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. 2012 Jan;102(1):13-6.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300320.

Housing stability and recovery among chronically homeless persons with co-occuring disorders in Washington, DC

Sam Tsemberis  1 , Douglas Kent, Christy Respress
Affiliations

Housing stability and recovery among chronically homeless persons with co-occuring disorders in Washington, DC

Sam Tsemberis et al. Am J Public Health. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Pathways Housing First provides access to housing, support, and treatment services to clients having the most complex needs-persons who have been homeless for at least 5 years and have both a psychiatric disability and substance dependency. In a 2-year Housing and Urban Development-funded demonstration project in Washington, DC, in 2007 and 2008, we observed promising outcomes in housing retention and reductions in psychiatric symptoms, alcohol use, and demand for intensive support services. The program is designed to be fiscally self-sustaining through extant public disability benefits for housing, treatment, and support services. This approach shows strong support for first providing a permanently supported housing solution for chronically homeless and severely disabled individuals in need of housing and treatment of co-occurring disorders.

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Figures

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Formerly homeless tenant holding his apartment key. Photograph by Linda Kaufman
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The applicability of Housing First models to persons with serious mental illness. Available at: http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/hsgfirst.pdf Accessed December 30, 2010.
    1. Tsemberis S, Gulcur L, Nakae M. Housing First, consumer choice, and harm reduction for homeless individuals with a dual diagnosis. Am J Public Health. 2004;94(4):651–656. - PMC - PubMed
    1. US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Assertive Community Treatment Fidelity Scale: DACTS score sheet. Available at: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/CommunitySupport/toolkits/community/... Accessed December 30, 2010.
    1. Larimer ME, Malone DK, Garner MD, et al. Health care and public service use and costs before and after provision of housing for chronically homeless persons with severe alcohol problems. JAMA. 2009;301(13):1349–1357. - PubMed
    1. Tsemberis S. Housing First: ending homelessness, promoting recovery, and reducing costs. In: Gould EI, O'Flaherty B, eds. How to House the Homeless. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation; 2010:37–56.