📑 NEW. The first independent evaluation finds that Scotland's #HousingFirst Pathfinder has been highly effective at supporting people with multiple and complex needs to sustain their tenancies. @ScotHousingNews scottishhousingnews.com/article/opinio…
Some tenants described the effects on their lives as transformational. They explained that the relationality, stickability, flexibility and longevity of Housing First support set it apart from other services they had used in the past.
The findings indicate that Housing First can be successfully scaled up, and relatively quickly so, even in areas where housing supply is constrained. The process has not been easy, however, with many difficulties encountered and lessons learned across all five areas.
A number of factors have facilitated the mobilisation and early implementation of Housing First, including strong political commitment at national and local levels, a high level of buy-in from a number of housing providers, and availability of training in principles and practice.
Factors which have inhibited include the limited supply of suitable housing in some areas, limited understanding of the Housing First approach amongst some housing providers, difficulties with staff recruitment, and divergent levels of risk appetite amongst key stakeholders.
Housing First providers face a particular challenge in balancing: a) maximisation of user choice with regard to housing location/type; with b) minimisation of risk of harm (to both Housing First tenants and their neighbours); and c) time taken to source housing.
A key task for frontline workers is to support people to make informed choices regarding housing (and other aspects of their lives), aware of the full range of options available to them and supported to assess the potential benefits, limitations, and risks associated with each 🧵
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