Ummm, no, Housing First does NOT leave youth behind. This week, the Homeless Hub released a report, “A Safe and Decent Place to Live: Towards a Housing First Framework for Youth”. The key theme of this report is that Housing First can indeed work for youth – it actually can work for anybody – but that the program delivery model must be designed and implemented in a way that takes into account the needs of the developing adolescent and young adult.
While there was media coverage surrounding the launch of the report, some of it gave a misleading impression by suggesting that Housing First “Fails Youth” or “Leaves Youth Behind” (these were the headlines). The article correctly pointed out that we should be careful in taking solutions developed to address adult homelessness and simply assume they work for youth. It also pointed out that there is not a large body of research on Housing First for youth (…yet! But we’re working on it.) Unfortunately, the key message of the report was missed.
The report in no way suggested that Housing First was inappropriate for youth, or that those who champion Housing First are somehow letting young people down. Far from it. The report makes clear that Housing First can work for youth, and set out a framework for communities interested in conceptualizing and implementing a youth-focused approach.
The basic idea is that Housing First can be adapted so that it more effectively meets the needs of developing adolescents and young adults. This means incorporating the notion of ‘positive youth development’ into the core principles. It means ensuring that the housing options for young people include, in addition to scattered site housing, the possibility of returning home (through Family Reconnection), as well as transitional housing, for young people who prefer the congregate living environment and the more intensive supports at that stage of their life. It also means ensuring that support services are tailored to meet the unique issues faced by youth compared to adults. Youth who are homeless not only need different kinds of supports, they may also need them for longer. This is because all young people – whether they are housed or not - need a chance to grow in a safe environment and the time necessary to make a successful transition to adulthood and well-being.
So don’t believe the hype – the reality is that Housing First CAN work for young people, and communities should proactively consider adapting and implementing the model. In doing so and ‘getting it right’, it will be necessary to ensure that program models demonstrate fidelity to the framework of Housing First as outlined in our report.
To learn more, check out our report, executive summary and videos at: http://www.homelesshub.ca/housingfirstyouth