Housing First

 Ruth's Place is run according to the "Housing First" model of approach homelessness. The Housing First Approach includes:

• The direct or nearly direct placement of targeted homeless people into permanent housing. Even through the initial housing placement may be transitional in nature, the program commits to ensuring that the person is housed permanently.

• While supportive services are offered and readily made available, the program does not require participation in these services to remain in housing.

• The use of assertive outreach to engage and offer housing to homeless people with mental illness who are reluctant to enter shelters or engage in services. Once in housing a low-demand approach is used to accommodate clients so relapse will not result in loss of housing.

• The continued effort to provide casemanagement and to hold housing for clients, even if they leave the program for periods of time.

From, "The Applicability of the Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness"

The United States Department for Housing and Urban Development, 2007

Full document available at:

http://www.pahousingchoices.org/ApplicabilityHousingFirst.pdf