Policy Brief: Housing First Programs in North America

Traditional housing approaches often require that individuals meet preconditions such as maintaining employment or sobriety in order to access permanent housing. The Housing First approach, pioneered by Pathways to Housing, uses the reverse model: prioritizing moving people into housing in their community as rapidly as possible without preconditions.

Large-scale randomized evaluations have found that Housing First programs consistently help people move into housing faster and stay housed in the long term. While the evidence on housing stability is strong, more research is needed to understand how these programs affect other outcomes like health, employment, and quality of life.