Article on Housing First Programs Published
An article by Carol Pearson of WRMA, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, formerly of WRMA, and Gretchen Locke of Abt Associates, "Housing Stability Among Homeless Individuals with Serious Mental Illness Participating in Housing First Programs", was published in the Journal of Community Psychology (Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 404-416). The article presents findings from an exploratory study of three programs that used the Housing First approach to provide permanent supportive housing for single, homeless adults with serious mental illness and often co-occurring substance-related disorders. Housing First provides access to housing, which is intended to be permanent without requiring sobriety or psychiatric treatment. Findings from the three programs indicated that the Housing First approach may help the hardest-to-serve chronically homeless population achieve housing stability. Of the 80 participants tracked over 12 months, 84% remained enrolled in the Housing First program for one year following program entry. One half of those spent every night in their Housing First unit, while the others spent some time in other living environments. For more information click here.
