Copy this CollectionWith over half a million Americans living on the street, homelessness is no small problem. At its most basic, homelessness is defined by a lack of permanent housing. But this obscures a host of other problems homeless people face that can both lead to and stem from homelessness. The homeless face acute physical and mental health issues, joblessness, and higher rates of violence, among other challenges, which a lack of stable housing only perpetuates.
Given the range of support services homeless people often require, solutions to this social problem can run the gamut. But in the past few years, some cities have landed on a solution with Occam's razor-like simplicity: to solve homelessness, provide people with homes.
This model, intuitive to some and radical to others, has a name--Housing First--and counts city planners, politicians, and social researchers among its evangelists. Proponents of the model believe offer permanent, affordable housing without preconditions. Providers must also offer support services, though not force compliance.
And it works. From Boise, Idaho to Riverside, California, more than fifty American cities are giving Housing First a try, often with effective results. International countries have scaled it and Finland is among them that have had strong success.
