Housing First is an approach that focuses on moving people as rapidly as possible from the street or emergency shelters into permanent housing.  Supports vary according to participant need and there is no other eligibility requirement (such as being in recovery).

Housing First Case Management includes intensive case management for people who have experienced homelessness for many years (chronically), or who have experienced homelessness many times in a few years (episodically). The supports can range from transportation to an apartment viewing, to applying for identification, to the creation of a housing plan, and connecting to other community resources.

The Housing First Case Manager serves as a main point of contact for the participant (from assessment to follow-up). Back-up support is provided by a Housing First Supervisor, Housing First Specialist (who works with landlords specifically), and a larger community of practice.

Housing First is based on 5 core principles:

• Immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements
• Consumer choice and self-determination
• Individual, recovery-oriented, and client driven supports
• Harm Reduction
• Social and community integration

People looking for Housing First Case Management should call 2-1-1 for an initial assessment OR access your closest emergency shelter for an in-person intake. From there, participants can expect to be connected to Housing First Case Management in their respective region (resource depending). Clients are placed in priority sequence for service (based on a number of factors that are determined by a local advisory group of providers). Clients can expect to be contacted as soon as Housing First Case Management is available for them.