the housing first approach include:

• a focus on helping individuals and families access and sustain permanent rental housing as quickly as possible;
• housing that is not time-limited;
• a variety of services delivered to promote housing stability and individual well-being; and
• services that are time-limited or long-term depending upon individual need.

The housing first approach is viewed as a ‘best practice’ for addressing homelessness and has been implemented in the United States, the United Kingdom as well as British Columbia, Toronto and Ottawa.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada will utilize the housing first model as part of its five-year, five-city research demonstration projects to commence in 2009.  Winnipeg has been chosen as one of the research sites, focusing on the aboriginal community.

Types of Housing and Levels of Health and Social Supports for
Manitobans with Mental Health and Homelessness Issues

Current services are in blue.                                              New investments are in Red.