Housing First

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Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues.

                                —National Alliance to End Homelessness

The project will follow Housing First principles, including:

• Residents are moved into shelter without the pre-condition of receiving treatment;
• House units will be distributed on a equity basis, with priority housing given to those with the most demonstrated need (based on factors including disability status and length of time without housing)
• Robust services and supports available on-site;
• Tenancy is not dependent on participation in services;
• Once housed, a harm reduction approach to substance abuse is taken rather than an abstinence-based requirement; and
• All tenants will receive a lock and key to properly safeguard their belongings. Residents will have lease agreements and tenant protections.