Housing First - Provincie West-Vlaanderen

Housing Firstbe a form of ‘Housing First’ 113 . The point at whicha service becomes, or ceases to be, Housing Firstis debatable. However, HFL services are ‘housingfirst’ in the sense that they separate housing andsupport, do provide ‘housing first’ and adopt a nonjudgementalharm reduction led approach. Forthese reasons, HFL services can be viewed asfollowing much of the PHF philosophy.Delivering a Housing FirstLight ServiceThis section looks at the operation of HFL servicesin six respects:❱❱Which groups of homeless people is a HFLservice designed to help?❱❱What are the aims of a HFL service?❱❱How is the service accessed?❱❱How is a HFL service delivered?❱❱What does a HFL service cost?❱❱Risk managementWhich groups of homeless people isa CHF service designed to help?HFL services can be used to support chronicallyhomeless people. HFL services are also employedto support other groups of homeless people withvarying levels of need. These other groups ofhomeless people can include:❱❱Individuals and households assessed as beingat risk of homelessness but who have notactually become homeless. This might includepeople whose support needs have placed theirhousing stability at risk, for example because theyhave not paid rent or created a nuisance due tomental health problems or problematic drinkingof alcohol. Some HFL services can be largely orentirely focused on this form of homelessnessprevention.❱❱Groups of homeless people with particularneeds. For example HFL services might befocused on young homeless people, homeless andpotentially homeless people with mental healthproblems or homeless families and use workerswho are specifically trained for that group ofhomeless people. An HFL service for homelessfamilies might, for example, include workers whowere familiar with providing parental support,education and social services for children.In the USA, the Homelessness Prevention and RapidRe-housing Program (HPRP) uses what can bebroadly defined as an HFL model alongside directfinancial support of families and other householdswho are at risk of becoming homeless. Workersare provided for a period of up to 18 months forhouseholds at risk of becoming homeless andprovide service brokerage that is focused onensuring housing stability for the household atrisk of becoming homeless 114 . In the UK, there areexamples of HFL services that are focused onspecific groups, such as HFL services for homelessfamilies containing someone with high supportneeds and HFL homelessness prevention servicesfor people who are at risk of homelessness becausenuisance behaviour means they are threatened witheviction 115 .What are the aims of a HFL service?The primary aim of a HFL service is to ensurehousing stability. HFL services are designed toeither prevent a return to homelessness for peoplewho have already been homeless, or to preventa potentially homeless person or household frombecoming homeless.A HFL service may have a number of secondaryaims, which may be specific to the particular groupsof homeless people and potentially homeless peopleit is designed to assist. For example, an HFL serviceworking with chronically homeless people will havethe goal to minimise the risks to housing stabilityfrom severe mental illness and problematic drug and113 Tsemberis, S. (2011) op cit.114 http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewHprpProgram115 Jones, A. et al (2002) Firm Foundations: An evaluation of the Shelter Homeless to Home service, London: Shelter;Jones, A. et al (2006) Addressing Antisocial Behaviour: An independent evaluation of the Shelter Inclusion Project,London. Shelter.35