Housing First And Health: What The Evidence Says

Housing First has a strong and extensive evidence base demonstrating that it improves housing stability. Findings on health outcomes and costs are mixed, although it is not clear whether this reflects a true absence of health effects or challenges with research and implementation.

The rising prevalence of homelessness has reignited policy debates about the efficacy of Housing First in improving housing and health outcomes.
Housing First demonstrates consistent improvements in housing outcomes, whereas findings on health outcomes are mixed.
There are questions about whether inconclusive health findings can be explained by implementation challenges and differences in research design across studies, or whether they are truly due to mixed health effects.
Future research should pay particular attention to study design, measurement, follow-up duration, and program implementation.
Given the well-documented health harms of homelessness, interventions that promote housing stability remain a critical strategy for improving health and well-being.
Steps must be taken to overcome the political, financial, and operational challenges that create barriers to implementing Housing First with fidelity and at scale.