How Giving Homes To The Homeless Reduces Homelessness

In the 1990s, at a time when temporary shelters were often the only options available to homeless people, Pathways to Housing, a New York-based nonprofit pioneered an innovative solution to chronic homelessness: giving the homeless homes – an approach now referred to as “housing first”.   Since then, the “housing first” approach has been adopted by the federal government and numerous nonprofits serving the homeless population.  Housing first is not only effective in getting homeless people off the streets. It is also designed to save the government money.

According to a February analysis commissioned by Miriam’s Kitchen, D.C’s 400 most vulnerable chronically homeless people soak up an average of $40,000 per person annually in ambulance rides, hospitalizations and run-ins with the law.  By contrast, rent and social services for someone in a permanent supportive housing program run about $20,000 annually.

>> Read the full article on The Huffington Post

>> Support Miriam’s Kitchen