By Charlene Welch, Council for the Homeless

Should housing come with conditions like being clean and sober? Evidence tells us that people who are homeless can find stability and healing when provided permanent housing and access to services. Known as Housing First, this approach acknowledges the complexities of addiction, trauma, and the challenges that come with experiencing homelessness. It also acknowledges that it can be very difficult to successfully address challenges while living on the streets or in an unsafe and unstable situation. Read more about Housing First at this link: https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/

Housing First is best practice used in our local homeless crisis response system. Lincoln Place is a site-based 30 unit Housing First apartment building operated by Share. The community also has scattered site housing first, where units are rented from private landlords and the tenants are heavily engaged through case management.

Joe, now lives in a Housing First apartment after being homeless and on the streets since he was nine years old. As a teenager he became addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism and ongoing homelessness took its toll. When Joe first came in to the Housing Solutions Center, he wore clothes that did not fit, was having a hard time meeting his basic needs and, was having a hard time imagining his life being any different. In the winter, he became even more vulnerable with frostbitten fingers creating a dangerous situation for him. Fortunately, a Housing First unit opened up soon after and he was able to quickly move-in. After only two weeks in his new place, HSC staff noticed for the first time how tall he was. “He was upright in clothes that fit. His fair was clean and trimmed. Best of all he was in the beginning stages of recovery from alcoholism.”