The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

cost of administering the housing, 95 residents in a Housing First program in downtown
Seattle, the study reported an average cost-savings of 53 percent—nearly US $2,500
per month per person in health and social services, compared to the per month costs of
a wait-list control group of 39 homeless people. Further, stable housing also results in
reduced drinking among homeless alcoholics.
In Utah, there has been "a 72 percent decrease overall since enacting the plan in 2005"
according to the Utah Division of Housing and Community Development.
In August 2007, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that
the number of chronically homeless individuals living on the streets or in shelters
dropped by an unprecedented 30 percent, from 175,914 people in 2005 to 123,833 in
2007. This was credited in part to the "housing first" approach; Congress in 1999
directed that HUD spend 30% of its funding on the method.
In September 2010, it was reported that the Housing First Initiative had significantly
reduced the chronic homeless single person population in Boston, Massachusetts,
although homeless families were still increasing in number. Some shelters were
reducing the number of beds due to lowered numbers of homeless, and some
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