Housing First is a pioneering housing and support model, first developed in the United States during the 1990s. At its core is a simple but powerful philosophy: housing is a basic human right, and access to a permanent home should not depend on someone proving they are ‘ready’ for it.
In practice, this means that people experiencing homelessness—often alongside challenges such as addiction, mental ill-health, domestic violence, or contact with the criminal justice system—are offered housing straight away.
A stable home becomes the foundation for rebuilding identity, pursuing recovery, and reconnecting with community and social networks. Alongside housing, people receive intensive, person-centred, and long-term support to help them settle into their new home and navigate the challenges of everyday life.
In this episode of the Going Beyond Podcast, we speak to Alex Smith from Homeless Link, Juha Kahila from Y-Säätiö (Finland), and Leah Watkins from Housing Choices (Australia). We speak about the Housing First model in each country, the successes, challenges and hopes for the future.
For more information about Housing First, visit our webpages. And listen to our back catalogue of podcasts.