Housing or Treatment First: It’s Not a Chicken and Egg Thing

Written by Tim Buckley, August 2024

You can debate it till the cows come home, whether treatment or housing must come first to effectively end the unsheltered crisis in the Willamette Valley. Treatment includes things like addiction and mental health support, as well as employment assistance.

We’ve come down on the side of housing first. And it’s not just because the US Interagency Council on Homelessness found it to be true, or that the federal Housing and Urban Development Department agrees.

DJ Vincent, CEO of Church @ the Park (Photo courtesy of Church @ the Park)

And it isn’t because treatment is unimportant. In fact, the Housing First philosophy embraces resource navigation and treatment in tandem with finding a place for the person or family to live.  From his eight years’ experience with local housing and treatment efforts, D.J. Vincent concurs: “The provision of shelter and housing are foundations from which to start and maintain recovery from substance abuse disorders.” Vincent, the CEO of Church @ the Park added, “If a safe living environment is secured, the person has a calmer mindset which then leads them to choose sobriety, and pursue better mental health to sustain that momentum.”

Housing is a continuum. At one end are people on the street; at the other those fortunate to have secure housing. Ideally, a community has emergency funds to keep housed people from losing that roof over their heads in the first place. The cost to help people stay put is far less than providing services to them after losing shelter.

Once homeless, people turn to emergency and temporary shelters. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Need begins with the basics,” said Josh Graves, CEO of Catholic Community Services. “Food and shelter are in that first tier of need. From there, with proper navigation, people find desirable or permanent housing as the next secure footing.”

Two of the three Impact Initiatives supported by CBEL, and funded through the Center for Community Excellence, are the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance, and Fostering Hope Initiative. Our work in neighborhoods recognizes that many of our citizens are one paycheck away from being homeless.

(Photo courtesy of Church @ The Park)

It’s gratifying to learn from Church @ the Park that the vast majority of people living on the street want a different life. They are motivated to reclaim safety and stability. They value the sense of belonging that comes from a sheltered community. More importantly, they value even the basic protections available in such a community. “Even though it’s only an 8 x 8 structure, it has a lock on the door,” added Graves. “People can keep their personal belongings safe. More importantly, they can lock their door at night and sleep soundly, knowing they are physically safe as well.”

Statistics from the past few years, when thousands of people passed through the micro shelter communities they manage, close to three quarters of them have found more secure housing.

The Basics of Housing First.  Finding housing quickly is important, and that means a minimum of red tape, without readiness requirements like sobriety or absence of criminal record. In addition, the program features flexibility, client choice, and autonomy. People should be able to choose the supportive services they need and want, whether they are formal services like a doctor or therapist, or informal services like connecting with family or friends. Likewise, the service should be recovery-oriented, and people should be allowed to make choices about their recovery, such as whether to use alcohol or take medication, without being treated negatively. 

Finally, organizations like Church @ the Park work hard to remove the prevalent myths about the unsheltered population. When the public sees those who have less with compassion, their acceptance into the community and their attainment of a stable life is speedy.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), Housing First is more effective at reducing homelessness than other approaches. A systematic review of 26 studies found that Housing First programs decreased homelessness by 88% and improved housing stability by 41% compared to Treatment First programs.