Cities Take New Approach To Housing The Homeless

"From New York to Dallas to Seattle, cities across the country are focusing not just on emergency shelter, but on getting the homeless homes. As a result, they're seeing reductions in the numbers of chronically homeless people on their streets and in their shelters. The movement, known as Housing First, has had the most success in moving the chronically homeless, mentally ill, and drug addicted into housing complexes with social services, like counseling. That's proved to be more effective and less expensive than leaving people on the streets or in shelters. Now, the concept is being expanded and adapted to help the growing number of potentially homeless families, giving them short-term help in getting back on their feet and, where possible, long-term help with rent subsidies."

"'It was a less expensive response than having these people being out on the street or in long-term shelter,' says Philip Mangano, executive director of the Unites States Interagency Council on Homelessness. 'That's because this is a population that randomly ricochets into very expensive primary and behavioral health systems costing between $30,000 and $150,000 per person per year.'"

"Providing supportive housing, on the other hand, costs between $13,000 and $25,000 a year, says Mr. Mangano."