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Our Housing First Philosophy
Solid Ground housing and homelessness prevention programs and services operate under a Housing First philosophy. Our program participants’ experiences attest to the fact that people can best achieve stability and address the barriers they face when they have secure housing.
We believe that safe and stable housing is a basic human right – so we work to quickly and successfully connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry (including criminal records or sobriety, treatment, or service participation requirements).
As an anti-poverty organization, we aim to eliminate systemic barriers – especially those that target vulnerable populations such as people living with behavioral health conditions, domestic violence survivors, and communities of color. We believe the causes of homelessness are rooted in systemic injustices that are deeply ingrained in our society.
Our staff are trained in trauma-informed care and anti-racism as well as Housing First principles. Our services are grounded in the belief that housing is a foundation: By providing access to permanent housing without prerequisites, we can holistically support people facing systemic roadblocks and injustices.
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People-centered Alignment
Housing First aligns with our people-centered approach. Each individual and family we serve brings a complex and unique story that deserves individualized attention and care. We believe that people know best what they need to succeed, so we support them to determine positive paths to reach their goals and vision for their future.
Consistent with our agency value of respect, our people-centered approach prioritizes their meaningful participation in our work together.
Solid Ground’s housing and homelessness programs are low barrier, designed for people experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic violence. This means there are no arbitrary requirements for program entry, and we walk alongside people as they progress at their own pace, respecting and upholding their self-determination.
We actively partner with participants to remove housing barriers and identify housing opportunities that are right for them. Once they’re housed, our focus shifts to housing stability, tailored support services, and thriving.
If participants have needs that Solid Ground programming can’t meet, we develop a plan with them to access needed resources through partnerships and referrals.
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Evidence-based Approach
Housing First is evidence based. In the early 1990s, multiple studies in New York City compared Housing First to Treatment First models, where participants must comply with specific prerequisites – such as behavioral health treatment – before they’re given access to housing.
Studies comparing the two approaches look at how long people remain in housing, as well as improvement in their psychosocial status. Housing First repeatedly shows better outcomes than Treatment First and creates cost savings due to reductions in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, residential substance use programs, and prison time.
Specific populations shown to benefit from the Housing First approach include BIPOC, domestic violence survivors, people living with HIV, and those with behavioral health conditions. A primary driver of these improved outcomes is that the person-centered approach gives autonomy to participants, which results in them working harder on their goals.
Solid Ground believes that Housing First is the best way to rapidly solve homelessness, because it’s cost effective and proven to improve people’s lives while building a community of support around them.
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Contact Us
For more info on Housing First at Solid Ground, contact Paul Park, Senior Director of Programs, at paulp@solid-ground.org.
