PROVIDING

HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL ILLNESS

Housing Initiatives (HI) was founded with a singular mission to improve the lives of people burdened by both Mental Illness and Homelessness by providing them with permanent, supportive housing.  The intersection of mental illness and homelessness creates profound difficulties for the lives of people who face this challenging combination.  Sometimes mental health and addiction problems lead to homelessness and sometimes homelessness leads to mental health and addiction problems.  The recurring interactions become so complex that it is hard to say which problem led to the other.  What is strikingly clear is that there is very little chance for recovery and stability while living on the streets.  This basic insight led to the development of the Housing First model, wherein clients are given housing first – and from that foundation they receive the support to overcome addictive disorders and to stabilize mental illness. Housing First is an evidence-based approach that provides the foundation for the HI approach to supportive housing.

At HI, clients with this combination of conditions are welcomed into housing units which become – in the vast majority of cases – stable, permanent, and affordable homes for these tenants.  However, the leadership and staff at HI understand that housing by itself is not a complete solution.  Immediately after moving in, HI staff support clients in learning the strategies required to live independently.  From basic living skills, to navigating the mental health support system, what clients need most is to feel accepted and supported, and that they are worthy of that acceptance and support.  This model is fabulously successful in ways that were never envisioned when the agency started over 30 years ago; Over 95% of program participants never return to living on the streets.