Housing First: Documenting the Need for Permanent Supportive Housing (Executive Summary)

Five years ago, very few people would have believed that it was possible to end homelessness for the most marginalized Americans. Today, the idea that we can end the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization for vulnerable Americans is so mainstream that the Bush administration declared in its 2003 budget proposal that it considers “ending chronic homelessness in the next decade a top objective.” The key to this turnaround in thinking is supportive housing, an approach that is both smart and compassionate” according to a recent editorial in the New York Times. It is a concept that is proving to be cost-effective in cities across the country.