Results from five years of Denver's Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative show that people and communities benefit from a 'Housing First' approach to homelessness.
People experiencing homelessness are often "trapped in a homelessness-jail cycle—rotating in and out of jail, detoxification centers, and emergency health care. This cycle doesn’t help people access the assistance they need to find stability, and it comes at a major cost to taxpayers." The 'Housing First' concept seeks to change that–and seems to be succeeding, as research from The Urban Institute, with partners from The Evaluation Center at the University of Colorado Denver, shows. "Results from the five-year Denver Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative (Denver SIB) show how both people and public budgets benefit when communities take this proactive approach."
"Housing First programs don’t require participants to meet any preconditions, and they are built on the idea that secure, affordable, and permanent housing must be available before people can work on other challenges, such as mental health or substance use disorders." The rigorous study "used a randomized controlled trial, the gold standard for determining a program’s impact, that included 724 people: 363 people were in the treatment group (referred to the supportive housing program) and 361 people were in the control group (receiving services as usual in the community)." Its results show "that supportive housing, through a Housing First approach, not only ends chronic homelessness and helps people find stability, but also reduces jail days and lowers the public costs of the homelessness-jail cycle."
FULL STORY: Housing First Breaks the Homelessness-Jail Cycle
How Houston Is Eliminating Chronic Homelessness
Taking a comprehensive ‘Housing First’ approach, the city of Houston has cut homelessness by 63 percent in the last decade.
A Decade of Progress on Homelessness in Milwaukee County
Unlike most U.S. communities, Milwaukee County has managed to make significant progress toward assisting unhoused residents through a Housing First approach.
New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis
A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
Tulsa Paid Remote Workers $10,000 to Move In — Nearly All of Them Stayed
The Tulsa Remote program generated more than $4 in local economic benefits for every dollar spent.
Chicago Transit: $770M Shortfall, 40% Service Cuts Loom
Despite dire warnings from transit officials, the Illinois General Assembly ended its legislative session without a solution.
Without International Immigrants, the Rural US Population Would Be Falling 58%
Census data shows that population growth in rural areas is due in large part to international migrants.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada