About Housing First

Housing First is designed to support people who have experienced long term or recurring homelessness and who have significant support needs.

This will be defined differently depending on the local context, but often means people who have serious physical or mental health concerns, substance use, and who are sleeping rough or moving between crisis accommodation and other forms of temporary accommodation such as rooming houses. 

Housing First was originally developed in the early 1990s in New York by Dr Sam Tsemberis and has gone on to be adopted in various countries around the world, including Australia.

Programs following Housing First principles have been in place in Australia since 2009, including programs such as 500 Lives, 500 Homes (Brisbane), Journey to Social Inclusion, Melbourne Street to Home (Melbourne), and 50 Lives, 50 Homes (Perth).

Lots! Both in Australia and internationally, Housing First programs have been evaluated, often measuring the impact of the support over time for the same group of people.

More information about the effectiveness of Housing First  programs can be found on the: 

• Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute: Housing First: An evidence review of implementation, effectiveness and outcomes
• Housing First Europe Research Digest
• Canadian Homeless Hub
• UK Centre for Homelessness Impact

Housing-led approaches prioritise providing access to housing to people experiencing homelessness, but don’t necessarily include the wrap-around, holistic support services included in Housing First.

Supportive housing approaches vary and describe a broad range of services providing both housing and support. They do not necessarily adhere to the principles of Housing First, such as a separation of tenancy and support.

In practice, this can mean that if a person in a supportive housing option leave the accommodation they lose access to their support.  

In the UK, Europe and Canada, services have adapted Housing First principles for young people. This is in recognition that young people experiencing homelessness have different developmental needs and require targeted social, emotional and physical wellbeing support.

Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) is a rights-based intervention for young people (aged 13-24) who are experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of becoming homeless. The goal of HF4Y is to support young people through their adolescence and facilitate a healthy transition to adulthood, all while having a safe and stable place to call home.

Housing First Europe Housing First for Youth resources 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are vastly over-represented in homelessness services due to systemic drivers of homelessness, including colonisation, dispossession from lands and culture, forced removals of children, and structural racism and discrimination.

Connection to culture, and the cultural safety of services are also important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience of homelessness, and the effectiveness of responses to them

The Noongar Housing First Principles developed by Noongar Mia Mia to guide the work of housing and support organisations on Noongar boodja are a useful resource.

Read the Noongar Housing First Principles Full Report

Read the Noongar Housing First Principles 8 Page Summary

The Housing First Europe Hub have developed resources offering insights into the specific needs and considerations relevant to providing Housing First programs to women. 

An Introduction to Housing First & Women

Read more about gender and homelessness

Housing First programs use a variety of housing stock for their clients. Providing choice over where someone wants to get housed is a fundamental part of Housing First support. That means people in Housing First programs may be housed in any community, in a property that best meets their needs. 

This will vary program to program, but most tenants of Housing First programs will pay their rent as anyone else does, to a landlord or real estate agent.  

A key principle of Housing First programs is that the people being housed receive a standard lease agreement like anyone else in the community.

This means they are expected to abide by the conditions of a lease and have the same rights and responsibilities as any other renter in the community. 

Homelessness Australia supports the expansion of Housing First programs in Australia because it is the leading evidence-based approach to supporting people with complex support needs into housing and assisting them to sustain their tenancies.

Housing First is a model designed for a specific cohort of the population who experience homelessness and is not intended to be adopted for all people without a home.   

Housing First support is different for everyone receiving a service, as the principles emphasise adopting a person-centred, flexible, holistic approach.

However, common aspects are likely to be that support takes an assertive outreach approach to meet people where they are most comfortable.

In recognition of the impact of trauma on the cohort of people receiving Housing First support, workers need to have strong rapport-building skills and be persistent, understanding that it may take some time for clients to build trust and feel comfortable to disclose information to professionals.

The support is open-ended and can rise and fall in intensity depending on the preference of the individual, and support workers should demonstrate curiosity, foster hope, and empower people to have choice and control over their lives.

Finally, people should be assisted into a permanent, safe and affordable home as quickly as possible. 

Absolutely! Elements of the Housing First principles can be adapted into existing programs and sectors beyond homelessness and housing.

For example, many services would already describe their work as being person-centred, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and following harm reduction principles – which are all part of Housing First.

Services in other sectors could also commit to taking a more active engagement approach with the people they support by adjusting their work practices to incorporate more outreach, for example.  

Absolutely! Housing First principles are likely to already align with many elements of your work, but there are certainly ways to adjust your practice or program to incorporate more of the principles directly.

Perhaps you can be more persistent in your current role, knowing that people who have been in the homelessness system for a while are likely to experience system fatigue and struggle to trust new workers.

There may be scope to facilitate people’s connection to their community or re-establish relationships with family or friends. A key aspect of Housing First support is building authentic relationships with the people receiving support and holding hope for the future, perhaps your service can incorporate some new questions into assessments and intake to try and assist people to imagine what their future could look like. 

Homelessness Australia does not directly manage any Housing First services. If you or someone you know needs housing or support, please get in touch with the local services in your area.